Samsung’s Foldable Displays could arrive in 2015

Foldable displays are the new hot trend in mobile phones. Yet so far, the “foldability” only happens during the manufacturing process, which renders the “foldable” display rigid by the time it gets into consumers’ hands. Samsung plans to make a truly foldable display by 2015.

Samsung made its goals clear at an analyst day held on Wednesday in Seoul, South Korea, Gizmodo reports. The company expects to bring fully-foldable screens to market “some time in 2015.” In addition to mobile phones, the technology is expected to appear in other devices including tablets and wearable tech such as Samsung’s line of Galaxy Gear. Foldable displays are also being deployed in the production of televisions, offering a curved display.

The technology has been in use for some time, but is still early in development. Last year a report released by the University of Cincinnati advanced research and development on foldable displays.

One advantage that foldable, or flexible displays, have over existing technologies is strength.

 

LG is working on technology that will render foldable displays “unbreakable,” however those boundaries have yet to be tested.

The Samsung displays are expected to be released within two years.

At the analyst event, Samsung CEO Kwon Oh Hyun presented a slideshow that offered insight into plans for the company’s display technology over the next few years, CNET reports.

An info graphic on the Sammy Hub blog shows the evolution that will help Samsung arrive at its goal of foldable displays. The progression begins with the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy Round.

“Though some people have questioned the benefits of a phone with a curved display, at least one researcher said he believes the technology is a major innovation,” wrote Lance Whitney from CNET. The first step toward foldable displays will be bendable displays, due out next year.

The Samsung roadmap also includes upping the resolution on displays for mobile devices and other electronics. Next year, Samsung is expecting to release handsets with double the pixels. “It’s time to start getting used to discussing WQHD resolution, or 2560×1440 pixels, in relation to smartphones,” Vlad Savov of The Verge wrote.

Samsung has promised 560ppi AMOLED panels for phones and said the handsets will include 1440p resolution. “You get a 5.2-inch handset — the same dimensions as on LG’s 1080p G2, but with 78 percent more pixels,” Savov wrote.

As well, several phone manufacturers have talked about delivering Ultra HD to the mobile phone platform. Ultra HD, or 4K resolutions, are four times the resolution of high definition. Ultra HD televisions have been on the market for over a year, but due to the high price point and lack of content, adoption rates are low. However, content is slowly becoming available and prices are expected to come down in the New Year.

Samsung also touted custom ARM chips and 16-megapixel cameras for phone displays. The 16-megapixel sensor for Smartphone’s should become available in 2014 and make its way into models soon after. A new range of 64-bit ARM chips are also in development.