Perhaps signaling that a future of bendable displays is closer to becoming a reality than ever before, ZDNet is reporting that LG Display recently took steps to ramp up production for plastic OLED panels, or POLED for short.
By utilizing plastic instead of glass, POLED panels are much more malleable and bendable, making the technology an ideal fit across a wide array of products, including smartphones, watches and even automobiles. And while we’re not there yet, it does seem as if the future of technology will consist of flexible displays.
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LG has already invested billions into bolstering its POLED production capacity and it will be fascinating to see how manufacturers implement the technology in the months ahead. According to the report, LG will begin shipping its new POLED panels to partners in the first half of 2017. In turn, it’s reasonable to assume that products featuring the display technology might hit the market during the latter half of next year. LG didn’t want to reveal who its clients were, but reports indicate that it already has deals inked with various auto manufacturers.
Incidentally, you might also recall recent rumors suggesting that Samsung has plans to roll out two bendable smartphones sometime in 2017 which feature OLED screens. Though you might want to take this with a grain of salt, rumor has it that Samsung in 2017 will release one smartphone model that will fold completely in half like a “cosmetic compact” along with another smartphone model that will “unfurls into a display that’s as large as 8 inches.”
Clearly, we’re still a long ways from hitting the ceiling when it comes to smartphone design.
On a final and somewhat related note, you might recall that researchers from the Queen’s University Human Media Lab showcased an impressive and functional smartphone prototype featuring a flexible OLED panel from LG just a few months ago.
A video demonstration of the technology in action can be viewed below.
