Samsung Demonstrates an Incredible Flexible OLED

Samsung is showing off bendy OLED screens which, apart from looking cool, have the potential to change mobile display technology forever.

The screens on our mobile devices have reached the point where our eyes can’t even pick out individual pixels anymore. Super AMOLED screens and other OLED variants in particular are beautiful. The double-curved unit that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is equipped with looks more like a tiny painting in person than a computer screen.

Yet screens still have plenty of drawbacks. For one thing, smartphone screens are the most fragile component of the device. One bad corner drop and even the best Gorilla Glass will shatter into an ugly mess. It’s not nearly as bad as it used to be, but we still have to be pretty careful.

We’ve seen curved OLED screens slowly make their way to TV’s, monitors and even curved phones. While these look nice, the curves haven’t really translated into functional improvements. Although you could argue curved phones can be better ergonomically, if you’re one of those people who still hold a phone up to your face.

Stretched to the Limit

The screens that Samsung are showing aren’t just curved, they can bend like crazy, bordering on being foldable.

Obviously this opens up all sorts of possibilities for new mobile devices, but it could also solve some of the fragility issues.

Samsung says this technology would be perfect for wearable devices, in-car displays and other use cases where bendability and stretch would be useful.

This is a screen that can be dented and pops back into place and stretch as much as 12mm in both direction if you push a finger into it.

What this Means for VR

It’s easy to forget that “wearables” include VR headsets and there are plenty of benefits this technology could have for VR technology.

First of all, it can make VR HMDs more durable. Believe it, if you drop your Oculus things will not be pretty.

Secondly, wearable devices are always better when they fit our bodies well. When you are limited to a screen that’s straight, this has an effect on the shape of the rest of the device. OLED displays like this one could usher in VR headsets that are less bulky and fit our faces properly.

Lastly, it may provide  a way to make VR more immersive. A screen that can be flexed in this way could be used to make more immersive devices that also cater to peripheral vision. Existing HMDs that have tried to do this inevitably have to use triple-screen solutions that are just too bulky.

The Future is Now

It may not be long before we see an actual product that uses this technology. The Samsung Galaxy X or something based on it is probably not that far from a commercial release. The real event to wait for is when Samsung begins to sell the screens to third-party companies. Think Apple or Microsoft. We’ve seen the future, and it’s around the bend.