Flexible displays are supposed to be the next big thing for smartphone tech, and LG says it’ll have an actual product later this year.
The Wall Street Journal reports:
Yoon Bu-hyun, vice president at LG’s mobile business, said the company will cooperate with affiliate LG Display Co. to introduce a smartphone with a flexible OLED screen in the fourth quarter.
Keep in mind that the phone itself is unlikely to be bendable, but flexible displays have other uses, from gimmicky to practical. Samsung has showed off a concept phone with a display that curves around the side, allowing notifications to appear while most of the screen is covered. Flexible screens can also be thinner and more durable, due to the use of flexible plastic film instead of glass.
Flexible display may be even more useful for smartwatches, allowing the screen to curve around the wrist. LG is reportedly working on a watch; Samsung, Microsoft and Apple are rumored to be doing the same.