Samsung Plans to Mass Produce Flexible Mobile-Device Screens
As the battle for dominance in the smartphone and tablet-computer market intensifies, South Korean conglomerate Samsung is pushing ahead with plans to start mass production of displays using plastic rather than glass, a move that will make mobile devices unbreakable, lighter and bendable.
Samsung's display unit, Samsung Display Co., is in the last phase of development of so-called flexible displays for mobile devices, which are expected to be released in the first half of next year, a person familiar with the situation said.
It is still unclear when devices using the technology will be available commercially, and Samsung declined to comment on how much it is investing in the displays.
Samsung's flexible displays will incorporate OLEDs, a display technology that the South Korean company is already using in its smartphones and television sets. OLEDs are thin and can be put on flexible material such as plastic or metal foil. By using plastic rather than glass, they make the displays more durable and light.
Flexible OLEDs have been in the development phase for many years, and companies including Sony Corp. of Japan and LG Display Co. of South Korea also have launched prototypes. However, manufacturers haven't been able to commercialize them or use them in devices due to technological barriers in mass production. Samsung hopes it will be first to bring the product to the market.
The vice president of Samsung's display unit, Lee Chang-hoon, said the company is currently sampling the displays with a few customers. Mr. Lee said the release date of a new product based on flexible displays hasn't been determined yet.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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