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Samsung has been showing its interest in making flexible displays for quite some time now. When concepts like the future of mobile video and Galaxy Skin started showing up, we saw this as something too amazing to be true. But the Korean manufacturer has proved that such technology is currently very possible, and it is coming very soon.
Samsung has just named this technology, and it seems it will go by the name of “Youm.” With a name established and trademark filed in (along with WAMOLED, FAMOLED, PAMOLED, TAMOLED), this product seems to be right on track for its expected 2012 release.
Said displays are not only exciting due to their foldable nature, but they are also said to be thinner, lighter and unbreakable (which can be seen in the video below). This will allow us to make watches, foldable devices, smartphones with interesting shapes and probably even scrolls. (I know I can’t wait to wear my robe and pull out a scroll tablet.)
In summary, Samsung is able to achieve this by removing multiple layers from displays (mostly glass and other solid materials). Youm is made out of four layers: Polariser, Encap, Organic layer and TFT film.
Such technology should be arriving by the end of 2012, if all goes right. But 2013, at the latest, will be the year of fold-able smartphones and tablets. Are you guys as excited as I am? What kind of products would you like to see featuring Youm displays?
[Via: OLED-Display, Electronista]
This means that the overall build needs to bend too though… I don’t see HTC’s phones ever doing this since they really do like using a good quality metal with their phones. Samsung however… I could see this… I’d love to see how the components would bend inside the tablet/phone. That’ll be pretty interesting.
I think the flexibility also means some design constraints are gone. As long as you design a rectangular surface with at least one linear dimension (cylinder/plane/…), then there is a screen base ready.
A curved bracelet wouldn’t need a special display custom designed with limited, expensive production runs, for one example.
BTW, I’ve wondered why no one is making an OLED watch already. Imagine choosing “skins” for your watch. Omega Speedmaster, Mickey Mouse, Star Trek, transparent “case” mechanical, . . . It could even be designed at 90 degrees from most watches (or with a g-sensor dynamic roll). For me, the most natural watch orientation is the inside of the wrist with 12:00 nearest the wrist.
There is a nice watch that you can change the face of. It’s the WIMM One. it’s currently $199 on Amazon.com. It’s running Android 2.1 (soon to be upgraded to 2.3.5) and they have their own microapp market for it, which includes tons of different watch faces.
Great! Thank you :-)
Damn, good products right under my nose. Thanks for the info, I think I’m gonna give that one a look.
You can make the display flexible, which is great, but this does not mean that at the same time we have suddenly found how to make a CPU, GPU, HDD, camera sensors, antennae, batteries, etc. flexible in order to make fully flexible tablets and phones. I am sure we will eventually, but we are not as close as you might think…
some fancy college research dept. has developed flexible batteries. The rest of the stuff you mentioned still needs help getting smaller so that all the actual hard-ware can be placed in a portion that the screen rolls up into, kinda like any retractable device.
I think that for now we can have those parts in a non flexible center and have the screen attached to that. I’m not really sure how many applications this would have until we can size down or make flexible all of the parts you mentioned… Though I think it would be interesting to have something like a Pip-Boy style device (think Fallout). I could see that using a flexible screen.
I would LOVE to have a Pip-Boy! It really is pretty crazy that the tech for it is all coming together.
A lot of it is possible, but the majority of it is at the far reaches of our tech right now, at least the commercial tech. It is nice to see how technology is evolving, we seem to be at a tipping point right now where tech is becoming a part of us rather than just a part of our social interactions.
Hmm, you mean like, the Pip Boy’s ability to some how store a ridiculous amount of stuff? And then allow us to equip it to our bodies by just selecting it? On a more serious note, that last sentence you wrote is totally true. You ever read into the singularity theory at all?
A. You just made a complete ass of yourself as it was pretty damn obvious that I was referring to the wrist worn design.
B. Yes I know what singularity theory is, I learned about it when I was a child. And speaking of, quit acting like one and go troll somewhere else.
The singularly of technology is finally coming!!! OMG!
I was definitely joking and not making fun of your comment at all. In fact, I have enjoyed all your comments on this post. I’m sorry that somehow you misconstrued my comment as trolling.
Eh sorry if I kind of blew up on you there. I completely misinterpreted how you were coming across.
No worries man. Re-reading my comment I definitely see how it could have come across differently than I meant it to. You have to be so precise with your wording when you don’t have tone to help express your meaning :P
The screen is about the only thing that benefits from being big, though. Miniaturize everything else and then size the display as you want.
The scroll alluded to above is one idea. Imagine carrying a 15 inch tall HD screen in your briefcase. I don’t see how these are actually foldable, though. They bend, not fold. Even then, carry a one-meter long tube, and you’ve got a 52″ screen rolled up inside.
True, a portable screen would be useful. Actually another application for this would be a secondary screen that you could use with say a tablet or smartphone. All you would really have to worry about is a power source, but it could be tethered to something for that.
I have a hard time imaging these on anything changing shape. It could be pulled from the side of a phone, like a video version of the ASUS Transformer, but it wouldn’t be a whole lot bigger than the phone. As a flag or on clothing, it would get point stresses that would eventually snap. Non-standard shapes with one linear dimension, though . . .
Imagine these covering an architectural column. It could look invisible, like a mirror, like a tree, an aquarium, a standing person, falling water, an information board, or any ad.
Add a game controller, and a cubicle becomes a an immersive game or simulator.
And if you’re really willing to put out some money, custom-fitted over a car or van. You could make a flaming car with moving flames, a “real” beetle, a wooden DaVinci machine, a cruising turtle, or neko bus. All changing at will ;-)
I like the way you think my friend.
True, but it could make a phone like the kyocera echo much more plausible. To have a phone that folds without random hinges in between the top and the bottom would be great.
No more cracked screens.
I think this is by far the biggest short-term benefit.
Boy, the fruit on that screen sure looks…”Youm-y”
YYYYEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!
I see you horatio…. I see you…
one is a jabanero.
Technically, the pepper is a fruit, since it contains the seeds of the plant. But in a cookery context it is usual to refer to it as a vegetable. Om nom nom.
Yes, anything with a seed inside considered a fruit. And that Habanero is hardy anything “sweet”.
Whats up with the AMOLED song going on in the background?
Ha! I noticed this too.
Here it is on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-HhwrYlZc
Amazing it didn’t even show blotches when hit with the hammer. How scratch resistant is it though?
amazin……
Even if they don’t make the rest of the device flexible, it would still be nice to not have to worry about the screen cracking when your phone slips out of your fingers.
AMOLED is the past now, SLCD2 is the best in terms of quality, in terms of battery life, well AMOLED maybe winner.
For those of you wondering what song was playing, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL-HhwrYlZc
dam sexy asian chicks dancing and singing about my phones screen
AMOLED
Apple will say they thought of it first!
Wow! Your opinion is so wonderful. May I subscribe to your newsletter?
Maybe not bendable or foldable phones or tablets but thinner devices would be possible. And how about a true flat screen HDTV? Wouldn’t it be cool to have a tv on your wall no thicker than a wall mirror? Is buy one.
You know these screens are gonna be primarily used by the same douchebags that put LCD screens on the backseat headrests of SUVs lol. Only this time they’re gonna wrap a giant foldable display around an entire car.
Is it me or does it look completely fake when they are hammering on the flexible screen, I dont think they are actually hitting it, looks like they are stopping short and adding in the noise.
I’m surprised no one has thought to mention how this tech could be applied to the inside of a lens in a pair of glasses with the frame providing the current and the glasses ear arm providing the other internals and the current Google Project Glass is already miniaturized from what Sergei has been shown wearing.
can’t wait to see this technology being put to use, there are sooooo many possibilities.
not really no. samsung continues to push mobile tech further than most. if you love nokia then thats cool and good for you but specs wise and even from a tech / style viewpoint nokia is lagging like stale air behind a drunkard sailors backside. they are simply trying to hard. what they need to to is try something different – something unexpected.
I don’t really prefer one company over another, they are all pushing in new directins and I like that but samsung seems to just be imploding in all directions I am sure they will be fine but people are really tiring of this new “direction” they are taking
Scroll tablet. Haha.
Can’t wait to see this out
For those of you saying that Flexible electronics are needed
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Wi5EBS-zCU
Hopefully Samsung will be smart with this one and not give it to Apple first.
This is pretty cool, though admittedly I see far more cracked glass than cracked LCDs. Not saying it doesn’t happen, but broken glass and digitizer issues seem more common to me.
I can see a flexible cellphone bracelet in a near future
Think camouflage for vehicles.