LG shows off its ‘Real Folding Window’ glass to compete against Samsung
Until now, Samsung has been easily leading the way when it comes to foldable displays. We’ve seen concepts from other companies like TCL and even an implementation from Xiaomi in the Mi Mix Fold. Even rumors point to Google relying on Samsung’s display for the rumored Pixel Fold. Now, Samsung may actually have some competition on its hands all thanks to LG.
Earlier today, LG announced its ‘Real Folding Window’, which isn’t exactly glass but isn’t exactly plastic either. According to the announcement, this new “glass” uses a layer of PET film on both sides to prevent any cracks from appearing. It really seems similar to what Samsung has done with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3, as both devices also feature a PET layer of film.
But instead of just applying this to smartphones of the future, LG states it plans to bring this new display to the likes of laptops and tablets. Given that Samsung has already shown off some renders of a futuristic laptop that folds up without sporting a hardware keyboard, it shouldn’t come as much surprise.
LG may have decided to give up on its mobile smartphone division earlier this year, so this announcement may seem a bit odd. However, this is actually coming from LG Chem, which is a sub-division of LG and one that specializes in everything from lithium-ion batteries to LCD polarizers, and much more.
It may still be a little while before we see the first devices released using this new ‘Real Folding Window’. LG Chem confirmed its plans to ramp up mass production by the end of 2022, with the material arriving in devices beginning sometime in 2023. That may feel like a long ways off, but if more companies are going to compete with Samsung in the foldable market, they’ll need a display supplier in order to do so, and LG may just fit the bill perfectly.