Samsung Display is showing off some wild new foldable and rollable concept devices at Display Week 2022 being held in San Jose, California. Samsung is already a market leader in the foldables segment with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip devices, but there's clearly a lot more that flexible screens can accomplish. Samsung is also developing slideable/rollable displays, which are being explored by a number of brands, including TCL, Oppo, and more recently, Motorola.
At CES 2022, Samsung showed off two concept foldable devices, the Flex S and Flex G. While the Flex S can fold both outward and inward, turning into a massive tablet or a compact smartphone, the Flex G folds inward twice, providing complete protection for the display. While both these prototypes are being showcased at Display Week, Samsung Display is also giving the world a glimpse at some brand new products.
In a press release, Samsung Display said that it will debut a new 6.7-inch slideable device at Display Week. Unlike most rollable concepts that expand horizontally, this product will slide upward, similar to what Motorola is working on for its rumored Felix rollable phone. Samsung says this form factor is particularly useful for browsing social media and reading documents. Another new slideable device has a display that can be extended from both sides, allowing an 8.1-inch device to expand into a much larger 12.4-inch screen. This display is ideal for watching videos or multi-tasking, and Samsung Display even has a YouTube video that imagines how these devices could be used in the future.
The Future Is Foldable
The video shows the Galaxy Flex S being used in a stand mode like a mini laptop. The Flex G's tri-folding screen on the other hand transforms into a nearly full-sized laptop, with the bottom third functioning as a touch-screen keyboard. The vertically slideable phone shows a compact device being pulled upwards to transform into a display with a tall aspect ratio that's perfect for scrolling apps like Instagram. The wide slideable on the other hand is being advertised as a halo-free and true black screen for media consumption.
Another new category Samsung is venturing into is the Gaming Foldable OLED display. This display allows gaming controllers to be attached at both ends and it can even be folded in half for portability. The display can also be held vertically, with the controller attached at the bottom to provide a better gaming experience. An OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate for laptops will also be introduced.
All the concepts showcased by Samsung Display are still in the prototype stage, which means that an actual commercial launch is still a while away. However, Samsung says that this technology could become mainstream in just a few years, which means devices like the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold could become obsolete very soon.
Source: Samsung Display, Samsung Display/YouTube