Foldable screens coming soon?

[spinedoc77]

NOW this is my dream phone/tablet, meaning I can just carry one device. Folds out to a large seamless screen, when folded you can see there is what appears to be a 3rd screen which is the phone itself. This is one of the few designs which has me truly excited this year.

http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/samsung-galaxy-q-folding-display-phone-could-be-seen-at-mwc

Here is a video from 2008, I can't imagine how much they have perfected this in 5 years:
http://www.slashgear.com/samsung-galaxy-q-folding-smartphone-tipped-for-mwc-2013-04268025/

 

[g4manimac]

Possible,might be a good market for replacement lcd's.I like the current designs personally.

 

[charlieegan3]

Let's get flexible ones out the door first.

 

[Tinmania]

If there is any hint of a line down the middle then, for me, forget it.



Michael

 

[TouchMint.com]

I saw these live at the Samsung keynote at CES this year so I gotta think its on its way. They had screen that wrapped around the device as well as what seemed like just a clear piece of bendable plastic that displayed a dynamic image.

 

[spinedoc77]

If there is any hint of a line down the middle then, for me, forget it.



Michael

I'd be OK with a seam, but not OK with an actual bezel or anything physical in between. I'd much rather a seam but be freed from carrying around a tablet or a phablet.

 

[matttye]

Two 3" screens? The single screen would be a little too small for me I think!

 

[mattopotamus]

Two 3" screens? The single screen would be a little too small for me I think!

The video was from 2008, so I'm sure it would be updated

 

[matttye]

The video was from 2008, so I'm sure it would be updated

I'm referring to the article, not the video. The article says that a phone sporting two 3" screens could be shown off at mwc 2013.

 

[mattopotamus]

I'm referring to the article, not the video. The article says that a phone sporting two 3" screens could be shown off at mwc 2013.

ahh

 

[kdarling]

Looks similar to the more recent Samsung concept flex phones...



... seen in this recent Samsung video (which is also a parody of tech lovers, so don't take that part seriously) that I've posted here before. Be sure to click the little YouTube caption control box (left of the CC button) to turn off the annoying annotations.

Personally, I would pay anything for one of these phones / fold-out tablets. Take my money, please!

 

[VulchR]

Frankly, why would one want a foldable screen? I am not sure there is even a good case for a flexible screen. Sure, it's an interesting concept, but I would want to know (1) how a foldable screen would be protected from deterioration in materials due to flexure at the crease and (2) how the electronics would handle transients created by flexing the screen (anybody has listened to cable artifacts in audio systems knows what I am talking about).

I suspect that we'll see flexible screens that are permanently fixed to a curved surface, but I doubt we'll ever see a truly foldable screen.

 

[kdarling]

Frankly, why would one want a foldable screen?

That part's easy: foldable lets a bigger screen be available in a smaller carrying package.

As for flexible, agreed, that's up in the air.

Edit: I just ran across this info on a news site: "If it’s the same technology Samsung showed off before, then it should be able to be bent 100,000 times before experiencing a 6 percent decrease in screen brightness – one that’s apparently too faint for the human eye to notice."

 

[spinedoc77]

Looks similar to the more recent Samsung concept flex phones...

View attachment 394815

... seen in this recent Samsung video (which is also a parody of tech lovers, so don't take that part seriously) that I've posted here before. Be sure to click the little YouTube caption control box (left of the CC button) to turn off the annoying annotations.

YouTube: video

Personally, I would pay anything for one of these phones / fold-out tablets. Take my money, please!

Sick! These will be game changers IMO. Currently we either have to carry a phablet around, or a tablet and a small phone. Something like this would consolidate both devices if done right.

 

[thekev]

As for flexible, agreed, that's up in the air.

I thought part of that was to avoid screen damage under stress.

 

[Sylon]

I wouldn't be all that excited about flexible screens to be honest. We used to have a somewhat flexible touchscreen already. They were on those old phones like the HTC Fuze. They were resistive screens, and they SUCKED! If they can make a flexible screen with the same responsiveness as a capacitive screen like on the iPhone, then go for it. But resistive screens blow.

 

[Sedrick]

I wouldn't be all that excited about flexible screens to be honest. We used to have a somewhat flexible touchscreen already. They were on those old phones like the HTC Fuze. They were resistive screens, and they SUCKED! If they can make a flexible screen with the same responsiveness as a capacitive screen like on the iPhone, then go for it. But resistive screens blow.

They'll never go back to resistive. Everyone hated them. I had one on my LG Dare and wouldn't go back for anything.