Samsung, Microsoft hype new 'Youm' flexible OLED display tech

By AppleInsider Staff

Samsung's day-two keynote at CES was full of surprises, including new bendable screen technology called "Youm," as well as an appearance by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.


Samsung showed off a prototype smartphone with a screen that continues onto the device's corners.

Helping Samsung to unveil flexible Youm displays was Microsoft, which showed off a prototype Windows Phone featuring the new technology. Microsoft Chief Technical Strategy Officer Eric Rudder also showed off video from a lab test in which a display was projected onto an entire room, allowing a player to become more fully immersed in an Xbox game.

"Some companies talk about reality distortion fields — we built one," Rudder said in a jab at Microsoft's rival Apple.

Samsung also showed off a smartphone with a display that curves around the edge of the device. And a concept video showcased a phone that could be unfolded and turned into a tablet.


Samsung demonstrates a bendable Youm screen.

At the conclusion of Wednesday's press conference, Clinton took the stage to promote the Samsung Hope for Children foundation, of which he the ambassador. The former president joked that when he became president in the early '90s, cell phones weighed 20 pounds and there were 50 websites on the Internet.


Clinton took the stage for Samsung's day-two keynote at CES.

In his speech, Clinton said technology plays an integral role in improving life, whether it's through cutting costs in medical records systems or connecting people and ideas from around the world.

Samsung also announced its new eight-core Exynos 5 "Octa" chip during Wednesday's presentation. Based on the Cortex A15 architecture, Samsung claimed the 28-nanometer-process chip offers twice the 3D gaming performance of any other mobile processor currently available.