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Samsung's 'Infinity Flex Display' demo shows future of foldable smartphones

Samsung's folding "Infinity Flex Display" prototype (via The Verge)

Samsung has revealed a prototype flexible display at its developer conference in San Francisco, with the demonstration of the "Infinity Flex Display" allowing for a tablet-sized mobile device to be folded in half to the size of a smartphone.

Teased for weeks and unveiled at Wednesday's Samsung Developer Conference, the Infinity Flex Display potentially allows for the creation of a mobile device that is the size of a tablet, but can be resized by the user depending on their needs. The on-stage demonstration for the prototype showed the device was able to be folded in half, with the screen ending up inside the fold.

According to photographs from The Verge, the folded device has an extra display on the outside, allowing it to be used as a standard smartphone. The stage itself was dimmed to protect the design of the prototype from being analyzed, other than the folding and secondary screen, but it is evident by the large bezels of both displays that it is a prototype and not a finished product.

An infographic produced by Samsung advises the tablet screen is 7.3 inches in size when unfolded, but did not disclose the second screen's size. Samsung also developed a new material for the cover window to allow it to be "flexible and durable," paired with an adhesive that "enhances the display's elasticity" and retains its strength through multiple folding and unfolding instances.

To take advantage of the form factor, Samsung has also come up with a new user interface that can transition between the larger and smaller displays on folding or unfolding. It is also claimed up to three active apps can be used on the larger display at the same time, but it is unclear how many will remain usable when the device is folded and activity switches to the smaller screen.

Samsung did not advise when the first smartphone using the display will be available, but it is claimed the South Korean tech giant can start mass production of the Infinity Flex Display "in a matter of months."

A foldable smartphone has been rumored to be in development by Samsung for a number of years, in a variety of different forms. It won't be the first to market with a foldable display device, however, as the Royole FlexPai was made available for preorder in China on November 1 with anticipated deliveries to customers starting in December.

Apple has been linked to the development of its own foldable devices, with rumors claiming LG is working with the iPhone producer on the concept. Analysts have also suggested the possibility of an iPhone with a foldable display launching as soon as 2020.

There's also a number of patents and applications relating to folding displays and devices that have been produced by Apple, including hinged devices and wrap-around displays, stretchy substrates for attaching components together in a flexible device, and enabling force gesture controls on such hardware.



77 Comments

StrangeDays 9 Years · 13004 comments

Looks like they're answering the "how?" without first answering the "why?". This is one of the things Apple competitors and pundits struggle to grasp. Throwing a bunch of "how" against the wall will never compete will a well-thought-out "why".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYeCltXpxw

10 Likes · 0 Dislikes
avon b7 21 Years · 8097 comments

Looks like they're answering the "how?" without first answering the "why?". This is one of the things Apple competitors and pundits struggle to grasp. Throwing a bunch of "how" against the wall will never compete will a well-thought-out "why".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYeCltXpxw

You didn't get the why?

Making your mini tablet occupy half the screen space and turning it into a phone or vice versa.

The 'why' is crystal clear. I currently use an iPad Mini 2 and a smartphone. This solution, somewhere down the road, would serve both uses on one device and have a screen protector built in for the tablet.

Or course, pricing, weight and battery life will be important obstacles to overcome. And durability of course.

2 Likes · 0 Dislikes
franklinjackcon 11 Years · 612 comments

I could be wrong but looking at the perspective, it seems a lot of content would end up with black bars along the top and bottom so you end up with the opposite problem that most tall phones have these days. Regardless, whoever can execute this well, will have a very interesting device. It seems like this would be the most logical future form factor if the price/performance/thickness is right.

rogifan_new 10 Years · 4297 comments

Wake me when this is a real shipping product.

7 Likes · 0 Dislikes
Soli 10 Years · 9981 comments

avon b7 said:
Looks like they're answering the "how?" without first answering the "why?". This is one of the things Apple competitors and pundits struggle to grasp. Throwing a bunch of "how" against the wall will never compete will a well-thought-out "why".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPYeCltXpxw
You didn't get the why?

Making your mini tablet occupy half the screen space and turning it into a phone or vice versa.

The 'why' is crystal clear. I currently use an iPad Mini 2 and a smartphone. This solution, somewhere down the road, would serve both uses on one device and have a screen protector built in for the tablet.

Or course, pricing, weight and battery life will be important obstacles to overcome. And durability of course.

How wonderful that instead of having two devices that can be idealized for each specific use you can have one device that is heavier and takes up more volume than an iPhone and iPad mini 2 combined and can only be used by one person. Gee, I can't wait until Samsung comes out with a gaming notebook that doubles as an MP3 player I can attach to my arm whilst jogging¡

This reminds me of MS' Surface's "No Compromise" for a device that was only compromises.

9 Likes · 0 Dislikes