First there was bendable, rollable, and foldable... but now, thanks Samsung, we have stretchable displays.
The company has showed off a new display technology at Display Week - and it can stretch like a rubber band or a trampoline. The 9.1-inch stretchable OLED display is just a prototype for now, but Samsung said it can be flexed in two directions instead of just one. Keep in mind existing flexible OLED displays, such as bendable, foldable, and rollable displays, can only be formed in one direction.
When you press on the new screen, it'll depress, and when you stop pressing, it'll bounce back into its flat shape. Whether stretched up or down, it has sufficient elasticity to recover, Samsung explained. That also means the new display can also roll and bend when pushed on before snapping back to its original shape. Unfortunately, there's no plans on when this screen will show up in a real-life device.
- Best smartphones 2017: The best phones available to buy today
- Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone now likely shelved until 2019
- Samsung Galaxy X roll-out OLED screen shown off, just 0.3mm thin
The company said it figured the technology could be used for wearables, internet of things devices, and automotive applications. Samsung even described how it could be used as a face for a robot. When it comes to displays, Samsung certainly stands out. Its flexible displays are now found in its Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus phones, which is why the the screen can curve around the sides of the phones.
Samsung has also shown off foldable and bendable displays in the past.