Samsung has been a pioneering force in the mobile display technology. Not just for itself, the company even makes display panels for some of its direct rivals, such as Apple. From AMOLED, to Edge, to Infinity displays, Samsung’s mobile display technology has been setting the industry standards for years now.
Continuing the trend, Samsung is now breaking new ground in mobile display technology with its Infinity Flex Display.
Samsung unveils Infinity Flex Display at SDC 2018
The SDC 2018 saw Samsung revealing some big advancements in its vision of connecting all of its devices by 2020. The company opened up Bixby to third-party developers, and also announced some new tools for SmartThings developers. One big talking point of the event, however, was its long-anticipated foldable smartphone. The company didn’t show off the device but it did reveal what the foldable display looks like.
The Infinity Flex Display is a result of Samsung’s “user-centric approach to innovation”. The new display form factor seamlessly unfolds into a 7.3-inch display, essentially equipping the device with an ability to function as both a smartphone and tablet. As suggested by previous reports, the foldable phone will also have a smaller display on the outside. When folded, the external display will function as the smartphone screen.
Since glass isn’t flexible, Samsung had to develop a new material for the cover window that’s flexible as well as durable. Samsung has used a unique adhesive that enhances the display’s elasticity, enabling it to be folded and unfolded countless times without issue.
To maximize the experience of this groundbreaking form factor, Samsung has also developed new software. The new, One UI, seamlessly transitions between the two displays as it folds or unfolds. The multi-active window allows users to run up to three apps simultaneously on the bigger screen.
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The Infinity Flex Display that Samsung showed off at SDC was just an engineering prototype and not an actual device. Justin Denison, Samsung’s SVP of Mobile Product Marketing, however, has assured that the mass production of the display will begin in the next few months. We can thus expect the foldable smartphone to arrive by the second quarter of 2019.
