Samsung Reportedly Working on Flexible OLED Displays for Mobile

By Karla Robinson
November 15, 2012

Samsung has been developing flexible plastic displays for mobile devices, and according to a person familiar with the project, the technology will be released in the first half of next year, although it may be sometime before they are commercially available.
“The key reason for Samsung to use plastic rather than conventional glass is to produce displays that aren’t breakable,” says Shinyoung Securities analyst Lee Seung-chul.
“The technology could also help lower manufacturing costs and help differentiate its products from other rivals,” he adds.
It is uncertain how much Samsung has invested in the venture, but the company can afford investment, the Wall Street Journal suggests. Samsung’s display business profits have soared, rising 91 percent from a year ago.
The new displays incorporate OLED technology; using plastic instead of glass will make displays more durable and light.
Many companies have developed flexible OLED prototypes, but “manufacturers haven’t been able to commercialize them or use them in devices due to technological barriers in mass production,” notes the article. “Samsung hopes it will be first to bring the product to the market.”
According to analyst Julius Kim at Woori Investment & Securities, “Samsung is still busy making the original glass-type displays for its latest Galaxy S III smartphones and Galaxy Note II devices, so profit-wise the new displays don’t seem to be that attractive.”

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