By Stephen Schenck | December 30, 2010 8:37 PM
Samsung is planning to show off a new AMOLED screen it’s created at next month’s CES. The 4.5-inch display is supposed to be extremely flexible, making us think about the possible implications for alternative smartphone displays.
The WVGA display uses a newly-developed plastic substrate that gives it a higher resolution and more durability than earlier flexible AMOLED displays. According to Samsung, you can roll it up into a cylinder just two centimeters in diameter. While that’s a bit thick for a smartphone, it makes the possibility of a scroll-like secondary display seem like it could be feasible someday.
If Samsung could make sure that the AMOLED elements withstood any damage from repeated roll/unroll cycles, you could conceivably have a phone where you could “unroll” additional screen space when needed. Even if you want to keep with a more traditional design, the flexibility could give manufacturers more freedom in how they design hardware; think “Nexus S”, but with a curved screen, not just curved glass. What about a phone with an unbroken full-size screen, yet is able to be folded in half?
