LG's super-flexible display could pave the way for rollable TVs

Home / News / LG’s super-flexible display could pave the way for rollable TVs

Devices with flexible displays like Samsung and LG’s curved TVs (not to mention the Galaxy Round and G Flex) have already trickled into our lives, and now LG has shown off how much further it’s taken its bendy screen technology.

The South Korean tech giant has revealed an 18in OLED panel which is flexible enough to be rolled into a tube that’s only 3cm in diameter. While it only has a resolution of 1,200 x 810, it’s still an impressive feat.

The extra flexibility comes courtesy of a polyamide film on the panel’s rear, which is less rigid than the plastic film that was previously used.

Not only does this give the screen its super-flexibility, but it also means that the overall thickness is reduced too.

In addition to making its display more flexible, LG has also created a transparent OLED panel which has three times the transparency of existing see-through LCD screens.

But why would I want a rollable TV?

A light, thin, rollable TV will have little benefit in everyday use if it’s just stuck on your wall. But the fact that you can roll it up and carry it around like a poster (presumably with a separate box for electrical components) means that you can easily shift it from room to room, or even into the garden to watch the footy during a barbecue.

It’s the sort of technological development which we’ll find new uses for. Remember when some misguided person stated that there would be no reason for anyone to have a computer in their home?

Flexible display development could also pave the way for the holy grail of portable computing – a smartphone with a small screen which can be tripled in size simply by rolling it out from the main body.

LG Display’s SVP and Head of R&D believes that the company will develop a working ultra HD flexible and transparent 60in OLED panel by 2017.

We can’t say for sure when it’ll land on shelves, but we can almost guarantee you’ll need a second mortgage to pick one up com launch day.

READ MORE: LG G Flex review

[Engadget]

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Esat has been a gadget fan ever since his tiny four-year-old brain was captivated by a sound-activated dancing sunflower. From there it was a natural progression to a Sega Mega Drive, a brief obsession with hedgehogs, and a love for all things tech. After 7 years as a writer and deputy editor for Stuff, Esat ventured out into the corporate world, spending three years as Editor of Microsoft's European News Centre. Now a freelance writer, his appetite for shiny gadgets has no bounds. Oh, and like all good human beings, he's very fond of cats.