LG Unveils 18-Inch Flexible, Transparent, ‘Rollable’ OLED Displays
You saw Apple's sapphire crystal display for the iPhone 6 get bent backward in an awkward position without snapping, though that was to demonstrate its durability, not to show off any fancy tricks. LG, on the other hand, announced that it has developed an 18-inch flexible OLED panel that you can roll up like a newspaper (remember those?), along with an 18-inch transparent OLED panel.
Of interest here is the rollable display. It sports a 1200x810 resolution packed with nearly 1 million mega-pixels. With a curvature radius of 30R, LG says the panel can be rolled up to a radius of 3cm without interfering with the function of the display. LG also says this serves as proof that it can bring rollable TVs in excess of 50 inches to the market sometime down the line.
"LG Display pioneered the OLED TV market and is now leading the next-generation applied OLED technology. We are confident that by 2017, we will successfully develop an Ultra HD flexible and transparent OLED panel of more than 60 inches, which will have transmittance of more than 40 percent and a curvature radius of 100R, thereby leading the future display market," said In-Byung Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of the R&D Center at LG Display.
Flexible displays are a different breed than your typical panels. LG used a high molecular-based polyimide film for the panel's backplane rather than conventional plastic. This served two purposed -- it helped reduce the thickness and achieved a maximum curvature radius, both of which significantly improved the panel's flexibility.
Of interest here is the rollable display. It sports a 1200x810 resolution packed with nearly 1 million mega-pixels. With a curvature radius of 30R, LG says the panel can be rolled up to a radius of 3cm without interfering with the function of the display. LG also says this serves as proof that it can bring rollable TVs in excess of 50 inches to the market sometime down the line.
"LG Display pioneered the OLED TV market and is now leading the next-generation applied OLED technology. We are confident that by 2017, we will successfully develop an Ultra HD flexible and transparent OLED panel of more than 60 inches, which will have transmittance of more than 40 percent and a curvature radius of 100R, thereby leading the future display market," said In-Byung Kang, Senior Vice President and Head of the R&D Center at LG Display.
Flexible displays are a different breed than your typical panels. LG used a high molecular-based polyimide film for the panel's backplane rather than conventional plastic. This served two purposed -- it helped reduce the thickness and achieved a maximum curvature radius, both of which significantly improved the panel's flexibility.
