When we first started seeing foldable device concepts a few years ago, I was intrigued but not particularly impressed. Many of these early prototypes looked very much like experiments: they were often bulky and the bendable displays looked fragile. And there were folds.
Fortunately, display technology has come a long way in just a few years. This was particularly evident at LG Display’s booth at CES this year, where the company showed off two new mobile OLED concepts: a 17-inch laptop/tablet and an 8-inch smartphone-like device that can be folded in two directions.
The 17-inch device is far from the first foldable tablet we’ve seen, but LG Display claims this one is “almost completely crease-free.” We looked at it pretty closely and there was a visible seam along the crease, but it was very hard to detect when the tablet was fully unfolded. And there weren’t any ripples or gaps that we sometimes see with foldable devices. Also, LG says the display has been tested for up to 50,000 folds, so it should be pretty durable.
The other concept was something LG Display is officially calling a “360-degree foldable OLED,” an 8-inch display that looks a lot like Samsung’s Galaxy Fold, but folds in both directions. So in addition to folding it closed, you can also fold it outwards, with the two displays having a sort of tent shape.
LG Display says these “360-degree” capabilities could potentially allow an eventual device to be used in multiple different modes. Of course, it will also be up to hardware manufacturers and app developers to decide how to take advantage of the functionality, but it’s interesting to think about how you might want to use the phone when it’s folded the other way.
Of course, bi-folding also requires a more durable display, and LG says it’s delivered for that as well. According to the company, the 360-degree foldable is rated for 200,000 folds and is stronger than comparable foldables currently on the market. So while we still don’t know for sure if companies like Samsung will pursue phones with these bi-folding capabilities, LG Display has shown that such a device could be a lot closer than we think.
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