Your Next Samsung Device Could Come With a Double Folding Screen

If you’re a big fan of Samsung’s foldable phones like the Z Fold 2 and Z Flip 2, well, you’ll be excited to see what Samsung has showcased at the ongoing Display Week 2021.

The Samsung S-foldable display Credit: Samsung Display

The company recently revealed a few concepts: the “S-foldable”, “slidable” and “Under Panel Camera (UPC)” at Display Week 2021, an annual event that focuses on emerging electronic display and visual information technology from concept to market.

The “S-foldable” display gained the most amount of attention due to previous reports about the company filing a patent with the European Union Intellectual Property Office for a foldable display for smartphones. According to information the company published, the S-foldable is a multi-foldable OLED display concept that can be folded twice inside and outside. The display, which measures 7.2 inches when fully opened, can be used as a smartphone when folded twice and a tablet when unfolded.

The display has been the subject of much speculation since the company filed its patent. A LetsGoDigital report mentioned that Samsung may be working on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Z Fold 3 – smartphones that feature an inward folding display. They also reported that the S-foldable display might be used as the two phones’ display.

The 17-inch OLED display Credit: Samsung Display

Samsung Display also has a new display for personal computers. The company plans to present a 17-inch foldable OLED display that provides a large screen similar to a tablet when folded in a 4:3 ratio. However, when opened, it will also serve as a monitor, enhancing portability.

Samsung Display’s Slidable OLED display Credit: Samsung Displays

Another interesting display the company unveiled is a slidable display that allows people to enjoy the advantages of a large screen while being portable at the same time. The user only has to extend the phone’s screen horizontally to fully see the display. In this case, Samsung Display says that it’s possible to add multitasking features for large-screen video and content appreciation.

The concept of a slidable phone display is not new to the consumer electronics world. At CES 2021, LG revealed a rollable concept smartphone called the LG Rollable. The phone was able to extend or reduce the phone’s screen by sliding the display vertically. However, the phone’s development ceased when the company decided to pull out of the smartphone business before the phone could see the light of day.

A picture of the Under Panel Camera OLED display Credit: Samsung Display

Finally, there’s a display that Samsung Display seems to have designed for use on a laptop. This display was said to be sporting a full-screen technology that minimises the bezel and maximises the screen by mounting the front camera of the bezel part of the existing IT device under the panel.

The laptop’s camera is secured by increasing the transmittance of the panel part where the camera module is located. The utilisation of this display on a laptop might mean we might be seeing laptops with thinner profiles in the foreseeable future.

There is a possibility that Samsung will be using these displays for their future products in the future, but that is still up for debate. We can only hope that these displays gain enough interest that Samsung will actually incorporate this technology into products that are meant for consumers soon.

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Written by John Paul Joaquin