Innovation in devices is unstoppable. Samsung has shown a couple of its flexible displays at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), held from the 8th to the 11th, in Las Vegas, USA.
The screen features on show there are: 5.5 inches, targeted for use in smartphones, with a high definition resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels and a density of 267 pixels.
To top it off, the team has also shown a 55-inch television screen.
Bendable screens
The idea behind flexible screens, a technology in which Samsung is making considerable investments, is to make the devices more manageable. Glass is the material currently used for screens. If a handset is dropped or hit, it usually gets damaged, broken or scratched. With flexible screens this presumably would not happen, and the devices would also be easier to carry because they would be much lighter. Prototypes had been seen before, like the one shown in this video:
This could well be Samsung’s opportunity to set itself apart from competitors, creating an entirely new range of products. Although the firm is not the first nor the only one to have explored these possibilities, it appears that it will become the pioneer in marketing it (or at least trying) to the general public.
In addition to proving itself as a functional element that meets consumer needs and offers clear advantages, one of the keys to the screen’s success will be its price. Nobody knows how much it will cost, but we do know its approximate launch date, set for the first half of 2013.
Will devices using this technology for their screens find a niche in the market? Will it provide all the features we need in a phone, tablet or TV and add further substantial developments that tip the balance in its favour? Will we start to enjoy contents in a whole new way?
