Thanks to a little incident earlier this year between Samsung and Apple -- you know, that $1.05 billion incident -- competition is higher than ever between the rival companies. Today, Samsung has announced its plans to move forward with flexible OLED displays for mobile devices. Are bendy screens enough to win the patent war?
According to Wall Street Journal, Samsung's recently formed division, Samsung Mobile Display, is going forward with its intentions to mass-produce flexible, plastic screens.
The pliable displays ditch the glass, combining a plastic structure with thin OLEDs to produce mobile screens less susceptible to shattering. While the technology has actually been tossed around tech circles for quite some time, no company has moved into mass production, as there's no guarantee the new displays will click with consumers.
But as Samsung and Apple still duke it out in courtrooms worldwide, debating similarities or even the "cool" factor of devices, Samsung may see an opportunity to differentiate its future smartphone models from the iPhone.
Sure, there's still a question as to how much an upcoming Galaxy phone differs from an iPhone in regards to interface, etc. But a flexible OLED display would certainly present an alternative piece of hardware.
Shinyoung Securities analyst Lee Seung-chul seems to think competition born from new technology may be a vital factor in Samsung's decision.
"The key reason for Samsung to use plastic rather than conventional glass is to produce displays that aren't breakable. The technology could also help lower manufacturing costs and help differentiate its products from other rivals," Seung-chul told Wall Street Journal.
Another South Korean company, LG Display, has also dabbled with similar flexible OLED technology. As a major Apple display supplier, perhaps the company may also move forward with its own pliable displays.
Either way, here's hoping it doesn't end up in court in five years.
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Image Source: Wall Street Journal/Samsung
