Samsung’s larger, stretchier OLED display technology is creepy and cool

Samsung goes for more immersion with bigger, stretchier displays.

What you need to know

• Samsung showed off its flexible OLED display tech at Global Tech Korea 2021 this week.
• The demo shows a 13-inch OLED display that stretches based on what’s being shown.
• Samsung hopes to utilize its improved display technology in form factors beyond foldable smartphones.

Hot on the heels of LG’s “Real Folding Window” showcase, Samsung is taking its moment to shine with a new stretchable OLED display demo.

At this week’s Global Tech Korea 2021, Samsung presented an impressive 13-inch OLED panel that appears to stretch at varying degrees. The panel displayed a video of lava flowing while different sections rose and fell as if to mimic the flow of the lava and thus adding another level of 3D immersion to the content.

According to Changhee Lee, executive vice president of Samsung Display, the degree at which stretchable displays could be deformed “was about 5% in the past, but now it has improved significantly,” going on to suggest that the company plans to use this technology in future products like rollable smartphones and more (via ETNews).

This isn’t the first time Samsung showcased impressive display technology aimed at future form factors. Earlier this year, the company presented a video showing off display concepts like a slideable smartphone, a display that folds in two parts, and folding tablets. The company has also shown off an earlier concept of its stretchable display technology back in 2017, although the panel was smaller at 9.1-inches.

Samsung has already proven that it’s up to the challenge of making smartphones with foldable displays more mainstream with the improvements made to its recent devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 3. It’s definitely not a stretch to imagine Samsung taking that viewpoint beyond its best foldable phones.

That said, it may be some time before we see displays like this in the hands of consumers, but it’s a good look at what we might expect in future devices.

Mainstream foldable

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3

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Stronger and more reliable

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 represents among the best that Samsung has to offer, with a more durable, refined design and display, a new Under Display Camera for uninterrupted viewing, and S Pen support for better productivity.