Samsung's Youm flexible displays can be rolled up or even folded in two. Unfortunately they're not supported by equally flexible battery technology. Photo: AFP
Rumors suggest that the substitution of plastic for glass in its displays will make the South Korean company's phones bendable and possibly extremely difficult to break.
According to
the Wall Street Journal, the first such devices should be ready before July 2013. The report also adds weight to rumors circulating that Samsung is set to unveil a 5.5-inch OLED display at January's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) -- the tech world's flagship event where every major player in the industry lines up to dazzle the crowds with its latest prototypes and newest products. Unlike traditional LCD screens, which have to be lit via a bulb behind or around the perimeter of the display, OLED (or organic Light Emitting Diode) displays generate their own light source. This makes them thinner and lighter than traditional screens (because they don't have to house a light) and, due to this in-built luminosity, don't require glass in their construction. A screen can just as easily be made from polymer plastic or even metallic foil.
At CES 2011, Samsung demonstrated this technology in a malleable 4.5-inch screen