Samsung Display surprised the audience during the IMID 2024 conference by presenting its latest technological innovation: a stretchable and flexible microLED screen, capable of stretching and twisting like rubber.
This advancement demonstrates the company’s ongoing commitment to leading the development of cutting-edge display technologies, offering a glimpse into what the future may hold for consumer electronics.
The Evolution of Samsung Display Technology
Samsung’s new microLED display represents a significant milestone in the evolution of display technology. With the ability to stretch up to 25%, this display can be enlarged by 1.25 times and still return to its original shape without losing quality or structural integrity.
This development is the result of years of research and innovation. Samsung began exploring stretchable display technology in 2017, when it first showcased a Dynamic AMOLED-based prototype at the SID conference.
Since then, the company has worked tirelessly to improve this technology, migrating to microLEDs, which offer superior visual quality.
During IMID 2024, Samsung put on an impressive demonstration by using the extendable screen to create a representation of Jeju Island, where the conference was held.
This demonstration not only demonstrated the flexibility of the screen, but also highlighted its ability to adapt to different shapes and surfaces, a feature that opens the door to a variety of future applications.
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Technical Specifications and Challenges of the New MicroLED Screen
Despite the technological advancement, Samsung's new microLED display has a pixel density of 120 PPI (pixels per inch), which, while adequate for certain applications, is still below the standards of modern mobile devices.
To give you an idea, the Galaxy S24+, also from Samsung, offers a density of more than 510 PPI, which makes it more suitable for applications that require high resolution, such as smartphones and virtual reality devices.
Therefore, it is unlikely that this new technology will be applied to mobile or virtual reality devices in the short term.
Furthermore, Samsung acknowledges that while the technology is promising, there are still significant challenges to overcome before it can be commercialized on a large scale.
The fragility of the material used and the high production costs are some of the main obstacles the company faces. In addition, there is still no clear and widely accepted practical application for this technology, which makes it difficult to justify the investment required for its mass production.
How can Samsung screens be used?
While commercial adoption of stretchable microLED displays is still some way off, Samsung Display continues to explore potential market niches where this technology could be useful.
One example is the medical sector, where less advanced flexible displays have already been successfully tested. Such displays could be used in medical devices that require both flexibility and durability, such as wearable monitors or portable diagnostic devices.
Historically, Samsung has a history of showcasing innovative prototypes and technologies at technology conferences, many of which take years to commercialize.
This scenario appears to be the same for stretchable microLED displays, which, despite being attractive, are not yet ready for the mass consumer market.
However, the company remains hopeful that with time and additional advancements, this technology could find its way into specific applications that justify the investment.
