Samsung has set to develop a new display that can be folded as well as retractable. This new display utilized the organic light-emitting display (OLED) technology which the emissive electroluminescent layer is a film of organic compound which emits light in response to an electric current.
Flexible Screen
Retractable Screen
This new technology is Samsung’s new Super AMOLED flexible display. Being the current leader in this technology, Samsung is taking a new height in its mobile devices to compete with the other brands especially Apple. Since smartphones are becoming more and more alike, this breakthrough technology is helping Samsung to gain an edge in the smart devices industry.
Personally, I think this design is cool, however, I still prefer my phone to feel “solid” in my hand. Not a big fan of the flexible technology yet, since it looks kind of flimsy to me. Although Samsung did mention that this new technology will be “unbreakable”.
Do you think its arch-rival Apple can find something else to bring a new life to technology that will be better than Samsung? Do you also think that this will be the downfall or the uprising of Samsung? Tell me your opinion on what do you think of this new product. Will you buy it? Or do you prefer something more solid just like me? Please leave your comments down below and share your thoughts with me!
~Till next time! This is Digital Mike signing off!~
Related articles
- Samsung Smartwatch May Have Flexible Screen (ubergizmo.com)
- Video: Samsung Shows Off Future of Wearable Technology and Mobile Phones (wearablecomputingreview.com)
- 5.99 inch AMOLED Flexible display coming with the Samsung Galaxy Note 3? (phonearena.com)
- Flexible Displays Ahoy! LG Set for Mass Production of Bending Screens (devicemag.com)
- Here we go again: Samsung to ship two versions of Note 3 – AMOLED and LCD (rumor) (androidauthority.com)
- Samsung seeks smart watch trademarks in US, SKorea (seattlepi.com)
Digital Mike 
I personally think the idea was interesting as well as risky.
If it does go on sale, it will set apart Samsung from Apple. And really put an end on the image of Samsung being Apple’s copycat.
I personally don’t know if it’s going to work in the real world. One great example is Nokia 888, which is basically a phone bracelet. While the idea is original and quite revolutionary, it was never develop because they’re not willing to take the risk.
I for one don’t really accept the concept of bendable phone. Base on laws of physics, even a flexible object has a breaking point. So I think it can still break and I don’t really like to see my phone break into 2 pieces.
Thanks Patricia on your thoughts. It seems like Nokia was the first brand to come out with the flexible display or there might also be chances that other brands has seek to such development as well.
I totally agree with you on this design allowing Samsung to be set apart from Apple and also likewise I don’t this idea can go far since everyone is use to holding solid in the first place because that is how a phone should feel like.
Smartphone has definitely revolutionize on how phone are today. From a gigantic bulky phone to a thin and smart device. Although it has change to such extend, it did not lose its “feel” as a phone.
The only possibility I reckon is to have a bluetooth headset feature so as to allow the possibility to make a call and still kind of makes you feel you still own a “phone”.
Hey Mike, would like to share something with you after finish reading your post.Regarding to the Samsung’s flexible screen, somehow Nokia released a prototype during 2011, but I have no idea why they do not want to further develop it.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/10/26/nokias-kinetic-future-flexible-screens-and-a-twisted-interface/
Anyways, nice meeting up with you ! See you tomorrow, cheers !
Thanks Kelvin, likewise like Patricia’s Nokia flexible bracelet phone findings, it can be confirm that Nokia could be the first brand to have develop such technology. It also confirms a possible risk it will be to sell it to customers as well as having the trend to die of at an early stage since it does not want to continue developing it.
I also feel that even with today new touch screen technology, the flexible display might still not be a great attraction to the public.
I think that the flexible screen will put samsung in a competitive edge, flexibility of screens are new things to us, but you can’t help to be somewhat interested and excited for how it turns out. It’ll probably break within a week if it was in my hands though =p Iphone is releasing a fingerprint scan lock feature confirmed for this year though.Pretty exciting stuffs! Anyway, good post michael!
Definitely, I agree with you that it might put in a competitive edge for Samsung as it make it different and somewhat original since ‘those’ that use to develop it give up halfway just like the previous post mentioning about Nokia. It still give me the doubt that this new revolutionary design can either fail greatly or change the whole evolution of smartphones if they make it right. I cannot wait for iPhone new feature like u mention as well as iOS7, which I will be discussing on my next post so stay tune! Thanks for the feedback Grace!
Hi mike! Good post! 🙂
Anyway, I think if samsung continues to pursue this technology and see this through, it’ll definitely set them apart from their competitors. I believe they would’ve considered the risks that nokia have considered, and if they are confident that it will stand the test of time and durability and whatnot then I’m all for samsung to produce it. Besides, I’m also looking forward to one day having my phone look more like an accessory than a phone. I think its a ladies thing. Haha
See you soon! 🙂
Interesting point on your phone being to look more like an accessory. If many women would think like you as treating a phone as an accessory, there would be a likelihood of this new display to work. We will just have to see how Samsung evolve this prototype to the actual model and see if it does have a customer base.
In a mature market – which, arguably, the smart phone market is – will consumers be willing to pay more for this technology? How will Samsung overcome consumer fear about breakages? And in a world where Google Glass exists, is there a need to continue building better mobile displays?
Most importantly for us – what are the marketing implications for this technological improvement? Why is this important for us to consider?
I would think that it would really depend on how the actual product transform from how its prototype looks right now. Consumers nowadays don’t just want to just own a highly tech smartphone but one that will still fashionable look good on them. The key factors that will determine consumers to pay more are good tech with good design. No one like an ugly product, so this two factor must blend well to satisfy the customers’ craving to purchase it.
If you are saying breakages in term of whether the display will be easily broken; being flimsy, I would think they need to secure the customers with a guarantee that the phone is make of a material that is not easily damage, just like how Apple does for iPhone when it introduce video on what kind of material the phone uses and how it is scratch proof. Samsung needs to develop that kind of message to assure consumers this device is durable.
Definitely, there will be a need to develop better mobile displays. Yes Google Glass is cool and all but the thing is you have to wear it. Just imagine if you have to wear it all the time, wouldn’t it affect people who prefer not to wear glasses on. There is also the radio-frequency that emits from cellular devices to consider. Imagine if you wear Google Glass all the time, you will probably have a higher chance of radiation affecting your health since it is that close to your eyes. If Samsung does make its display work and could come up with a hands-free calling system, this display will definitely result to be better than Google Glass because consumers need to know it is safe before they can use this mobile devices.
Basically Samsung’s flexible display is an interesting idea that could save pocket space or even storage space if we were to put in our handbags. It is also interesting how digital marketers can utilize this display to show their advertisements in a different way. Furthermore, Consumers and customers would want a device that they can be proud to bring out – which implicate the design factor is an important consideration. Next, a good technology require a material that is durable – this implicate that the display’s material got to be flexible but yet durable at the same time. Lastly, safety of this product will definitely be consider to the user as we want a product that we know when we touch it, it is not dangerous.
Nobody would buy a product that is dangerous that threaten their health or product that will break anytime and everyone love beautiful things. So i will just leave a final message to end this reply:
~Amazing Technology paired with Amazing Design~
I think the retractable screen without the flexible feature would be a more appealing concept for me. If samsung could make the idea actually work, I wouldn’t mind trying it out.
I would agree with this but how would the screen retract without flexing in some way. I think it’s a great and would love to try it also but I think it will be one of those things that will take a number of generations of the product really becomes useful as opposed to just a novelty.
ah, my bad. I have only just managed to view the video clip. my earlier comment was merely based on the static photos I saw on the blog. seeing the phone-pad “wallet-like” idea in the ad-cum-simulation is really cool! I’ve always lamented about how my moblie phone has to have a small screen in order to be light and portable. Now, it seems that samsung is getting closer to something an IT-idiot consumer like myself would appreciate!
Thanks guys for your take on the new Samsung’s prototype. True the screen flexibility design is still many people’s doubt if this technology is durable. But I would have to say, it will definitely create more opportunities for digital marketers to create advertisements and promote their brands in more ways. We will just have to see where it will take them and how they are able to utilize it.
Hi Mike, at this moment development for such flexi and retractable screen is still in the R&D phrase. Seems like the prototypes are working. And if they are successful in release this technology, they are definitely going to be ahead of Apple. As we can see, Apple’s iPhone has been pretty much the same from iPhone 1 to 5. So if there is no breakthrough, the only difference that we see will only be the size of the equipment.
As much as I would like to own one of these awesome new equipment, I do have some concerns with their durability. I am not a careful hand-phone user, so I hope the new phone is able to withstand when drop at different heights, as it does looks fragile. And most importantly the screen, being soft and retractable, it has to be able to withstand bending that might cause dead pixel.
-I love to try out the retractable screen phone.-
Thanks for the comment Joey. Durability is definitely the core concerns that many people have. However, this display definitely give application developers the opportunities to look more into how to market their mobile applications in a creative way. I wonder how it would really turn out.
Hi Mike! Im a hardcore Samsung fan when it comes to phones, only phones unfortunately. In terms of innovation, it seems as thought Samsung is leading the market well now; it used to be Apple who was market leader 4-5 years back.
It might set Samsung ahead of Apple, but as a traditional phone user, I would rather have something ‘solid’ ! The strategy might backfire against them, but who know what kind of demand this type of technology has out there since there’s virtually no products of that kind out in the market yet.
Personally, it would be interesting if the flexible AMOLED display is actually unbreakable! I find it hard to believe.
Thanks Danson, I must admit with the latest Samsung Galaxy S4, Samsung is definitely leading the smartphone industry. Even its recent “its time to change” slogan in the video advertisement have really tempted me to change as well. This flexible display technology could also create for digital marketing opportunity for Samsung to promote on their other electronic devices. Such as the latest S4 could be use as a universal remote to switch your channels and personalized recommendations based on your viewing patterns. Now how cool is that! With that say, I can’t imagine what other opportunities this new flexible display can bring to digital marketers.
I personally think that the technology will appeal more to men than women. I believe most women prefer smartphones that are easy to use, nothing too fancy.
I also hear that LG is competing to be the first to introduce smartphones with flexi display to the market. So i guess Apple should be the least of Samsung’s worries.
Interesting thoughts Valerie. Perhaps the actual product will be more different than what we think and it could surprise us. Maybe Apple won’t have to worry now. But we will just have to see when it launches.