LG Preps Unbreakable OLED displays

The company apparently is building a flexible OLED screen production line for about $176 million. The factory will reportedly produce 730 × 460 mm displays, but there is no information about when production will start. Some reports put the production beginning at the end of this year, but more conservative estimates state that LG will not be able to manufacture flexible OLED screens until 2013 or even 2014.

Unbreakable OLED displays could be used in future gadgets such as smartphones and tablets, wearable electronics as well as custom shaped consumer electronics such as a new generation of TVs. In separate news, LG is rumored to soon be launching 55-inch OLED TVs in the U.S. At $8,000 or $9,000, the TVs may be insanely expensive, but a bargain for those who value being the first to have their hands on new technology. Remember Sharp's 108-inch LCD TV that was shown at CES and shipped in small numbers to selected customers? That TV went for $180,000 initially.

It is unlikely that we will be seeing those flexible OLED displays in any application at least until 2013, but there is reason to believe that there is considerable room for product innovation that could ring in a new era of consumer electronics.

  • tomfreak
    Now we can have tablet screen size smartphone @ the size of a miniphone.
    Reply
  • alidan
    unbreakable as in no matter how many bends, as long as it isnt a fold it wont break?
    unbreakable as in it can stand many MANY time the normal amount of pressure, or pull?
    can it be cut without absolutely trying to cut it?
    these are nessassary questions that need to be answered.

    and 8-9 grand for a 55 inch oled will be worth it.
    not because its thin
    but if even 1/10th of the advantages of a oled are displayed the screen will outshine anything a lcd can currently do.
    Reply
  • dimar
    Can't wait to go to Home Depot, and cut a piece of that flexible OLED from a huge roll.
    Whoever decides to patent the flexible OLED toilet paper rolls, has to give me a credit for the idea.. :-)
    Reply
  • Cons29
    if that picture is a sample of it, i dont know, because it looks like something printed out of a 1990's printer.

    but seriously, innovations are always welcome
    Reply
  • Unsinkable, huh?
    Reply
  • HDmac
    Unbreakable?

    Challenge Accepted.
    Reply
  • SpicPeso
    HDmacUnbreakable?Challenge Accepted.
    Will it Blend!!!
    Reply
  • wavetrex
    It probably means that you can hit or drop it and it doesn't break...

    Not that you drive a tank over it and remains unscratched.

    But yes, poor choice of words.
    Reply
  • the associate
    Gona have advertisement screens on taxis and buses in no time, around pillars and hell, maybe even on floors. This can open up insane tech ideas.
    Imagine a full touch screen remote for your TV, or a touch screen handle for a maglight to control brightness or strobe light functions.
    I think I like where this technology will bring us :)
    Reply
  • IndignantSkeptic
    It looks like from that picture that they didn't manage to stop the bending from causing damage to the screen pixels. Plus I think I don't like staggered color component pixel arrangements.
    Reply