Flexible screen phones, you interested?

Posted Jan 09, 2013 at 2:21 pm in Threads > Opinions

So Samsung showed off one of their prototype flexible screen devices which looks pretty nice but the question is, would you like this in a device you owned? Or is it just a gimmick like 3d? Thoughts? http://www.theverge.com/2013/1/9/3855960/samsung-flexible-oled-phone-prototype-hands-on

13 Comments Join the discussion!

82 Laurel laurel25 01/09/13 2:51 PM

Thumb up Thumb down +7
I think that it’s actually a great idea. A screen that can flex is much less likely to shatter. Now, I don’t really care if I can roll my screen up or fold it in half, but, if it can be used to prevent screens breaking, the it will be a huge win for the consumer.

Reply
- 99 jaxidian 01/09/13 4:51 PM
  
  Thumb up Thumb down +1
  Usually, though, it’s not the screens that shatter but instead the glass in front of the screen. I really don’t know what a flexible screen brings to the game because they’ll still have solid/brittle glass in front of those screens….
  
  Reply
  - 82 Laurel laurel25 01/10/13 9:32 AM
    
    Thumb up Thumb down 0
    What I was thinking is that the layer in front of the screen could be flexible as well. It would have to be quite as flexible as the screen, but if if they could come up with some sort of plastic that could be used that wouldn’t be so brittle it could be a wonderful combination.
    
    Reply
59 Wayne Winkler 01/09/13 3:18 PM

Thumb up Thumb down +1
It’ll also make engineering billboards on curved buildings look nicer

Reply
50 gmaninvan 01/09/13 7:51 PM

Thumb up Thumb down 0
I think that, with the ability to have the screen wrap the edge a bit like the Samsung concept showed, it makes a great piece of hardware for edge gestures. That would be nice to see coming in future versions of android.

This really benefits OS’s like BB10 and Ubuntu which rely heavily on these kind of interactions.

Reply
83 thymeless 01/09/13 8:50 PM

Thumb up Thumb down 0
What they demoed was lame. Edge gestures would be nice, but display isn’t needed for that.

Reply
66 Teebor 01/10/13 4:44 AM

Thumb up Thumb down 0
If they make it so that the phone is about half the size of current phones but then it has a pull out rolled up screen that would be great :D
Add a small display on the phone when it is rolled up so you can see who is calling you and answer via bluetooth headset/speakerphone and you have a potentially flashy bit of kit that people would love to have.

Also who wouldn’t want a 7 inch tablet that rolls up to be less than an inch in size?
I suspect batteries are going to need to make a massive leap forward in technology though for this to be REALLY good

Reply
- 50 gmaninvan 01/10/13 11:28 AM
  
  Thumb up Thumb down 0
  I don’t think they are bendable to that degree yet. They just allow the screen to be formed around a shape, not rolled up.
  
  Reply
  - 66 Teebor 01/11/13 9:30 AM
    
    Thumb up Thumb down +1
    :( shattered my dreams. Maybe one day a device as small as a wallet could roll out to be a massive screen
    
    Reply
41 nks7 01/10/13 10:04 AM

Thumb up Thumb down +1
absolutely i would love a device with a flexible screen

Reply
96 uknowme 01/10/13 5:53 PM

Thumb up Thumb down 0
I was thinking more along the lines of a wrap around the bottom of the phone. It could wrap the 1/4 inch where the capacitive buttons are and go all the way around. That way it could give you notifications even laying face down.

Reply
55 cliffy223 01/10/13 6:03 PM

Thumb up Thumb down 0
I see flexible displays for watches, tablets, and commercialized products, but for phones I just can’t see any needs for it. By the way 3D is not a gimmick unless you meant 3D on phones then I would agree.

Reply
13 Stoxystocks 01/10/13 8:13 PM

Thumb up Thumb down 0
I think it would be a good idea because they maybe could record what movents are being made when it’s folded etc and then make apps for it for instance flip board we could flip the article with the fold of a screen

Reply

Android and Me

Android 4.3 and white Nexus 4 coming June 10

Google reveals Samsung Galaxy S 4 Nexus Edition

Android passes 900 million devices activated

Best no-contract plans for unlocked Android devices

Flexible screen phones, you interested?