The wait is almost over! The first foldable smartphone will be released in the US on April 26th. Mark your calendar. Over the past year or so, we have heard a ton of rumors regarding foldable screens on mobile devices, but no manufacturer has been able to make an OLED display flexible enough to fold in half… until now. There are a few manufacturers that are in the process of developing a foldable screen, and the first to market will be Samsung. A brief background on these cool foldable screens and bendable displays:
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OLED Foldable Screens
TV manufacturers are now using bendable OLED screen technology to make foldable smartphones.
OLED displays are LED displays that are way more pleasing to the eye. But how is an OLED display so crisp and clear? An OLED display has an anode made of an organic compound that is situated between two electrodes. When the electrons move and recombine, light is emitted through the organic layer. The light is already visible, so there’s no need for a charge of targeted energy to create the backlight. OLED generally displays deeper black levels that help with image contrast, all while being produced thinner and more flexible than traditional OLED devices. That’s how LG can make a 65 inch TV that weighs 20 pounds.
Bendable Displays
So, to make these foldable smartphones, they also need to be bendable. To make the phones bendable, Scientists took organic compounds in the OLED anode and had to figure out how to manipulate it. They did this by finding a substrate layer that can flex while keeping its integrity. This is why glass can’t be used in flexible screens. Instead of glass, OLEDs contain a flexible plastic substrate that provides both strength and flex required to be a foldable device. Fascinating and surprising new tech that these scientists are inventing.
Major Players
Samsung, Huawei, Motorola, Apple, and even Nokia have been rumored to be making foldable smartphones.
As far as foldable phones go, Motorola and Apple have been rumored to be releasing their foldable phones shortly. If you’re not looking to wait forever, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is coming out in two weeks, and the Huawei Mate X will be released in June!
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Foldable Smartphone Screen
SHANGHAI, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 14: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G foldable smartphone is seen at Samsung flagship store on September 14, 2020, in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Wang Gang/VCG via Getty Images)
April 26th is the big day for the Samsung Fold release. It will be the first foldable smartphone to reach the US smartphone market. The Fold has an antenna that can get 5G speeds and a foldable screen, of course. The unfolded screen measures 7.3 inches with a dynamic AMOLED display. Folded up, it measures 4.6 inches with a super AMOLED display on the front of the phone.
There is no word on how the software will integrate with the two displays, but the Galaxy Fold will feature a 64-bit, octa-core processor and 12 GB of RAM. With 512 GB of internal storage and a battery that clocks in at 4,380 mAh. The Galaxy Fold is going to be lightning-fast, and it’ll have a ton of storage and power. It will be an excellent addition to the Smartphone market.
Huawei Mate X
The Huawei Mate X foldable smartphone has impressive specs and is a little more budget-friendly.
Chinese manufacturer Huawei will be releasing their foldable smartphone on June 20th. The foldable display is a little different from Samsung’s. It isn’t protected; instead, it’s used. The screen measures 8 inches, but when it’s closed, the display is wrapped around the device—providing extra functionality, particularly when taking pictures. There is a viewfinder that can help you take pictures, which eliminates the need for a front-faced lens.
The specs for this device include a Kirin 980 octa-core processor with 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of onboard storage, as well as a 4,500 mAh battery with a 55W fast charging standard. Huawei doesn’t have all the specs that the Fold has, but it’s still a beast, and it’ll charge from 0 to 85% in 30 minutes! Now that’s what I call fast charging!
What are your thoughts on these foldable phones and OLED displays? Let us know in the comments. As always, thanks for reading, and if you need any IT or VoIP assistance, click here.