Apple and Google reportedly partner with LG Display on flexible OLEDs for foldable devices

posted by Daniel P. / Dec 16, 2016, 6:45 AM

This outward foldable device concept from Lenovo may be a harbinger of things to come

Samsung's near monopoly on OLED display supplies might be challenged a year from now, as Apple, Google and Microsoft are reportedly partnering with LG on the production of flexible OLED panels. While Apple's name comes as no surprise here, as it is heavily rumored to introduce an OLED iPhone 8 next year, and is trying to diversify its screen suppliers, the fact that Google and Microsoft may be in the mix raises some eyebrows.

As per the source of this rumor, Google is interested in flexible OLEDs for future iterations of its Pixels, while Microsoft is actually shopping for Surface line ideas. In any case, there are three powerful potential customers with money and enthusiasm to burn, so LG is said to take the opportunity, and be ready for mass production by 2018.

The other important tip here is that those LG flexible displays are meant to be used into foldable devices, with a mechanism that keeps the screen stretched over the outer surface. Samsung has been developing such panels for a while now, allowing the OLEDs to bend numerous times without picture deterioration at the folding area, but it's the first time we are hearing LG might be up to something similar.

In any case, it seems that we will be encountering much more unorthodox shapes and forms in phones going forward, which can only benefit the end users, if done right. Needless to say, LG Display has denied commenting on its future customers.

source: ETNews

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18 Comments

1. peegieislim

Posts: 68; Member since: Dec 14, 2016

lol looks like no major oem are interested in that pentile super amoled crap.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 6:51 AM 3

2. s.mrabet

Posts: 147; Member since: Oct 26, 2011

LOL, pentile is so 2010..get your facts straight :)

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 6:59 AM 6

3. ibend

Posts: 6747; Member since: Sep 30, 2014

I know you'll praise pentile if apple actually use it on future iPhone, lol...

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 8:00 AM 14

9. peegieislim

I think you didn't read the article it says google and apple will use lg amoled panels and not pentile crap

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 10:04 AM 3

4. Kumar123 unregistered

Yup, It's a good thing that Google, Microsoft and Apple is choosing LG over that korean company. LG will provide high quality flexible display to their partners unlike a certain low class mentality korean company. With other Chinese and Japaneses companies also gearing up their oled production in 2018 soon that korean company's dominance will be over. OLED is good tech but flexible OLED, especially plastic OLED from LG, will be really great for smartphone industry. 2018 Pixel will be a awesome phone that's for sure. Hopefully it'll have a fantastic, unique design, 4K flexible oled display, 7nm custom SoC, atleast 6GB LPDDR4X RAM, a huge battery life that will last a full day with heavy use and a camera system that will perform better than todays 1000 dollars dedicated camera system both in image and video performance.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 8:29 AM 2

5. joeytaylor

Posts: 957; Member since: Feb 28, 2015

Where is LG from?

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 8:38 AM 10

18. NoToFanboys

Posts: 3231; Member since: Oct 03, 2015

You just got his pea sized mind blown.

posted on Dec 18, 2016, 2:20 AM 0

6. kamejoko

Posts: 256; Member since: Nov 10, 2011

haha, quality? just buy mi note 2 from xiaomi and see very bad quality panel oled from lg.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 8:44 AM 5

7. peegieislim

The reason they are going with lg is because lg are masters in manufacturing rgb amoled panels unlike samsung pentile crap.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 8:45 AM 1

10. Heisenberg

Posts: 378; Member since: Feb 11, 2015

You are a big Samsung troll. You are also a brainless version of it. What country is LG from?

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 10:04 AM 0

11. Papa_Ji

Posts: 912; Member since: Jun 27, 2016

Mny nhi socha tha ky bharat may bhy tery jesy CHUTIYA hy... Jub dekho tery pass whey BEKAR or SDY HUI baat milty hy.. 6ka

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 10:13 AM 3

12. Papa_Ji

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 10:13 AM 2

14. steodoreben

Posts: 379; Member since: Sep 26, 2013

@Kumar123 LG and Samsung are both South Korean companies. LOL. Low class mentality? Look who's talking. Samsung dominance will be over? HAHAHA. Samsung mobile division is just a tip of an iceberg. It is bigger than Apple and LG combined.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 12:49 PM 0

15. RoboticEngi

Posts: 1251; Member since: Dec 03, 2014

LG is Korean too....

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 2:25 PM 0

17. SailfishOS

Posts: 109; Member since: Nov 06, 2016

LG Is a korean company too. Lmaoo

posted on Dec 18, 2016, 2:19 AM 0

8. pendragon0202

Posts: 164; Member since: Feb 23, 2015

LG is also a Korean manufacturer, lol.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 8:55 AM 7

13. Trex95

Posts: 2383; Member since: Mar 03, 2013

Lg, Samsung, Kia etc.. all South Korean companies.

posted on Dec 16, 2016, 11:13 AM 0

16. RoboticEngi

So 2 companies using amoled for years are surprises, while Crap apple who still has nothing is in front of it....OMFG iphonearena, you keep surprising me with this bias...