LG Chem has developed a new folding screen technology call ‘Real Folding Window‘. The division of the South Korean company assures that it is as resistant as glass, but just as flexible as plastic.
LG’s new screen is also capable of minimizing the folds that appear when folding the smartphone. It can also prevent cracks caused by prolonged use of the device. According to the company, the panel remains intact even after exceeding 200,000 folds.
For it, LG has developed its own material that is integrated under a thin plastic film of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), with the aim of improving resistance and maintaining the properties of plastic materials, such as their flexibility.
“Unlike existing polyimide films and tempered glass-like materials, the cover window applying new LG Chem coating technologies will maximize flexibility while providing optimized solutions for folding phones, such as improved chronic problems such as crease prints on the connecting part of the screen. “
LG in a press release.
The South Korean firm, in addition, has highlighted that this technology can be used both in those smartphones where its screen folds inwards – such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3, for example – and in terminals with a outward flex panel.
In parallel, LG has confirmed that it is developing a technology capable of offering a sturdy cover without the need for a PET film. This could be applied to a large number of folding mobile screens – even from other manufacturers, such as Samsung or TCL – in order to offer extra resistance.
LG plans to start mass production of these screens in 2022 and start large-scale sales in 2023. The firm intends to incorporate these improvements into products beyond folding smartphones. Among them, laptops and tablets.
The technology ‘Real Folding Window‘is one more step in the advancement of folding smartphones. Samsung, which also develops its own flexible displays, showed in the past international meeting on information display a double fold panel that will allow adapting the smartphone to different forms and added the possibility of using up to three applications at the same time.