Latest Samsung, LG displays demonstrated at SID 2021

From multi-fold displays to sliding screens, Samsung Display and LG Display demonstrated their latest innovations at Society for Information Display (SID) 2021, offering a glimpse into visions for new form factors.

Samsung Display's sliding display [SAMSUNG DISPLAY]

From multi-fold displays to sliding screens, Samsung Display and LG Display demonstrated their latest innovations at Society for Information Display (SID) 2021, offering a glimpse into visions for new form factors.

Samsung Display, 84.8 percent owned by Samsung Electronics, showcased a series of next-generation display prototypes at the annual trade show, which is being held virtually from May 17 through May 21.

Samsung Display's S-Foldable that can be folded twice [SAMSUNG DISPLAY]

At the heart of the presentation was an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display that can be folded twice, an advancement from existing folding smartphones that can be folded once.

Unfurled, the S-Foldable screen expands into a 7.2-inch tablet.

As Samsung Display is a primary supplier of panel screens to Samsung Electronics, chances are high that the smartphone maker could incorporate the latest development into its smartphones.

Another concept demonstrated involves a sliding display capable of extending horizontally to provide a large-screen experience like a scroll.

The concept resembles the “rollable” smartphone teased by LG Electronics during the 2021 CES in January, although its fate hangs in the balance with LG Electronics exiting the smartphone business.

A video released by Samsung Display features a user employing the main display for food recipes while texting friends on an extended screen.

The display company also demonstrated a laptop computer with a camera hidden underneath the display. It has developed a technique for displays that don’t block light reaching the camera when in use.

Models introduce LG Display's OLED panels. [LG DISPLAY]

Samsung Display CEO Choi Joo-sun said during the event that metaverse, a rising trend referring to virtual-reality spaces, could open new opportunities for display makers.

“The global display industry is facing an important turning point called metaverse,” the CEO said in a speech titled “The Metaverse and the Great Future of Display.”

He went on to note that the metaverse trend will make people’s lives revolve around different kinds of displays.

LG Display showcased its wide range of OLED displays for different uses. It introduced a rollable OLED display that can be used for in-vehicle infotainment systems.

It also brought a 48-inch bendable OLED display with an embedded sound system called Cinematic Sound OLED, which allows viewers to listen directly from the surface of the TV screen rather than a separate sound system.

BY PARK EUN-JEE [park.eunjee@joongang.co.kr]