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Apple Working With LG Display on Future Foldable iPhone

MacRumors said:



Apple is developing an iPhone with a foldable display alongside LG Display, reports Korean site The Investor. Apple is said to have chosen to work with LG and not Samsung out of fears that Samsung could get ahold of sensitive tech.

This is not the first time we've heard rumors of a future iPhone with a foldable display. Back in December of 2016, rumors suggested LG's display division would begin mass-producing foldable displays for smartphones as early as 2018, with Apple said to be one possible partner.

lgfoldabledisplay-800x533.jpg

LG has shown off several foldable display prototypes over the last two years, including one that folds over like a book and a second that rolls up much like a newspaper. LG's foldable displays use flexible OLED panels and LG has been working to increase durability and yield rate.

LG is said to have recently created a dedicated task force to start developing a foldable OLED display for a future iPhone, while its siser company LG Innotek has a team developing a rigid flexible printed circuit board or (RFPCB) to go along with it.

Folding display technology is a ways off from launch, and unnamed industry sources believe panel production for an iPhone with a folding display won't kick off until 2020, which is more than two years from now.

Samsung supplies the OLED displays for the iPhone X and is also expected to supply OLED panels for Apple's 2018 iPhones, but LG recently started OLED production for phones at a factory in China and has plans to begin supplying Apple with panels as early as 2019.

Next year's devices will not include foldable display tech, but we have heard rumors suggesting an all-OLED lineup with two OLED devices in 5.85 and 6.46-inch sizes.

Article Link: Apple Working With LG Display on Future Foldable iPhone
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I DON'T want a rolling or folding iPhone!
 
Maybe I don’t have the vision but not sure the applications or why someone would want one? Maybe a tablet in the pocket? Idk.
 
DNichter said:
No, I don't think I'd want a phone that large with me all the time. And would there be like a crease somewhere in the middle of the screen? Or a hinge of some sort? I am good with double the battery size, but I would like the phone to remain the same size. I am sure there are potential use cases, I just don't see it yet.
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If the folded size was the same as what you currently have, what's the difference? Also I have no idea regarding potential specs or technical difficulties. Just commenting on ideas that could emerge from the tech.
 
"foldable" is misleading anyway. more like "bendable"

most likely it will have a curve like this when closed (not exactly like this, just to help with the imagination)
nW4fXpr.png

[doublepost=1507745269][/doublepost]and here's an early samsung concept video.

 
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man3ster said:
yeah because that is what I need my display to do. how many scenarios can you see this useful?
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Well, if you look at why many people are excited about iPhone X - bigger display in a smaller form factor - imagine how much more screen you could back in your pocket with foldable displays. Even Steve talked about this at D10... how the next major redesign will require something like foldable screens.

Also, have you seen the movie, Her? If you haven't, watch it when you get a chance... I think it'll change your mind about the benefits of foldable displays.
 
Oblivious.Robot said:
Does this mean that the screens from Westworld could become a reality? Fancy that!

View attachment 724936

I think there could a great potential for this kind of tech in tablets and let’s not forget wearable such as Apple Watch. Let’s just hope that battery tech makes a giant leap forward to power up all these things for days.
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That's what I was thinking about. Also this sounds more like foldable than bendable, which was in the post image. I hope you're right because this is the only tablet/phone I'd like.
 
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Everyone is stuck on folding when the key word is flexible.

What if the display unrolled like a parchment? Imagine something like this, but shrunk down.

Xpaaand-rollable-display.jpg
 
Even if that material was placed in a rigid case, it's still better than broken glass displays.

Lot's of potential :)
 
69Mustang said:
What if your 7 Plus was the half size and it folded out to double? Wouldn't an iPad mini sized display provide a better viewing experience for content? What about the ability to double the battery size? More powerful components with better heat dissipation?
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When I read about foldable displays, what came to mind was what is already with us:
Display Spaces, commonly used with multi-display desktop setups -- today, but applied to mobile devices.
  1. With such spaces, one could swipe in/out at will, assigning each to distinct apps -- all in full-display mode.
  2. And, when folded, the device has neither front nor rear -- both sides have a display.
Just thinking aloud, and with no claim to "be on the know".
 
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I guess if you could unfold your device to have a bigger display for some applications, it could be useful. I just doubt (as others had said) we are near having a flexible Apple A** processor. I am aware of flexible circuit boards, those rolls of LED lights are essentially that, problem is, most of the chips and even the LEDs themselves aren’t often flexible.
 
instead of a flat rectangle, i want a tube in my pocket.

on a serious note - the backside of the phone is the least used part of the iphone. probably they want to wrap all the way around and you can unwrap if needed for more screen real-estate
 
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man3ster said:
yeah because that is what I need my display to do. how many scenarios can you see this useful?
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How about an iPhone the size of the iPhone 4 with a screen you can pull out to the size of an iPad Mini? People who can’t see the potential here are seeing what gimmicks were proposed by others and transposing them on to the only possible use of this tech.
 
It would be nice to have an iPhone you could open to become the size of an iPad for reading and browsing, but I doubt anyone would want to sacrifice much for that capability.

A flexible screen for the apple watch would make more sense.
 
Inventing solutions to nonexistent problem. How often would this be desirable? Have I ever needed this type of functionality before? No and No.

Spend energy and concentrate on adding useful functionality, not gimmicky hard to implement "wow" stuff.
 
As a phone i am not so sure, the actual benefit of it being bendable. For things like iPad and all, it might be useful if i can just fold it and carry it around in a small bag. Meh, still just a fancy thing to me.
 
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Can't imagine a folding display would be tough enough not to crack after repeated folding and unfolding. Perhaps a device with metal hinges would be OK, but I'm not sure what the advantage would be. I guess we'll have to see what the tech companies are cooking up.
 
man3ster said:
yeah because that is what I need my display to do. how many scenarios can you see this useful?
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Yes because doubling the size of a display that fits in your pocket to one that is twice as large has no usefulness at all. In other news the automobile has been found to not have any advantages over the horse and buggy.
 
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