Have you ever used or heard of foldable smartphones? So far, no manufacturer has succeeded in making a smartphone that can fold exactly right in the middle.
However, 2019 is a landmark year for foldable smartphones, with many manufacturers pledging to come out with innovative models.
Let’s understand in detail what is in store for foldable smartphone technology in 2019. We’ll also explore the basic concepts of an OLED foldable screen.
How Does an OLED Foldable Screen Work?
OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode works on the principle of electroluminescence. When an electric current passes through a specific semiconductor device, it emits light. The energy/photons released depends on the recombination capacity of electrons and holes in the semiconductor material. Also, based on how photons cross the energy gap in a semiconductor device, the color of the emitted light varies.
In an OLED, two electrodes have an organic, electroluminescent anode between them. Usually, light emission happens through the organic layer. The question of backlight does not arise as a visible spectrum of light is emitted. As compared to traditional OLED devices, advanced OLED produces deep black level displays with sharp image contrasts.
The last five years have witnessed considerable advancements in OLED technology. Some displays use the passive matrix design (PMOLED) with greater control over the sequential alignment of pixels. In contrast, an active matrix design (AMOLED) directly accesses the pixels via a transistor.
What is the Specialty of Bendable Displays?
The specialty of bendable displays depends on how well you can manipulate the OLED anode and maintain a flexible transistor. After that, you need to add a substrate layer to keep its flex property intact. For example, advanced OLED devices use a plastic substrate with both flex and strength, which is essential in a foldable device. The lack of this inherent substrate makes glass a less suitable material for flexible screens.
Smartphones with Foldable Screens
Unconfirmed reports suggest that Apple and Motorola are already in the process of manufacturing phones with foldable screens. But other brands aren’t far behind.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Samsung Fold is set to launch the first foldable smartphone in the US market on 26th April 2019. It has a foldable screen of 7.3 inches dimensions, 5G speed, and a dynamic AMOLED display on the phone’s front side. It can fold up to 4.6 inches. There is no clarity yet on how the phone software will integrate two different displays. Also, Galaxy Fold will possess a 12 GB RAM, 64-bit octa-core processor, 512 GB internal storage, and 4380 mAh battery.
Huawei Mate X
With Huawei Mate X from the Chinese manufacturer, get ready to use an innovative foldable smartphone. The foldable display is 8 inches in size and gets wrapped around the device when closed. Hence, the display remains unprotected. This functionality is helpful while clicking pictures, i.e., you don’t require a front-facing lens to take pictures; instead, you can use a viewfinder.
The other specifications of the Huawei Mate X include 8 GB RAM, 512 GB onboard space, Kirin 980 octa-core processor, and a 4500 mAh battery along with a fast-charging standard(55W).
What do you think about OLED technology? Feel free to drop your inputs in the comments section below.