Tech

How Foldable Displays Are Made – OneZero

Published

4 years ago

February 24, 2020

Harry Miller

Inside the future of smartphone design

Sarvesh Mathi

Feb 24 · 7 min read

The first portable mobile phone, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X, weighed one kilogram, had to be held with two hands, took 10 hours to fully charge, had a 30-minute battery life, and cost $4,000. We’ve come a long way since then. The size and weight of phones have radically decreased over the years, and many form factors have rotated in and out.

Then, with the introduction of the iPhone at the turn of the last decade, mobile phones started growing in size once again. This was driven by demand for larger screens rather than technical limitations. Phones are now comfortably large, but the market for tablets hints at a demand for even larger displays. Some smartphone manufacturers have started to wonder whether we can have phones that still fit in our pockets but also have larger tablet-like displays, or further reduce the size of our current smartphone while still maintaining the display size. These ideas may sound like they defy the laws of science. How can we have something that is big and small at the same time? The solution to this riddle comes in the form of flexible displays.

Samsung Galaxy Fold (left) and Galaxy Z Flip (right). Source: Samsung

In September 2019, Samsung released the Galaxy Fold, a revolutionary device that folded to a pocket-sized phone and opened to a big-screen tablet. Although not the first to feature a foldable display (the relatively unknown Royole FlexPai bagged that spot), it was the first from a major smartphone manufacturer, illustrating the industry’s serious interest in this technology. The Galaxy Fold showed the world what was possible, but its legacy ended there: The $2,000 phone had some serious flaws that could not be easily overlooked.

Samsung’s follow-up was the Galaxy Z Flip, released this month. It’s a modern twist on the popular flip phones from the 2000s, though once again Samsung wasn’t the first: The Motorola Razr, inspired by its namesake, the tremendously popular Motorola Razr V3 from 2004, was announced just a couple of months before. The Galaxy Z Flip shows an attempt to level up from the short-lived Galaxy Fold.

The Fold and Z Flip show us two form factors that flexible displays enable, but the possibilities don’t end there. To imagine what else flexible displays can do, let’s first understand how they are made.

How are flexible displays made?

Flexible displays use the same OLED technology found in all flagship smartphones, like the iPhone 11 Pro and OnePlus 7 Pro. In a flexible display, the main components that comprise an OLED display (anode, organic conductive layer, organic emissive layer, and cathode) are applied on a substrate. The basic working principle is that when current is passed from the cathode to the anode, the organic layers in between release energy in the form of light.

You do not need to know much about all this except that in a flexible display, these layers need to be flexible. Traditionally, the anode has been made of an inflexible material called ITO, and the substrate has been hard glass or plastic. But Samsung solved one part of this puzzle some years ago. It has been using flexible plastic substrates in its phones since 2015. Apple has been using them since the iPhone X. This is what gives the Galaxy range of phones displays that are curved on the edges and the iPhones wafer-thin bottom bezels.

Curved edges on the Samsung Galaxy S8 (left), and folded OLED inside the bottom of the Apple iPhone X (right).

The anodes in these phones, however, are still probably ITO, which only allow for a slight bend. And as you’ve probably figured out, the outer coverings on these phones are made of rigid glass — more specifically, Gorilla Glass, a tried and tested covering that offers scratch resistance, durability, and great aesthetics. More importantly, glass prevents water damage, which could otherwise easily destroy the organic layers. But as a result, phones with slightly flexible OLEDs are trapped in rigid, unfoldable bodies. Adding to the challenges of making a flexible display is that the manufacturing process needed to apply the many layers on the substrate must avoid using high temperature. Unlike glass, flexible plastics have a lower tolerance of high temperature.

With the introduction of Galaxy Fold, it appears that Samsung has solved additional pieces of the puzzle. It developed a flexible anode and has found ways to use flexible polymer as outer covering. And it’s also shown that large-scale production of flexible displays is possible.

With the Galaxy Flip Z, Samsung has also shown that ultra-thin flexible glass, which is functionally and aesthetically superior to polymer, can also be used for the outer covering. But the authenticity of Samsung’s glass is under scrutiny. Hence, we still have this piece of the puzzle unsolved. There are signs of progress here as Corning, which supplies glasses to most smartphone manufacturers, is also developing flexible glass that should be ready for mass use within a year or two. This glass should hopefully give us the same benefits as the widely used Corning Gorilla Glass. (For more on how foldable displays are made, check out Engadget’s video.)

Another one of the shortcomings that still remains is the inevitable crease formed at the fold, which is an unpleasant move away from the seamless displays we are accustomed to. Add to this list the use of a mechanical hinge. Anything that repeatedly folds and unfolds on a seam causes stress that could lead to failure, and the durability of the hinges on foldable phones have yet to survive the test of time. The hinges on foldable phones are yet to survive the test of time, and this was infamously exhibited by the Galaxy Fold and the Motorola Razr. Another concern some raise is that the wait may be long for apps to take advantage of and support the features of a foldable phone, such as seamless continuity from the small screen to the big screen or splitting the screen for different purposes. But with Android officially announcing support for foldable phones, this should happen sooner than expected.

The form factor of the future

Having made many technological breakthroughs with the display, we are now more ready than ever to have foldable phones. But for now, foldable phones still rely on mechanical hinges. To have a truly foldable phone that can be rolled in any way and exhibit paper-like qualities, we must figure out a way to make all the parts inside the phone flexible as well. This includes the entire phone casing, the processors and chips, the battery, cameras, and so on. Nevertheless, we will soon see major smartphone manufacturers experiment by releasing all sorts of flexible display phones as they try to define the next-generation smartphone form factor. We also still have to figure out a way to use glass or similarly durable material as outer covering. Nevertheless, we will soon see major smartphone manufacturers experiment by releasing all sorts of flexible display phones as they try to define the next-generation smartphone form factor. Case in point: Here’s a prototype from TCL with a slide-out display.

In addition to phones, wearables and TVs also stand to benefit tremendously from the innovations in flexible displays. Some of the devices that manufacturers have already showcased include watches with flexible screen straps, T-shirts and hats with embedded displays, car infotainment systems that seamlessly bend with the shape of the dashboard, and TVs that roll down to sit flush with the furniture. These are only what we know so far; there are many ideas and creations that are yet to come.

“Don’t limit your thinking to simple two-plane folding phones,” says Jon Honeyball, managing director of Woodleyside IT, a U.K.-based electronic equipment testing laboratory. “The underlying technology here, which is ultra-thin self-emitting light OLED panels, is way, way bigger than just this.” In a few years, it won’t be surprising if you can read this article on a digital paper that you can roll and toss away in your backpack. The future ahead is exciting, and with the vast resources and boundless imagination of the tech industry, the list of what is possible with flexible displays is endless. Unlike the past, the road toward the next form factor might not be a single one; it might diverge in more ways than ever before. And as customers, we stand to benefit from a plethora of choices, as well as shape them.

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For Practitioners, by Practitioners: Solve Your Software Challenges at InfoQ & QCon Software Events – InfoQ.com

Published

2 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Harry Miller

Behind every InfoQ Dev Summit and QCon software development conference is a collective of distinguished senior software practitioners who carefully curate the topics based on the crucial trends and essential best practices you need to know about. These architects and leaders are charged with creating THE conference they would want to attend.

While some conferences issue calls for papers, InfoQ Dev Summit and QCon hand-select all the speakers. Domain experts individually select each talk for fit and merit. We search for the talks and find the speakers you want to learn from. These are not always the most famous people, but they are often the most compelling voices you’ll find in software.

Once the speakers are found, they undergo multiple interviews (with committee members, track hosts, and the conference chair) and a mandated rehearsal process before speaking at InfoQ Dev Summit and QCon. We offer training webinars, mentorship, and slide/code reviews with past speakers to enhance our speakers’ presentations, so they are sharp by the time they get to you. We take your time and conference investment as seriously as you do. We value the trust you place in us.

If you’re curious to see what types of talks you’ll find at InfoQ Dev Summit and QCon, take a look at a few recent talks:

How Netflix Really Uses Java: At QCon San Francisco 2023, Paul Bakker, Java Platform @Netflix, Java Champion, and Co-Author of “Java 9 Modularity”, explored the current Netflix architecture(s). He provided a deep dive into how and why the architecture evolved the way it did and related this to the evolution of the Netflix Java tech stack.
Banking on Thousands of Microservices: Suhail Patel, Staff Engineer @Monzo, shared at QCon London 2023 the lessons he and his team learned from building an online bank. He discussed technological choices, such as using Cassandra and Kubernetes in the early days, and explored how @Monzo has maintained its speed of execution through a focus on platform engineering and developer experience.
Why Technical Experience Matters: How to Build a Lifelong Career in Software Development: At QCon London 2023, Sven Reimers, System Engineer @Airbus Defence & Space, shared how you can be a lifelong software developer. He discussed how to have your deep technical expertise valued by the industry and the role you can play in mentoring the next generation.

We believe InfoQ Dev Summit and QCon conferences are special experiences. If you’ve never been before, you owe it to yourself to understand why our conferences are so popular among developers and architects. Come find out why we’ve earned the reputation as a conference of “practitioners talking to practitioners.” You won’t forget the experience.

The upcoming software development conferences for 2024:

P.S. Teams as small as 3 attendees working for the same company are eligible for a group discount. For more details, email info@qconferences.com and mention the conference and size of the group to receive your discount code.

P.S.S. Due to popular demand, we’re extending the early bird dates for InfoQ Dev Summit Boston and Munich by two weeks for InfoQ readers. Save $100 for InfoQ Dev Summit Boston with code LIMITEDOFFERIDSBOSTON24 and €75 for InfoQ Dev Summit Munich with promo code LIMITEDOFFERIDSMUNICH24 when registering. Valid until May 6.

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The Ultimate Recap of Sea Otter 2024 – Pinkbike.com

Published

12 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

Tech

Vittoria Releases New Peyote & Mezcal XC Race Tires
Maxxis Team Spec Aspen ST Tire
New DT Swiss 240 DEG Hubs
Kali Protectives’ New Full Face Helmets
Industry Nine’s SOLiX M Hubs & Wheelsets
Michelin’s Aggressive New Wild Enduro Tires
Praxis’ New Flat Pedals, Stem, & Carbon Bottle Cage
Transmission Cage Upgrades from Kogel, Ceramicspeed, and Cascade Components
Randoms Round 1 – Sea Otter 2024
Madrone Cycles’ SRAM Eagle Repair Kits & Prototype Derailleur
Vorsprung’s New Telum Coil Shock
EXT’s Vaia Inverted DH Fork & Updated Coil Shocks
Randoms Round 2: New Tools, Goggles, Grips, Racks, & More – Sea Otter 2024
What’s New in Women’s MTB Apparel at Sea Otter 2024
Even More Randoms – Sea Otter 2024
Randoms Round 3: Dario’s Treasures
What’s New for the Kids at Sea Otter 2024
Deity Releases New Stems, Grips, & Pedals
Dario’s Final Sea Otter Randoms
Brian’s Randoms from Sea Otter 2024

Videos

With roots dating back to 1991, the Sea Otter Classic is one of the biggest biking events and tradeshows each year and brings together all sides of the biking industry from athletes to brands, spectators and consumers. Taking place in April in the sunny hills of Monterey, California, that means this event really feels like the official start to the biking season in North America. Christina Chappetta covers why it’s much different to an indoor European biking tradeshow, a World Cup racing weekend or even Crankworx mountain bike festival, in that it encompasses nearly ALL of the biking disciplines, including road cycling, enduro, downhill, dual slalom, XC, trials riding and more.

In the past fortnight, we have seen large amount of new tech releases. However, Sea Otter 2024 represents some of the first opportunities for many riders to see these things in the flesh, as well as take a deeper dive into what the product aims to do.
Welcome to a video summary from Day 2 of the Sea Otter Classic.
There are so many giveaways, interesting new products and colourful characters at Sea Otter Classic that it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. Ben Cathro takes a lap of the venue to find his favourites.

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Apple iPad Air 2024: Insider Makes Hasty U-Turn On New Feature – Forbes

Published

13 hours ago

April 24, 2024

Harry Miller

Well, that was quick. On May 18, a respected industry insider predicted a new display technology for the iPad Air that’s expected in the coming days—Apple just announced its latest special event.

The new 12.9-inch iPad Air, the report claimed, would have the same miniLED backlighting currently found on the larger iPad Pro, using the leftover inventory from the current Pro as that model switches to OLED. That was exciting news.

But now, Ross Young, the analyst who made the claim, has changed his mind. The new prediction, shared with paid subscribers only, is that the miniLED technology won’t be coming to the iPad Air, in either size.

While it made sense that the inventory could be maximized in this way, it now “makes sense” that it won’t.

Young says that while he’d heard from supply chain sources that it would, he’d now had contact from “even more supply chain sources” that it won’t.

And the reason this change of heart now makes sense is that this miniLED technology is expensive, so it would be surprising if it made it to the iPad Air, which is more affordable than the Pro.

That’s not quite all the analyst shared. He also said that there are now reports of a new iPad coming later in the year. This is a 12.9-inch iPad, with miniLED backlighting and it could arrive between October and December this year.

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This is intriguing. What could it be? Assuming that the iPad Pro and iPad Air are released in May, it’s extremely unlikely either will be updated later in the year. And if the iPad Air isn’t pricey enough for miniLED to be included, what tablet could Apple be introducing that is the same size as the bigger Pro, with a pricey screen tech, which would sit between the Air and the Pro, it seems?

Young is highly reliable, but this seems slightly preposterous to me. The only other iPad in the range due a refresh is the regular iPad (at 12.9-inches, the iPad mini is clearly out of the picture) and that doesn’t seem likely either.

It seems to me that any regular iPad will almost certainly have the same screen size as now, 10.9 inches. The regular iPad only grew to this size screen in the current generation, and Apple almost never changes designs after one iteration.

Perhaps things will become clearer as the year goes on.

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