2021 may be the year that flexible screens will get a major breakthrough. Both Apple and LG are expected to release phones with such a screen. But this does not mean that the iPhone 13 is actually a foldable.
This rumour starts with LG having a phone scheduled for only 2021 with a flexible OLED screen. And not just any flexible screen, a roll-up screen. The report comes from Korean The Elec. The design of this future phone is unknown. We don't know if you pull out the screen or if there is a mechanism that makes the phone stretch out?
LG has been experimenting with new designs for a while now, the Wing and V60 ThinQ with secondary screen are some examples. But a real foldable is something LG hasn't released yet. Striking because LG is also a manufacturer of screens, including flexible ones. It has even released a foldable TV. 2021 may be the time to release it's first foldable phone. Foldables are considered the holy grail because they allow larger screens in a compact housing. A seemingly contradictory wish of many consumers.
Flexible iPhone?
But Apple is also expected to work with flexible screens in 2021. This is remarkable, because Apple is considered quite conservative when it comes to adopting new techniques. It wants to make sure that something works 100% before it starts mass producing. And the foldable category is anything but crystalized. And yet Apple has bought almost half of all flexible OLED displays by 2021, according to the same The Elec
The fact that Apple purchases flexible OLED displays does not mean that the iPhone 13 will become foldable. Flexible screens are also used for rounded screens that slope near the edges. A trend that Samsung started, but that is now stepping away from. It may look premium, but it creates a lot of new problems. Unintentional touches to name one. We are going to see what Apple and LG eventually come up with. 2021 can't come fast enough for us.
