South Korean smartphone giant Samsung seems to be leading in the foldable OLED display market. The company, on Wednesday, July 23, announced that its latest foldable OLED panel stays intact even after a 500,000-fold durability test.
The OLED panel was tested by Bureau Veritas, a certification company. Samsung Displays raised its internal durability testing standard from 200,000 to 500,000 folds, which is two times more than their previous benchmark. The OLED panel used for this testing is built into the recently launched Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7.
This exceptional durability is made possible by the Samsung display’s newly developed architecture that is shock resistant and is inspired by the core principles of bulletproof glass, which increases the lifespan of foldable devices. This test was conducted by Bureau Veritas, where they mentioned that over the span of 13 days at 25°C, the panel remained fully functional even after 500,000 folds.
The lifespan of foldable smartphones is no longer limited by durability. 500,000 folds mean that the device could last about 10 years for those who, on average, fold 100 times a day and over six years for those folding more than 200 times per day.
The company has opted for a titanium plate to support the display. They also added a new flattening structure to disperse shock uniformly throughout the panel. The titanium plate is more protective and has a smaller form factor than other materials because it is lighter and thinner while yet offering excellent strength.
“As foldable OLED enters its seventh year of commercialisation, we’ve achieved another meaningful breakthrough in both durability and design. This new panel not only builds consumer confidence in foldable OLED durability but also underscores the technological advantage that makes Samsung Display distinguished in the industry,” said Hojung Lee, executive vice president and head of the Mobile Display Product Planning Team at Samsung Display.
As mentioned above, the new OLED panel is inspired by bulletproof glass. And, to build one, an individual would require several layers of reinforced glass and plastic sheets. The flexibility of the outer layer of glass absorbs a large portion of the impact energy when a bullet hits the surface, preventing penetration.
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This design concept is adopted in the OLED panel by applying a new high-elastic glue to every layer within its OLED screen and thickening its outermost UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) by 50%. Samsung Display implemented this idea, providing more than four times the recovery performance over the prior material. The panel’s capacity to withstand external impact is greatly increased by these improvements.
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