Tech

LG showcases its new stretchable OLED screen

Created in partnership with the Korean government, the first devices using the new tech could be for business use.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
November 11, 2022

Image: LG

LG announced a new OLED display type — one that is stretchable, foldable, and twistable.

The twelve-inch screen has full-color RGB and a 100 PPI resolution. For context, an iPhone 14 Pro has 460 PPI on its 6.1-inch display. That’s not to say this stretchable OLED isn’t cool. Because it is.

In order to get the stretchable, deformable screen, LG used a silicon type normally used in soft contact lenses.

That makes it feel “similar to that of a rubber band,” which is pretty cool but might be weird to use as a touch screen.

hands stretching LG's new OLED screen — Image: LG

That rubber-band effect lets the screen stretch up to 20% in any direction. That could be used for clothing that needs to flex, or foldable smartphones that won’t show a crease at the fold.

LG said the stretchable OLED can even be attached to your skin. Imagine an addressable display as a tattoo — it’s no longer a sci-fi pipe dream.

lg stretchable oled used in clothing, furniture and tablets — Image: LG

LG showed some potential use cases, like a glove for first responders that shows relevant details in real-time. Another use was a curved volume control, possibly on a car center console or a couch arm.

Created in partnership with the Korean government, the first devices using the new tech could be for business use.

Imagine displays for factory devices that won’t crack if dropped and screens on subway stations that wrap around the announcements board.

You can take the ideas even farther, as well. Just imagine balloons made of flexible, stretchable OLED with important messages in case of emergencies.

Then again, stretchable OLED might not make it into consumer products for some time. LG has set a 2024 date to complete the project’s development, but it’s anyone’s guess when it will become a sellable product.

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