Samsung Display has revealed a new flexible OLED panel that it claims is unbreakable. To support its assertion, the company has gained formal certification from UL (Underwriters Laboratories). The company says that it is aiming to bring it to market in smartphones, but it will also be suitable for display consoles in cars, mobile military devices, portable gaming consoles and tablets used in classrooms.
Samsung’s current smartphone OLED panels use a plastic substrate to achieve their flexibility, but this must still be covered in a curved glass layer for protection. This is, as many smartphone users can attest to, subject to being relatively easily to shatter when dropped. The new display uses plastic on the outer layer as well, that is both sufficiently translucent as well as shatter resistant.
The UL testing showed that the new unbreakable OLED panel passed the rigorous real-time durability test based on US Department of Defense military standards. It was drop tested from 1.2 meters 26 times in succession in accompanying high and low temperature tests. It even exceeded military standards surviving a subsequent drop from 1.8 meters with no signs of damage.
Samsung hasn’t revealed when or which of its smartphones might be in line for the display, but you can almost guarantee that it will show up on a future Galaxy S10 Active.
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I have been writing about consumer technology over the past ten years, previously with the former MacNN and Electronista, and now Notebookcheck since 2017. My first computer was an Apple ][c and this sparked a passion for Apple, but also technology in general. In the past decade, I’ve become increasingly platform agnostic and love to get my hands on and explore as much technology as I can get my hand on. Whether it is Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, Nintendo, Xbox, or PlayStation, each has plenty to offer and has given me great joy exploring them all. I was drawn to writing about tech because I love learning about the latest devices and also sharing whatever insights my experience can bring to the site and its readership.
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > News > News Archive > Newsarchive 2018 07 > New Samsung 'Unbreakable' OLED panel can take a pummeling
Sanjiv Sathiah, 2018-07-26 (Update: 2018-07-26)