Samsung Shows Off 12.4-Inch Rollable OLED Panel

Samsung Display has unveiled the Rollable Flex, a flexible OLED screen that can be unrolled from 49mm to 254.4mm. The display, designed for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, was showcased at Display Week 2023 held in Los Angeles.

How the Rollable Flex Works

Samsung Display's Rollable Flex can be rolled and unrolled to five times the size, going from 49mm to 254.4mm. The company states that the display unreels on an "O-shaped axis like a scroll."

"The biggest feature is that we were able to turn a difficult-to-carry large-sized display into a portable form factor by making it rollable," Samsung Display added. The company remained tight-lipped about other details such as the resolution and overall size of the Rollable Flex.

Sensor OLED Display Unveiled

Samsung Display showed off another interesting panel, the Sensor OLED Display, alongside the Rollable Flex. The screen can sense fingerprints and measure blood pressure without relying on an external module.

The brand explains that the Sensor OLED Display "can recognize fingerprints anywhere on the screen," which is a significant upgrade over the in-display fingerprint scanners seen on most smartphones. The new technology will make the process of fingerprint unlocking even faster.

Additionally, the Sensor OLED Display can monitor the blood pressure, heart rate, and stress levels from the fingers. The sensor keeps a track of the changes in the amount of light captured by the OLED screen caused by the "contraction and relaxation of the blood vessels inside the finger."

Samsung Display claims that while this feature works with one finger, it works even better with two. The display can offer a more accurate blood pressure reading with two fingers across both arms simultaneously touching the screen.

This new tech has interesting implications, as it could bring health features that are typically found in smartwatches to smartphones. Although the jury is still out on whether the Sensor OLED Display offers accurate readings, the technology looks promising.

But Wait, There's More

Samsung Display is also introducing Flex In & Out OLED panels, which can fold both inwards and outwards. This could eliminate the need for small cover displays, which could make foldable phones thinner and more functional.

The Flex Hybrid and Slidable Flex Solo OLED panels are also making an appearance at Display Week. The Flex Hybrid combines folding and sliding technologies to fit a large panel into a compact form factor. Meanwhile, the Slidable Flex Solo can transform from a 13-inch tablet to a 17-inch screen.