It's being reported today in Korea that Samsung Electronics has developed the world's first tablet PC that can be bent at a right angle. This product has a bendable display, more advanced than the curved display. The bendable tablet PC can be used with the screen in the upright position like a notebook, greatly enhancing user convenience. Samsung privately showed the design in secret meetings at CES this year and during an analyst meeting in January, Kwon Oh-hyeon, vice-chairman and CEO, Samsung Electronics, stated that they "would lead innovation by introducing the 'foldable' display in 2015." According to the report, Samsung will unveil a tablet PC that can be bent at a right angle to VIPs in private at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2014 trade show that begins on Monday.
Samsung Electronics was the one who first launched the large-screen smartphone market with the Galaxy Note and is now aiming to be the first with a bendable tablet PC to demonstrate that their innovation.
According to an industry insider well-versed in Samsung Electronics, "Samsung will disclose a tablet PC that can be bent up to 90º at MWC. It is very unlikely that it will be disclosed to the general public, and it will be introduced only to VIPs and key figures of the industry in a closed-door exhibition."
The report further noted that "The display applied to this product is not simply flexible, but can be freely bent and unbent. It is an innovative bendable display technology. Samsung has been continuously developing innovative products using next-generation displays." You could find many of Samsung's US display patents here.
The Samsung insider stated that "Developing a display that can be bent at a right angle and applying it to the tablet PC is an incredible feat. As SEC gets ahead of others in developing next-generation displays and products using such displays, the company is now able to secure technological leadership and strengthen its innovative image."
The enthusiasm expressed by the Samsung insider may be justified if Samsung actually delivers on their promise of a bendable display device by the end of 2015. However, Samsung representatives during CES 2009, five years ago, said that a foldable dual display would be out by 2011 and we're still waiting for that one to materialize. So talking up a storm at a tradeshow with a demo is really meaningless unless they follow through with a real product for sale. Showmanship is just bombastic hype. Will Samsung actually deliver this time around? Only time will tell.
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