Samsung Says Its New OLED Smartphone Panel Is 'Unbreakable'
Is Samsung asking for another "Bendgate?"
Samsung Galaxy users might never have to dish out money for fancy phone cases ever again. The Korean smartphone monolith claims it has created an “unbreakable” and flexible smartphone screen. If this proves to be true, the company could be one step closer to achieving a completely bezel-less phone or the rumored foldable OLED handset.
The news comes courtesy of a Thursday press release, where Samsung explained that the secret behind their allegedly uncrackable panel is an “unbreakable substrate” attached to the display instead of glass. The statement didn’t elaborate as to what it’s made of, but it apparently has all the properties of glass — minus the shattering part.
“The fortified plastic window is especially suitable for portable electronic devices not only because of its unbreakable characteristics, but also because of its lightweight, transmissivity and hardness, which are all very similar to glass,” said Hojung Kim, the general manager of Samsung’s communications team.
Samsung's alleged unbreakable OLED Display.
A safety certification organization called Underwriters Laboratories put this screen creation to the test. It managed to survive 26 consecutive drops from 4 feet above the ground. This was then accompanied by two temperature tests, which Samsung claims was conducted at “71 degrees” and “-32 degrees,” though they did not elaborate the unit of temperature.
The company even said they even upped the ante and dropped it from 6 feet, and it was still unscathed. Though, if we’re going to be sticklers about it, one would technically expect an “unbreakable” screen to be able to survive much higher drops, though the image Samsung shared does seem to suggest the new panel is pretty robust.
Of course, it’s easy to see how Samsung’s “unbreakable” boast will almost certainly inspire people to try their hardest to break Samsungs future phones. Could this be the start of another version of Apple’s Bendgate?
It’s too early to tell, especially since Samsung hasn’t announced when and where this screen would make its debut. But once these unbustable beauties hit the market, it’s safe to say tech bloggers of all stripes will be waiting in line to buy one of their own to try and break.
