Flexible Displays: How Do They Work, and Do They Have Any Significant Downsides?

Flexible? Bendable? Rollable? These are the criteria for the next generation of smartphone display technology, but how does it work?

Among the various improvements that smartphones and tablets have received over the last decade, flexible displays are undoubtedly one of the most interesting propositions and one with a huge potential to change the market. The technology is still relatively new, despite several companies exploring the tech for more than a decade.

After seeing several new devices successfully integrate flexible displays with varying levels of success, it's clear that this tech is here to stay. The only question right now is how long it will take for flexible displays to become commonplace. Let's take a look at how modern flexible displays work and future considerations for this corner of the market.

What Is a Flexible Display?

Smartphone displays are traditionally rigid due to the glass layer used in their production. However, modern OLED-based designs have successfully removed the need for that, instead implementing the screen in a very thin layer, to the point where it becomes flexible. The screen is then covered with a thin plastic layer, which is unfortunately susceptible to scratches.

Modern solutions also implement glass protection. The Galaxy Z Flip was a small revolution in this regard, utilizing a thin layer of glass underneath the plastic cover. While the main surface was still finished with plastic, the underlying glass was still a major improvement over previous designs on the market.

In some cases, flexible displays are just an illusion. Some devices feature two or more displays lined up next to each other, with special emphasis placed on removing the border between them. These devices are usually more versatile in terms of the kinds of upper layers they support, in some cases including a full glass cover.

History and Current State of the Market

Flexible displays have been around for a decade now. Initial designs were rather underwhelming—but some of them ended up being repurposed into other devices. For example, the Galaxy Note Edge's curved screen actually started as a prototype for a flexible display device.

Samsung followed up with another design a few years later, the Galaxy Round. This was not well received, prompting the company to pursue other paths.

The Galaxy Z Flip 3 is a notable example of a device that incorporates a flexible display, and some claimed that it should set some new trends on the market. Unfortunately, other manufacturers haven't tried to follow the trend, so it remains to be seen whether the idea has any true potential. The device sold well enough, which is a good sign.

And in some cases, flexible displays were used to achieve a different effect. The iPhone X, which started the trend of screens with curved corners, actually used a flexible display to accomplish that without sacrificing any real estate around the bezels.

The feature was not widely advertised because Apple focused on the main result of its implementation—the curved corners themselves.

Flexible Display Devices Are Expensive

Flexible displays remain relatively expensive compared to their regular counterparts and often sacrifice visual quality. This is especially noticeable when the screen is folded at a particular angle. At the same time, flexible screens tend to have a more limited lifetime compared to traditional ones.

Estimates for different models vary, but the point remains that folding most modern displays too many times will eventually damage them permanently.

For most user's needs, current designs should be able to last a very long time. But this is still a point that needs to be addressed by most manufacturers, especially in the context of the higher prices attached to flexible display devices.

Applications Outside of Smartphones

It's also important to note that flexible displays have huge potential outside of the smartphone market. Other devices can utilize them to improve their usability. Furthermore, with wearable gadgets increasing in popularity, new gadgets coming out in the future are likely going to take advantage of this technology.

Smartwatches are a good candidate for flexible display technology. Their designers already go to great lengths to make their displays as compact as possible, and flexible displays offer some direct advantages in this regard. They tend to be thinner than traditional displays, which makes them a good fit for devices of this kind.

Then there are medical devices and other specialized use cases. Even if flexible displays don't immediately take off, they will find a place in other areas. It will be interesting to see what kinds of changes they facilitate in other markets.

Gaming is also shaping up to be a field where these devices could have a viable place. Between virtual reality and the new features being introduced in modern consoles and their controllers, we might see some approaches that integrate flexible displays.

It does seem like gamers would be eager to try out new technology in general, making that market an attractive prospect for developers in the field. However, so far we haven't seen any actual developments on that front.

Will Flexible Displays Replace Traditional Screens?

With all that said, the main question remains—will this eventually become a common trend on the market as a whole? As we mentioned above, there are specialized cases where bendable or flexible displays have potential.

But at the same time, it's questionable how fast this tech will be adopted in general, depending on price, application, and other availability factors. New developments in the field have made the production process more affordable, but it will probably take a while until foldable displays establish a permanent presence on the market and become commonplace.

Until then, those who are eager to check out this technology already have some options available. Judging by current trends, the next couple of years might bring us even more unique devices that integrate this technology.

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