Samsung is very clear that the future of screens goes through flexible panels and a good example of this is its project YOUM, which covers the entire design of this type of AMOLED devices. In some events such as the CES in Las Vegas, it has even presented some to prototypesTherefore, the Korean company is very clear that this is a step that must be taken.
But not everything is always rosy in technology and, despite the announcement that Samsung had made in which it indicated that in a relatively short period of time it would begin with its productionIt seems that this start will have to be delayed. And, apparently, it will have to wait until later to get started (no specific date has been specified).
What is YOUM and why it leads the way
YOUM is the name Samsung gave to its flexible AMOLED displays, publicly viewed at fairs such as FPD in Japan and in various real-life demonstrations. Beyond bending or curving, one of its keys is the reduced thickness: it is drastically reduced compared to conventional panels, going from typical figures close to 1,8 mm to just over 0,6 mm, which opens the door to thinner and lighter designs. In addition, by being based on plastic substrates Instead of glass, they gain in resistance to impacts and allow for novel concepts such as screens that continue along the borders from the device to display contextual information.
Performance issues on dashboards
Everything indicates that the problems that Samsung has found in its flexible AMOLED screens is of performance. That is to say, they do not offer the appropriate response when displaying images, which is due to the fact that the pixel quality It's not the most appropriate. This is normal, but according to the reports, it seemed that these types of difficulties had already been resolved.
Some sources, such as DDaily, have indicated that the estimates of the Korean company are that the difficulties will be solved short term and then they will carry out the necessary tests to begin mass production. This actually sounds quite optimistic, since the problems detected are not a minor issue. On a technical level, the uniformity of the panel, the organic encapsulation (TFE) on plastic, the stability of the TFTs and the management of the response time. Therefore, the possible inclusion of this type of screens in a Reference Galaxy S, as had been rumored at the time, was left in doubt.
Mass production vs. prototypes: the big stumbling block
As is clear, it is not the same to produce some test models —something that Samsung has already done and that has impressed everyone—than making a chain production. In this jump, manufacturing performance problems appear (yield): small variations in the flexible substrate cause defects that, on a large scale, increase the % of invalid panels.
In addition, Korean media pointed to a strategic issue: the demand for flat screens for bestsellers like the Galaxy S and Note families pushed Samsung to dedicate initially pilot lines of flexible panels to traditional panels. There was talk of capacities close to 56.000 units/month with the intention of scaling up to figures around 64.000, diverting resources to meet immediate orders. This reallocation also explains part of the delay, beyond technological maturity.
For their part, sources such as DDaily and IntoMobile indicated that, if the performance and production problems were addressed soon, they could see a smartphone with a flexible screen in the short to medium term would be feasible, although prudence recommended not to rush expectations.
What we'll look at first: curvatures, edges, and perforations
Although we all think of screens that are roll up or fold completely, the most reasonable thing is that the initial adoption goes through formats with pronounced curvature and active edge solutions that improve ergonomics and provide fast functions. Also gaining traction are the perforated panels (Infinity-O type) to house the camera inside the screen. According to Korean media, LCD and OLED will dominate this format, but in the case of Flexible OLED With perforation, Samsung would retain key capabilities while other manufacturers turn to suppliers such as BOE in non-flexible LCD or OLED variants.
Several companies have shown interest in these flexible panels, more for their resistance and design possibilities than bending the entire device from day one. It's not enough to simply curve the screen: the battery, electronics, and chassis must all follow suit, so the implementation will be gradual.
Lessons learned from other postponements
The case of first-generation foldable devices reinforced the need to expand internal tests before releasing commercial units: various media reported early failures in review units, and Samsung opted to to delay from the introduction to implementing improvements. The company made it clear that it preferred to avoid a reputational risk scenario like the one it experienced with the Notes 7, and that the priority is to guarantee the best possible experience in a category that aspires to lead.
Samsung is very clear that it will be the one to produce the first flexible screens and, if anyone has the means, that is it. SamsungWith a focus on stabilizing performance, optimizing lines, and prioritizing realistic use cases like live edges and perforations, the transition from lab to factory seems to be a matter of maturity and industrial strategy, rather than willpower.
