Foldable phones have been one of the dreams of many tech companies such as Apple, Google, and Microsoft. As it turns out, all three may finally develop one with the help of LG Electronics.
The bigwigs at LG have given the go-signal for the display department to start producing bendable displays for smartphones in mass proportions. The mass-production will be for handsets that are set for a 2018 release.
Apple, Google, and Microsoft are the first three buyers of LGs tech. Samsung is also interested in foldable screens but is not among the list of LG buyers. As a matter of fact, the Korean tech giant will be developing its own foldable displays to rival LG.
Samsung already has plans for two foldable smartphones on the table. In fact, the expected release date of these phones is next year. The flexible smartphones could be announced during the CES 2017 in January or at the MWC the following month.
According to a report, Apple already received a patent for a flexible display in November. The patent was actually filed back in 2014 so the concept has already been in their minds for quite a while. In the patent, Apple described a touchscreen phone with a flexible OLED display that could be folded in half. In other words, it is an iPhone with hinges to allow it to fold in half. The patent also said the tech can be applied on other electronic devices.
Lenovo seems to be at the forefront of the race after it has unveiled a prototype of a flexible smartphone that slips onto the wrist like a bracelet. It also has a tablet that can be folded into a phablet. However, it is believed that there are no plans yet for both prototypes to be introduced to the market.
