[Report] Front-and-Back Folding Foldables and Car P-OLED... A Festival of Next-Generation Displays

S Foldable introduced at the Samsung Display exhibition hall within IMID 2021 Korea Display Industry Exhibition held at COEX, Samseong-dong, Seoul on the 25th (Photo by Jeong Hyeon-jin)

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] The screen on the foldable phone, which was folded twice back and forth, was moving like waves. On another horizontally long black display placed in a different space, information related to the car such as time, driving speed, and navigation was clearly shown. It was an exhilarating moment to newly experience next-generation displays that have not yet been encountered in reality.

At IMID 2021 Korea Display Industry Exhibition held on the 25th at COEX in Samseong-dong, Seoul, Samsung Display and LG Display introduced next-generation displays such as the S-foldable and automotive P-OLED. IMID, the largest display industry specialized exhibition in Korea, was held again this year after not being held last year due to the impact of COVID-19.

The highlight of the exhibition was a feast of next-generation technologies where the future of displays could be seen. Technologies that can further enhance various applications such as automobiles and smartphones were unveiled, allowing visitors to experience changes in future IT and automotive devices.

Samsung Display’s S-foldable was introduced to the public for the first time at this event after being unveiled at the Society for Information Display (SID) in May. It was a form that could be folded to the size of a regular smartphone but when unfolded, the screen became as large as a tablet PC. At the exhibition hall, the Flex Note, which combined a foldable display with a laptop and included a display even in the area where a typewriter is usually located, was also introduced and attracted attention.

Vehicle P-OLED showcased at LG Display exhibition hall during IMID 2021 Korea Display Industry Exhibition held at COEX, Samseong-dong, Seoul on the 25th (Photo by Jeong Hyunjin)

LG Display organized the exhibition space into Home and Auto zones, showcasing CSO, bendable OLED, transparent OLED, high-performance gaming monitors, and automotive P-OLED. The highlight of the day was the next-generation infotainment system realized through LG Display’s unique automotive P-OLED technology. The T-shaped ultra-large display, made by connecting four panels into one, gave a strong sophisticated impression through its black color and smooth curved design.

Jeong Ho-young, CEO of LG Display, who attended the event as the association chairman, was seen nodding as he listened to explanations of the participating companies’ technologies while walking around the exhibition hall. In his welcoming speech, he expressed hope that this event would become a forum for discussing various display solutions that enable continuous industrial growth.

Jung Ho-young, Chairman of the Korea Display Industry Association (President of LG Display, third from the left), and others are touring the IMID 2021 exhibition hall held at COEX, Seoul on the 25th. (Photo by Jung Hyun-jin)

When asked about his impressions after touring the exhibition hall, CEO Jeong said, “It is regrettable that we can only do this in a limited way due to the impact of COVID-19, but many companies have worked hard to prepare and explain, so I think it will be helpful.” He added, “It is meaningful in that it helps discussions on understanding the industry as a whole, coexistence and cooperation methods between large corporations, small and medium enterprises, and materials and parts companies, and especially can inspire students majoring in the display field.”

CEO Jeong also expressed his view on China narrowing the OLED technology gap, stating, “We must focus on developing core technologies.”

Meanwhile, Yoon Soo-young, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of LG Display, said in a keynote speech at the IMID academic conference titled ‘New Opportunities for the Display Industry in the Digital Transformation Era’ that OLED will become a core technology due to the acceleration of the digital transformation (DX) era based on the 4th Industrial Revolution triggered by COVID-19.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.