The technology would allow the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays to be folded and bent inwards, they said. (image: Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 4 (Korea Bizwire) – Samsung Display Co., an affiliate of Samsung Electronics Co., has registered for a patent on technology to develop bendable displays in the United States, industry sources said Tuesday, implying a possible launch of foldable smartphones sometime soon.
The panel-making affiliate of the South Korean tech giant filed a patent application for the technology to manufacture flexible displays with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Sept. 27, they said.
The technology would allow the organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays to be folded and bent inwards, they said.
The two firms have so far registered 30 related patents with the USPTO, with 14 of them registered this year alone.
The patents have been either registered both at home and abroad or disclosed to the public years ago, suggesting that the tech giant and its affiliate have prepared for the launch of such models.
Bloomberg reported earlier that Samsung Electronics is considering introducing two new smartphone models as soon as next February when the Mobile World Congress takes place in Barcelona, Spain.
One of the two devices folds in half like a cosmetic compact while the other device may unfold from a 5-inch form factor into an 8-inch one, according to the report.
Both firms, however, have not released any statement regarding the report.
(Yonhap)
