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The Samsung P4 and the Foldable Screen

By: Grahm Skee on November 24, 2008 5:38 PM

samsung-folding-screen.jpg

We knew that foldable screens were in the future of tech, but I didn’t expect it this soon. My jaw dropped when I saw this demo of Samsung’s latest OLED screen fold up on itself. The video demo is of poor quality, but it looks like it’s a very vibrant screen and video continues to play as it folds.

Targeted to mobile phones, it’s a natural assumption that this will be seen sometime in an upcoming Samsung MP3 player. We know the P3 is right around the corner but perhaps this technology will be ready for the P4. But additionally, Samsung’s tech could find itself to other brands, since many of them rely on Samsung for displays. The iriver clix 2 was the first to use their cutting edge AMOLED screen before anyone else. This opens up exciting new possibilities of portable form factors- I hope to check this out first hand at CES this January. Stay tuned.

Check out the video below. [via Reghardware]

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Comments

Ravagence on November 24, 2008 6:01 PM

Cool idea, but only useful if you want a portable wide screen video player. for an MPTrois player it is useless. Cool, but what would it do for an MPTrois player.

jkj1962 on November 24, 2008 6:51 PM

Cool, but I wonder how many times it can be folder before it cracks. A roll-up screen that doesn't roll too tight might last longer.

w00ty on November 24, 2008 7:35 PM

Nintendo DS2 anyone?

random on November 24, 2008 8:15 PM

I'd say that this arrived at about the right time, I'd been following the development of OLED and a release any later than now in a product would have been late.

Utew on November 24, 2008 8:47 PM

Yep, I was dazzled when I first saw this earlier this morning too.
Oh the possibilities... though my first thoughts were.. What's the lifetime on foldability? and What a strange aspect ratio, for video.
This is one to watch, so to speak... but it would be a must have, if they can bring it to market in a usable form. Damn neat.

Justin rosaria (jjrosaria) on November 24, 2008 10:01 PM

It's cool but in a mobile phone and DAP's it is a bit useless. I agree with utew, the aspect ratio is weird and I dont wanna watch a video with that kind of aspect ratio.. How can companies fix the aspect ratio if a regular phone's shape is a rectangle square phones feels weird in the hands.. I would rather choose to have a slide up querty keyboard and fill the whole front bezel with screen. That would be better to me..

Ps: I just thought of this which is about the aspect ratio.. They could copy NDS style maybe a full qwerty touch keypad at the bottom part and the real picture on top, perhaps

TheDarkSide on November 25, 2008 5:30 AM

Uh,........... WOW!!!! I'm lovin' it!!!!

Poopelyse on November 25, 2008 10:26 PM

Holy Poos!!! that's ridiculous!

shenyue on November 26, 2008 12:12 AM

foldable 56" tvs anyone?

this is something to keep your eye on.

now if only they can take this technology and make it as thin as that sony tv that is half as thick as a pencil

think about it, newspapers you buy once and auto updates

camping with foldable tvs

you could make the archos 5 be an archos 15 :D

KDH on November 26, 2008 12:32 AM

The fist thing I thought of when I saw this was the successor to the NDS. I wonder how hard it would be to add touch functionality to it.

rhymenoceros on November 27, 2008 12:33 AM

I was a bit skeptical of the usefulness of a folding screen. Judging just from the still-frame picture,I thought the screen only opened up to a certain degree and not full 180, kind of like some HP laptops.

But after the video... WOWZERS!

The aspect ratio is a bit too square for today's widescreen videos. But it definitely conducive to e-books and certain games (finally, I can play monopoly on my mp3 player!)

classiquecrime on November 27, 2008 6:05 AM

holy shit, P4 just went from the lamest to the coolest in one shot :D
at first, i wasn't interested in SAMSUNG products but now...
i can't wait until it is released

Sirocco on December 6, 2008 2:21 AM

Dummy, the screen doesn't fold. It's 2 screens, you just don't see the crack that separates them.

Fuzzypits on December 6, 2008 3:46 PM

Wow, this looks intense!

chaos on January 11, 2009 5:45 AM

Is this really the demo to the P4? or is it just an idea the P4 could have in the future? I wanna know, because im waiting til the P3 hits U.S shelves......the foldable screen looks o.k, but i think it could be a little worthless....

~N~ on February 24, 2009 8:03 AM

PSP 4000 plz?

nsa on March 18, 2009 12:49 AM

wow that's sick!

techie on October 8, 2009 1:24 PM

The hell with qwerty keypads or any mechanized parts for that matter. It only makes up for a bulkier device. I'd rather more development be put into haptic feedback and gyroscopic/motion sensing (ala Wii) technology instead. As for the folding screen... It's technically not a true single folding screen, but two individual screens that pivot against each other, working as one display (which makes the lifespan equal to any current OLED). Similar to a dual monitor setup minus the image interference of screen bezels, which makes it very impressive nonetheless.

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