Apple supplier Corning is working on flexible glass for foldable displays
Corning, the glass manufacturer that currently provides Apple, and many other smartphone makers, with Gorilla Glass for its phones, is working on a bendable version of the glass that could be with us in less than two years. In an interview with Wired (via MacRumors), Corning general manager John Bayne said that the challenge was creating a glass that's thin enough to bend without sacrificing the resilience needed to protect a display.
In 2017 Apple said it was investing $200 million in the company to "support Corning's R&D, capital equipment needs, and state-of-the-art glass processing." Patents filed by Apple suggest that it's already investigating the area, while a report published last year claimed Apple could release a foldable device as early as 2020.
[...] Bayne notes that the company is targeting a "3- to 5-millimeter bend radii" for its 0.1mm thick glass, which could allow a foldable phone to be as thin as 6mm to 10mm with the folding screen wrapped around the outside. For reference, the iPhone XS is 7.7mm thick.
[...] The company already produces the bendable Willow Glass, which can be rolled up like a sheet of paper. Unfortunately, its current manufacturing process makes it impossible for use in phone screens, since it has to be dipped into a salt solution. This would corrode the transistors that would need to be in the glass if it was meant for a display, according to Bayne.
We'll call it... Glastic.
Also at Ars Technica, Engadget, CNBC, and Notebookcheck.
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Samsung Announces The Galaxy Z Flip: Foldable Phone With Glass
Today Samsung announced the new Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra, but the regular flagship phones weren't the only devices announce today as we've also seen the unveiling of the new Galaxy Z Flip. The new Z Flip is Samsung's second foldable phone to market after Galaxy Fold, but takes a new approach in terms of design as it comes in a new clamshell design with only a single primary screen.
[...] What makes the Z Flip extremely impressive though is its display. It's not the first flexible display out there, and it's relatively average with a 2636 x 1080 resolution. What makes it special, is that this is the very first display on the market that has an ultra-thin glass cover on it – yes, it's a foldable glass screen. The implications here are huge when compared to a plastic foldable screen, and the glass should be significantly more scratch resistant than plastic alternatives, making this a much more viable option when it comes to long-term durability of the phone.
Samsung's hinge mechanism was designed in such as way that it minimises dust ingress into the gears of the system. What's also special is that the phone clicks in at different angles such as 120°, instead of being freely flexible at any angle.
The phone is $1380/1480€.
Corning is making the smaller, outward-facing secondary display, but the origin of the "Ultra Thin Glass" is not yet known:
Besides the Snapdragon 855+, we have a 6.7-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2636x1080. Instead of the delicate plastic of the Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip is rumored to be covered by an "Ultra Thin Glass." We know companies are working on flexible glass for these folding smartphone displays. The industry leader is Corning, the maker of the "Gorilla Glass" cover that adorns nearly every high-end smartphone, but Corning's bendable glass solution is not on the market yet. One report out of Germany is that Samsung's partner is Schott, a German glass producer.
Also at VentureBeat.
Related: Samsung Announces the Galaxy Fold, a Phone-Tablet Hybrid Device
Corning Working on Flexible Glass for Devices
You're Folding It Wrong: Tech Reviewers Break Samsung Galaxy Fold after Just Days of Use
Samsung Galaxy Fold Delayed Indefinitely Following Reports of Broken Displays
(Score: 2) by PartTimeZombie on Thursday March 07 2019, @01:30AM
We might have to because the alternative is Pass.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 07 2019, @01:34AM (1 child)
When will it be released in overpriced products for idiot millennials to buy?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday March 07 2019, @02:11AM
Millennial are choosing cool toys instead of having children. Sounds pretty smart to me.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday March 07 2019, @01:42AM
Will it still be flexible after they laser weld it to stuff? https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-47402068 [bbc.com]
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Thursday March 07 2019, @02:34AM (1 child)
I've seen videos where you can use the phone's screen to drive a finishing nail ... and a lot of friends who have phones with cracked screens and still buy screen protectors. So is this available in phones or not?
(Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday March 07 2019, @04:03AM
Which version?
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/18/corning-gorilla-glass-6-release.html [cnbc.com]
It's used in the Galaxy S10. But you can still destroy it:
https://bgr.com/2019/03/06/galaxy-s10-plus-drop-test-vs-iphone-xs-max-gorilla-glass-6-cracks/ [bgr.com]
If this new "flexible" version is good enough, it may be used in non-flexible devices. Same with any alternative flexible display materials.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 1) by pTamok on Thursday March 07 2019, @07:48AM
Vitrum flexile [wikipedia.org]
(Score: 2) by DannyB on Thursday March 07 2019, @05:19PM
Phone manufacturers, take note. If my phone could fold four times, then it would be the right size for a keyring fob.
Every performance optimization is a grate wait lifted from my shoulders.