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Samsung preps 5.5-inch flexible phone screen for CES demo

In January, Samsung's mobile display spinoff will bring us a step closer to bendable smartphones. Now that's twisted.

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Samsung has trotted out iterations of its bendable AMOLED display at CES 2011 and other events.
Josh Miller/CNET

You won't have to bend over backward to see Samsung's latest effort in flexible smartphone screens.

Samsung Display, a spinoff from Samsung Electronics, will show off a pair of bendable screens at CES that could one day appear in a radically new smartphone or TV design, according to company representatives.

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Attendees will get to see a 5.5-inch flexible screen intended for smartphone use, with a 1,280x720-pixel HD resolution and a 267 pixel density. In addition, the team will also show off a television-size 55-inch screen.

A flexible display offers design freedom, Samsung Display told CNET, noting that although its demo screens curve without rending, they don't yet roll up.

In addition to creating the material that becomes the main substance of the screen, the display company's labs must also develop the touch panel and cover lens, both components that make a screen a screen.

Samsung has been developing curving screens for some time, showing off smaller display demos, like the 4.5-inch WVGA screen with about a 200 pixel density that CNET saw at CES 2011. With this demo's increased resolution and screen size, Samsung is clearly keeping pace with today's smartphone expectations.

Nokia's flexible, kinetic device interface (photos)

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Samsung Display isn't alone in its research and development efforts. Competitors LG and Nokia have also recently demonstrated bendy prototypes for smartphones and tablets. Pliable electronics are clearly a future trend.

In addition to demonstrating flexible screens, Samsung Display also showcased a 30-inch transparent display made of glass. Like the malleable screens, this transparent panel is a new iteration of a project that the team has been working on for years.