LG begins mass-production of flexible OLED displays and curved batteries

It seems LG's various divisions are gearing up to mass-produce components for the company's announced curved display smartphone. The different divisions have confirmed their intentions, with LG Display announcing production of flexible OLED panels, and LG Chem announcing production of curved batteries.

LG Display detailed in a press note that its flexible OLED panel is built on plastic substrates instead of glass. The company further states that the new panel are bendable and unbreakable, thanks to the film-type encapsulation technology and also adding the protection film to the back of the panel.

The new display is vertically concave from top to bottom with a radius of 700mm, while thin at 0.44mm which the company claims is the world's slimmest among existing mobile device panels. The press note also reveals that the new OLED display will weigh 7.2 grams even with a 6-inch display.

Commenting on the mass-production of flexible displays, Dr. Sang Deog Yeo, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of LG Display said, "LG Display is launching a new era of flexible displays for smartphones with its industry-leading technology. Our goal is to take an early lead in the flexible display market by introducing new products with enhanced performance and differentiated designs next year."

LG Chem said that using its 'Stack and Folding technology' patent, it can build curved batteries which can fit into phones, watches as well as glasses. Additionally, the company also revealed its plan to unveil completely flexible Cable batteries in coming years, which can be used for wearable devices like smartwatches, and won't heat up during use.

YS Kwon, the President of Energy Solution Company, LG Chem said on the mass-production of curved batteries, "Through the exclusiveness of our unique technology, LG Chem has succeeded in launching future batteries that have not existed before. This shall be the fundamental grounds for LG Chem to become a pioneer in the market."

Meanwhile, LG's curved display smartphone is expected to be launched in November.

The display has been one of the most important parts of a smartphone or tablet, and it seems the technology behind them is going through an evolution. LG's major competitor in display technology Samsung is also reportedly working on a flexible display phone.