LG unveils a display that can stretch, twist and fold

Since the original Samsung Galaxy Z Fold and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip were first unveiled, foldable displays are fast becoming a fairly common tech in the smartphone space. Today, foldable smartphones from several brands including Samsung, Google, Oppo, OnePlus and Vivo are available in the market.

LG though, is looking to step things up a little now. It has now unveiled what is the world’s first truly “stretchable” display. Intrigued? Read on.

LG stretchable display: What you need to know

LG’s new display is a fairly simple looking 12-inch display. However, it can be stretched to as much as 18 inches, that too without sacrificing image quality. When stretched, it can still maintain a 100-pixel per inch resolution and full RGB colour. And it doesn’t end there. Besides stretching, the display can also be folded and twisted into any shape.

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Fun fact. This isn’t the first time the company has pulled of a feat like this. Two years ago, it revealed a prototype of the display, which could achieve an elongation rate of 20 per cent.

How the company achieved this was using a special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses, and a new wiring design structure. Additionally, they also used a micro-LED light source up to 40 micrometres in size.

All of which means the display can be stretched up to 10,000 times without weakening or losing image resolution. Moreover, the company also claims it can do so despite exposure to extremely high or low temperatures, or external shocks.

According to LG, its new stretchable display technology has various applications. These include everything from a wearable display attached to firefighters and other essential service workers’ uniforms to display information in real time, to an automotive display that stretches out into a convex shape and can be operated by hand.

When can you expect to see LG's stretchable display for yourself?

Unfortunately (hopefully not for long), there is no clear indication on when such a display may be seen on mainstream consumer technology offerings, if at all.

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However, we hope it does in the near future, as it could fundamentally change how we interact with our smartphones, tablets, wearables, or just about any other gadget that we use daily.