Flexible displays get more useful

Queen's University researchers made an Android-based prototype to show the capability of their bendable FOLED screen.

Flexible screens have been part of the collective imagination in technology sectors for a while, but the technology thus far has always come up short or been wanting of something more. Researchers at Queen's University have now created a prototype smartphone called ReFlex, which has the most usable paperlike screen yet. The device uses an FOLED display from LG with a 1280x720-pixel resolution, and runs on Android 4.2. A demonstration shows an eBook that flips through pages when the user bends the screen at both ends. Haptic motors give feedback to users as the pages turn. The gadget can also be used to play games such as Angry birds. Users just need to bend the screen to fling the birds.

Watching the ReFlex in action definitely shows it has the "cool factor," but it's still not clear what users would need or want a flexible display for. LG has already tried to make curved screens popular with its phones and TVs, but these haven't caught on. Other companies that are also trying their hands at curved screens include FlexEnable, which debuted a prototype at MWC in Barcelona, Spain. The device has a screen that wraps around the wrist, but is too big to be worn all the time like a watch. The advantage of gadgets such as the ReFlex, however, is that they allow users to bend the screen themselves. As for how to justify the price of having the screen is another matter.

So, are curved screens the future? It's tough to say, but they certainly won't chase out traditional screens anytime soon. The technology relies on OLED screens, while LCD rivals still have the price advantage, thanks to the boom in production in China. China's panel manufacturers are not yet competitive in the OLED space, but eventually they might be and make flexible screens become ubiquitous.

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