LG has developed an industry-first stretchable screen that bends, twists and stretches like caramel, from 12 inches to 18 inches.
The screen is just a prototype, but in the future it could have useful applications for wearables, cars, smartphones and other industries. For example, the flexible material could be used to make clothes and handbags.
LG demonstrated the screen to an audience of more than 100 on Friday at the LG Science Park in Seoul, South Korea. Its 50% expansion rate is the highest in the industry and it has a resolution of 100 pixels per inch. The screen provides full color.
LG display. Credit: LG
LG has been working on stretchable screens for years. In 2019, the company launched a TV with a screen that rolls into the base when not in use. However, LG discontinued the $100,000 65-inch TV in May 2024 after slow sales.
In 2022, the company showed off a 12-inch display that could expand to 14 inches. To create the screen, LG used the basic silicone material used in contact lenses. They layered micro LEDs and spring-shaped circuits to create a screen that can be twisted, stretched and folded without damage.
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LG’s stretchable screens have already influenced the fashion industry. In September, previews were seen on the runway at Seoul Fashion Week on the front of clothing and bags designed by Youn-Hee Park and Chung-Chung Lee. The designers used 12-inch screens that could stretch up to 14 inches.
“We were able to design future fashion concepts with new materials that never existed before,” Park said in a press release.
One garment with a 12- to 14-inch expandable screen built into the front. Credit: LG
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LG’s competitors are also working on flexible screens. In August, Samsung publicly presented a prototype of a stretchable display for the first time. The MicroLED screen can stretch up to 125% of its original size and has a resolution of 120 pixels per inch.
Samsung placed the screen on a smartphone and demonstrated how it can move and display map topography. The screen could rise to show the presence of a mountain, for example.