LG's 6-inch flexible OLED panel goes under production

LG Display has now announced that it will start mass-production of the world’s first 6-inch flexible OLED panel for smartphones. The new panel will be built on plastic substrates instead of glass, resulting in a display that is less likely to break, and much lighter and thinner than conventional glass displays.

The durability of the new panel has been achieved by applying film-type encapsulation technology and attaching the protection film to the back of the panel. The film-type encapsulation will be used to stop air and moisture from damaging the sensitive OLED materials. LG, while talking about this, has said that the new panel will be both “bendable and unbreakable”.

More from News Analysis

LG has started the mass production of flexible OLED panels for smartphones

The new panel is just 0.44mm thick, and because it is made from plastic instead of glass, is extremely light, weighing only 7.2 grams. While the announcement is definitely big, some important features of the first 6-inch display panel were left out. The resolution or brightness of the new panel has not been revealed yet.

While the mass production of the panel has been officially confirmed, sources close to the matter have told Reuters that the company is also looking at launching a smartphone with the curved display in November. LG, however, is not the only company to announce the mass production of flexible panels. Samsung has also formally said that it has begun rolling out 5.7-inch flexible panels, and will also unveil a device sporting the new panel "within days".