In the world of technology, flexible electronics promise to be a game-changing innovation. This translates not only to foldable phones, which currently face the challenge of high cost and durability concerns, but also to rollable displays and applications in wearable devices, smart textiles, diagnostic tools, drug delivery systems, and health monitoring.
So, flexible electronics showcase transformative possibilities thanks to their lightweight and malleability, which enables them to add new functionalities and change the capabilities of products across industries.
These flexible electronics go beyond the possibilities of conventional rigid electronics, which are incapable of conforming to complex shapes and are primarily used in flat-surface applications.
Conventional electronics lack flexibility, which means little freedom in design. This rules out complex and unconventional devices, and their rigid nature also poses damage problems.
Flexible electronics, of course, offer a solution to these problems by being highly adaptable to flexible environments like randomly shaped curved or deformed surfaces.
Moreover, there is an increase in demand for organic user interface (OUI) in human-electronics interactions. Flexible displays play a key role here in conveying information between the user and the device.
As a result, we are seeing the rise of shape-changing displays as the next-generation display technology.
Advancements in Foldable OLED Display
Now, let’s take a look at some key developments in the bendable OLED display space. A flexible OLED uses a flexible substrate. However, the first generation of flexible OLEDs wasn’t really flexible. The manufacturer curved the display, sure, but the end user couldn’t really bend it.
The next generation of flexible displays could be folded, and companies are now considering introducing cost-effective scrollable OLEDs.
While commercialization is slow-moving, researchers are making a lot of progress. To go back just a few years, in 2022, researchers at the University of Minnesota 3D printed a flexible OLED display in its entirety with the aim of making low-cost OLED displays a reality.
Senior study author Michael McAlpine, a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, noted:
“OLED displays are usually produced in big, expensive, ultra-clean fabrication facilities. We wanted to see if we could basically condense all of that down and print an OLED display on our table-top 3D printer, which was custom built and costs about the same as a Tesla Model S.”
This wasn’t the first attempt. The team previously tried the same but faced issues with the consistency in layers. This time, the researchers printed six device layers by combining two different modes of printing. Using the 3D printer, the team spray printed the active layers while the electrodes, insulation, encapsulation, and interconnects were extrusion printed.
The resulting device was a flexible OLED display that showed a stable emission over the 2,000 bending cycles.
A highly stable, transparent, water-resistant, and flexible OLED was also developed by a team of researchers from the KAIST School of Electrical Engineering. For this, they used MXene nanotechnology, a 2D material with high optical transmittance and electrical conductivity.
The MXene-based RGB OLED emitted a brightness of over 1,000 cd/m2, meaning it is detectable by the naked eye even under sunlight. The red MXene-based OLED, meanwhile, was flexible, withstanding 1,000 cycles under a low curvature, a standby storage life of 2,000 hours, and a standby operation life of 1,500 hours.
“By producing a matrix-type MXene OLED and displaying simple letters and shapes, we have laid the foundations for MXene’s application in the field of transparent displays.”
– Ph.D. candidate So Yeong Jeong.
Besides offering a guideline for applying MXene in electrical devices, the researchers expect it to be applied in other fields that require flexible and transparent displays, like automobiles and functional clothing.
Last summer, a team of electrical engineers overcame the challenge of resolution degradation1 on bendable screens when they are bent.
The problem arises because the space between the pixels grows wider when the device is bent, exposing a dark gap, resulting in a resolution loss. To solve this problem, researchers added super-thin OLEDs, which are seen only when the device is bent. Doing so improved the geometrical fill factor to 97% during normal stretching.
For this, the team created an extremely thin OLED that was attached to a structure through quad axial stretching (which refers to a material’s stretching in four directions simultaneously) for accurate, deformation-free alignment. A part of it is hidden by letting it ‘fold in’, which gradually comes up on the surface upon stretching.
A few months ago, researchers from the University of Michigan developed a flexible display inspired by cuttlefish that can store and reveal hidden images. This screen could be applied in environments with limited light and power, such as on e-readers, barcodes, stickers, and clothing.
Research from earlier this year, meanwhile, demonstrated a new lift-off process for flexible OLED2 displays. The new method is based on graphene and is termed GLLO or Graphene Laser Lift Off.
The breakthrough here was the successful separation of 2.9 μm-thick ultrathin PI substrates using GLLO without causing any mechanical damage or leaving any carbon residue behind. Moreover, OLEDs processed with GLLO retained their electrical and mechanical performance and withstood extreme deformations without functional degradation.
Click here to learn how, after screens, batteries, too, might become bendable.
The Push Toward Commercially Viable Foldable Displays
While research is ongoing in the area, some of these foldable, rollable, bendable, and stretchable displays have also started to achieve commercial success.
Just earlier this year, Samsung unveiled its new flexible OLED display solutions at CES 2025. This included the “world’s first 18.1-inch foldable” monitor, which the company will begin mass-producing this year. Samsung also exhibited three rollable or slidable displays for device makers at the event.
Meanwhile, foldable phones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6, Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Motorola Razr Plus, OnePlus Open, and Oppo Find N5 are among the most popular phones on the market right now.
So, by taking advantage of flexibility, deformable displays maximize user convenience and emphasize thin, lightweight, and compact designs.
Elements like speakers, sensors, and actuators are also being integrated into these displays to further enhance the user-interaction experience and provide effective information delivery.
However, incorporating sound features requires extra components, which complicates the design. So, having deformable displays still faces challenges like mechanical embodiments (wires and hinges).
For instance, existing techniques use direct-force application to a display panel to prompt bending, providing a wider field of view, reducing distortion, and boosting user immersion through on-demand changes in the curved screen. Besides wire attachments or physically folding the display panel to turn a flat screen into a bendable display, additional mechanical embodiments are often required to wind the wires or push the panels.
However, these devices are rigid and bulky. This translates to increased thickness, reduced flexibility, and limited deformation into various shapes. So, significant technical limitations need to be overcome in order to realize future displays that can take different shapes with flexibility, portability, and compact design.
This calls for research to enhance the display-panel flexibility and twist the shape without compromising the overall flexibility.
A new study has achieved just this — a multifunctional, flexible OLED display that can bend into dynamic shapes and emit sound, all through a single, integrated signal. This has been made possible with the help of a novel actuator structure that utilizes PVDF (polyvinylidene fluoride) and strain engineering, eliminating the need for bulky hinges or external speakers.
Click here to learn how advanced nanophotonics will enable us to build better smartphones.
Ultra-thin, Shape-Morphing OLED Panel with Built-In Speaker
Researchers from Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) have developed the world’s first organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel that can freely transform its shape.
The shape-shifting comes along with its functionality as a speaker, which has been achieved without sacrificing the ultra-thin, flexible properties of the smartphone-type OLED panel.
With this accomplishment, researchers have overcome the challenge of incorporating shape adaptability and audio functionality into one device.
The study, supported by the Ministry of Trade, Industry, and Energy, the LG Display-POSTECH Incubation Collaboration Project, and the National Research Foundation of Korea, was published in Nature.3 It detailed their novel solution for eliminating the need for external components for movement and sound output.
The new solution is based on a specialized ultra-thin piezoelectric polymer actuator. These devices use the piezoelectric effect to convert electrical energy into mechanical movement, and vice versa, by utilizing materials like polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) for flexibility.
When incorporated into the display panel, the actuator made from 40-μm-thick PVDF films enables the emission of sound as well as intricate shape transformations through swift actuation and vibration. The team used asymmetrical strain engineering on PVDF to get deformations through electrical signals.
The electrically driven shape transformation can be enabled into a wide variety of complex forms, including concave, convex, S-shaped, inverse S-shaped, and wave-like configurations that respond like a display in motion.
The key point here is that the deformation is completely obtained through electric signals. So, there are no external motors, gears, or hinges.
By not requiring any mechanical components, the OLED display maintains its signature softness, thinness, and lightweight design.
Interestingly, this actuator can also produce vibrations when exposed to high-frequency electrical signals, which allows the display to work as a speaker. According to Professor Su Seok Choi from the Department of Electrical Engineering, who led the research:
“This is the first technology to combine freeform shape morphing and built-in sound output in a single ultra-thin OLED panel, without external components. We preserved everything OLEDs are known for—thinness, flexibility, and lightweight—and expanded their functionality in a whole new direction of complex and dynamic shape morphing with additional sound emission.”
The technology has also been successfully tested on a real OLED panel, the scale of a smartphone. When the team implemented the tech, the practical 6-inch OLED display panel showed reliable, reversible shape transformation between different geometries and clear sound generation while remaining thin, flexible, and compact.
This new display is the first of its kind on the market. Current commercial displays, like LG’s 5K 2K bendable monitor, still depend on motorized structural support. Then there’s Samsung’s AI-enhanced OLEDs, which do not integrate audio into the display surface.
So, POSTECH researchers’ approach stands out for uniquely merging mechanical adaptability and acoustic output, which is entirely embedded in the OLED structure itself while maintaining ultra-thin flexibility that is achieved in a size as compact as smartphones.
This breakthrough has the potential to pave the way for a new generation of foldable smartphones and shape-shifting wearables. It can further lead to the creation of intelligent and immersive audio-visual devices across multiple industries.
Initial niche applications of the tech in flexible electronics may emerge within 3-5 years, with broader consumer adoption to follow.
Innovative Company
LG Display Co., Ltd. (LPL -1.3%)
A global leader in flexible and OLED display technologies, LG Display is actively exploring next-gen form factors and multifunctional displays.
Late last year, the Korea-based company introduced its stretchable display, which can expand as much as 50% of the original size, the highest in the industry. What’s interesting is that the screen can be twisted, folded, and pulled without cracking or breaking it.
This breakthrough was presented at LG Science Park as part of South Korea’s national project on stretchable displays.
The prototype featured a 12-inch screen that stretched to 18 inches, all the while maintaining its high resolution (100 pixels-per-inch) and RGB color. This stretchability was achieved with the help of a micro-LED light source and a special silicone-based substrate, the same one used in contact lenses. Meanwhile, durability was obtained for over 10,000 stretches, even in shocks and extreme temperatures.
When it comes to design, the display is thin and lightweight, and can easily conform to curved surfaces. This makes it highly valuable in wearables, safety gear, and automotive applications.
LG Display Co., Ltd. (LPL -1.3%)
Now, for company financials, LG’s shares, which have a $3 billion market cap, are currently trading at $3.02, down 1.47% YTD. Its EPS (TTM) is -1.89, while the P/E (TTM) ratio is -1.59.
For the three-month period ending Dec. 31, 2024, it reported revenue of KRW 7,833 billion ($5.45 billion), an increase of 15% from the previous quarter and 6% from 4Q23. Its operating profit, meanwhile, came in at KRW 83.1 billion ($58 million), compared to the KRW 80.6 billion loss in the previous quarter.
During this period, the net loss was KRW 839 billion ($580 million), compared to KRW 338 billion of net loss in 3Q24 and KRW 50.5 billion of net income in 4Q23.
For the entire 2024, revenue was KRW 26.6 trillion ($19 billion) and operating loss was KRW 560.6 billion ($390 million).
The 25% year-on-year increase in revenue was driven by its enhancement of its OLED-focused business structure. In terms of profitability, the company was able to reduce its operating loss by focusing on cost reduction and operational efficiency.
“Despite greater market volatility than ever, we are focusing our capabilities on continuing to improve our business performance via advancing our OLED-centered business structure and strengthening profitability through intensive cost-innovation activities. We will turn around our annual earnings by further enhancing our business competitiveness.”
– CFO Sung-hyun Kim
Late last year, the company also announced the development and deployment of a new AI system that collects and analyzes OLED production process data in real time. When the system encounters any anomalies in the process, it alters in real time and finds solutions.
Given that the company’s OLED panels involve more than 140 sub-processes, the system is expected to improve production speed and accuracy significantly. As per LG Display estimates, the new AI system will help it save about 200 billion Won ($140 million) annually.
Meanwhile, last summer, the company’s OLED monitors and televisions also obtained UL Solutions Eyesafe Verification, which verifies LG Display’s claims that their displays actually reduce the emission of blue light that affects our body’s circadian rhythm. According to CTO Soo-young Yoon:
“This verification by an objective and reliable institution signifies that we have set a new standard for customers to choose human-friendly displays. LG Display will continue to provide differentiated customer value through our relentless efforts and innovation.”
Latest on LG Display Co., Ltd.
Conclusion
The display industry is advancing at a rapid pace with flexible technologies being the next frontier. To make displays foldable, bendable, stretchable, and rollable, most implementations currently rely on mechanical structures which allow for shape adjustment but at the expense of design.
Drawbacks like increased thickness and weight are particularly restrictive for smartphones and wearable electronics. The need for immersive user experiences adds further complexity and volume to the device.
Against this backdrop, researchers have developed a lightweight, multifunctional display with a multi-shape bendable design and integrated sound capabilities. By achieving new levels of mechanical freedom without any physical burden, this research addresses the technical challenges associated with existing bendable displays.
Overall, the creation of a bendable display with integrated sound functionality and a unique approach shows promise in improving human-machine interaction while maintaining display flexibility, ultimately enhancing user experience.
Click here to learn about PHOLED technology that is set to boost display longevity & performance.
Studies Referenced:
1. Lee, D., Kim, S.-B., Kim, T., Choi, D., Sim, J. H., Lee, W., Cho, H., Yang, J.-H., Kim, J., Hahn, S., Moon, H., & Yoo, S. (2024). Stretchable OLEDs based on a hidden active area for high fill factor and resolution compensation. Nature Communications, 15, 4349. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-48396-w
2. Kang, S., Chang, J., Lim, J., Lee, J., Kim, J., Park, J., Cho, E., Choi, M., Kim, S., & Lee, H. (2024). Graphene-enabled laser lift-off for ultrathin displays. Nature Communications, 15, 8288. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-52661-3
3. Park, J. Y., Shin, J. H., Hong, I. P., Kim, S., Lee, H., Choi, Y., Kang, D., & Yoo, S. (2025). Dynamic bendable display with sound integration using asymmetric strain control of actuators with flexible OLED. npj Flexible Electronics, 9, 24. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41528-025-00396-6