In context: It might appear to be yesterday, however LG’s cellphone division closed in April 2021 and adopted a few of the most revolutionary foldable/rollable designs we have ever seen. As cool as these designs have been, maybe they have been too wild for their very own good and by no means caught on, sealing the division’s destiny. Or sure? New patent filings reveal that LG should still have some playing cards to play.
For a fast refresher, LG was engaged on this wild rollable smartphone idea, aptly named “LG Rollable.” It even reached the prototype stage, however the mission was ultimately shelved when LG say goodbye to the smartphone market.
The cellphone attracted additional media consideration a 12 months later in 2022 when a hands-on evaluation from BullsLab appeared. The gadget featured a show that would lengthen from a 6.8-inch display screen to a 7.4-inch mini pill. It additionally featured a Snapdragon 888 processor with 12GB of RAM and a 4500mAh battery.
Nonetheless, it now seems that LG Show, the show manufacturing subsidiary of the LG Group, has been quietly tinkering with rollable show know-how. Its newest patent, filed in October 2023 and printed this month, describes a wise magnetic system to maintain the stretchable OLED show easy and wrinkle-free.
Here is the way it works: A magnetic sheet is added to the again of the display screen, whereas magnets are constructed into the body of the gadget. This magnetic power helps easy out any wrinkles which will kind when the display screen is prolonged or retracted, permitting the display screen to return to its pristine, flat state quicker.
The 21-page patent software even consists of Detailed schematics displaying how this rolling show know-how could possibly be tailored for each smartphone-sized gadgets and bigger codecs.
Earlier than you get too excited, it is essential to notice that LG hasn’t made any official bulletins about reviving its smartphone efforts. Cellphone producers file patents on a regular basis, primarily to guard their mental property. So the probabilities are extraordinarily slim right here.
Nonetheless, it is onerous to not really feel a pang of pleasure on the considered LG’s return to the smartphone recreation. In any case, it’s the similar firm that’s behind extravagant gems like the twin display screen. LG Wingthe curved LG G Flex 2and the removable secondary display screen on the LG V60 ThinQ.
A rollable cellphone with an extendable display screen would match proper in with LG’s penchant for distinctive and futuristic designs. And who is aware of, possibly this proprietary know-how might make its strategy to a third-party gadget if LG decides to license it.
