LG might be pushing flexible OLEDs with the rollable Signature TV R, but a recent patent filing suggests the Korean company plans another take on the technology in the shape of a foldable OLED TV.
First spotted by Dutch news site LetsGoDigital, the patent describes an ultrawide display able to fold up into a compact space when not in use. As such it is similar in concep to the aforementioned Signature TV R (which rolls up when not in use), only using the foldable technology previously seen in smartphones such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X.
As the patent puts it, "this design is for a TV receiver with flexible display which can be folded at regular intervals. The square frames on both sides serve as stands, as well as sound bars." The display has no less than 6 foldable segments, allowing it to compress much like an accordion. Both ends of the display have a rigid frame complete with built-in speakers and, one can guess, space for housing components.
Intriguingly, the filing was not made by LG Display, the display-making wing of the conglomerate formerly known as Lucky Goldstar. Instead the paperwork was done by LG Electronics, the entity turning the R&D efforts of the likes of LG Display into consumer electronics. This is a possible suggestion the foldable display is closer to being a piece of actual hardware, or at least LG is preparing something of the sort.
Of course, foldable displays carry a number of concerns, as seen with the initial launch of the Galaxy Fold. One also has to keep in mind LG is still to release the Signature TV R, with rumours suggesting it is now set for a late 2019 launch in Korea before eventual global availability some time in 2020.