Getting by a day with the absence of one's mobile phone would seem impossible for the majority. We just have to bring our phones everywhere. The innovations of these devices appear exceedingly rapid because of the demand for better ones, hence the advent of smartphones. During the transition of black-and-white feature phones to waterproof with voice recognizing personal assistant ones, a myriad of features were developed in between.
And the evolution would definitely not stop there. This year there’s much anticipation for the arrival of the greatest breakthrough yet in devices since the touchscreen— the Flexible phones.
A number of companies have been expressing their interest for this much-coveted technology for quite some time. Nokia is believed to be the forerunner in giving a substantial concept. In 2005 the company introduced the idea of a Nokia 888 model. “It can change its form depending on the function. ‘Form follows you’,” says Tamer Nakisci, the product designer.
E-motions is a feature of the Nokia 888 which allows the users to send and receive customized forms. How about sending love by letting ones girlfriend witness their phones turn into a heart icon?
It was also 2005 when Sony and Riken (formerly the Institute of Physical and Chemical Research) formed a research team that was able to introduce a display panel which can be rolled up like a paper due to extreme thinness and flexibility. Unlike previously invented e-papers, Sony and Riken’s display is applicable to mobile phones because of its high resolution. Come 2010, Sony unveiled the TFT-driven OLED device to the public.
Samsung followed suit and exhibited their shatterproof flexible screen in 2010. In their video, the display panel was bashed a few times with a hammer but seemed unscathed. Fragility has always been the Achilles Heel of every phone, a factor Samsung certainly considered.
In 2011, Nokia was able to provide an actual demo phone—The Nokia Kinetic Device. Unlike their earlier prototype, Nokia 888, the Kinetic Device does not entirely change its form but is, nevertheless, flexible. The screen may be controlled by the way the sides of the phone is twisted or flexed.
Beside the Kinetic Device and 888, Nokia had conceptualized two other flexible mobile phones: The HumanForm and Morph.
But these two other models are still far from becoming a consumer reality. These devices need much more than a flexible display to be fabricated. The technology of component parts such as the battery, screen cover material and circuits need to keep pace with the before mentioned display advancements. Nevertheless, Nokia seems one step ahead on this with the ability of the Kinetic Device to actually flex a greater part of the phoneWhat the consumers can only expect now are devices that have flexible displays but not entirely flexible phones. Samsung announced earlier this year of the Galaxy Round coming to the market. Galaxy Round is a Note 3 look-a-like only with its sides slightly contoured, hence the model name.
2013 is also the year for the release of LG’s G Flex. Much edge does this phone offer than its predecessor, the Galaxy Round, when it comes to flexibility. The G Flex that exhibits a naturally arched body can be bent flat. Yet, the limitations of the phone were clearly stated by LG, “The flexibility of this product is limited. This phone may be bent flat up to 180 degrees for a limited period of time only. Do not bend inward or twist.”
Should the flexibility of cellular devices be perfected, foldable phones and tables will never be far from materializing. One day they will just be as ubiquitous as the iPads and Galaxy Tabs.
Not everyone’s buying the idea of these flexible phones. Some are apprehensive of the susceptibility of such devices to wear and tear, which is understandable. Others, on the other hand, fail to see the ergonomics of the flexibility feature and consider it as sheer novelty. They are also blind to the greater picture, the significant potential of this technology to other applications.
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