May 2013 saw the delivery for public consumption, the first curved OLED by Korean manufacturer LG Electronics, who are Samsung’s main rival company. Screens are made thinner and more flexible through the use of organic light emitting diodes. Both companies exhibited their prototypes at a consumer electrics show earlier in the year but LG Electronics has beaten its rival to be the first to offer the screens to the public.
Unlike traditional LCD screens, OLED does not need a separate backlight and its technology comes from carbon-based materials that convert electricity to light. The ability to manufacture the screens into a curve comes from the fact that the plastic used is a flexible plastic substrate, rather than rigid glass. The curved screen was five years in development.
Experts in the television industry foresee Samsung revealing their version any day soon, although high prices will mean low output for the immediate future atleast. Interesting, the curve screen is regarded more as a promotional tool to introduce OLED technology to the world, as the viewing experience in not much improved on flat screen TV of today.
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