ITRI's folding TFT-EPD display: ready for smartphones next year

While everyone wants their gadgets, particularly smartphones, to become smaller and smaller we paradoxically want the screens to get bigger and bigger. That's why so much R&D money is spent on wearable, folding, projecting, swiveling, and rollable displays: there's a gold mine to be had by the first to offer a solution with mass-market appeal. Here's Taiwan's great economic hope developed by its Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) with some help from industrial design house, PilotFish. The TFT-EPD (Thin Film Transistor Electrophoretic Display) panel combines a folding-top display with a bottom-sliding secondary (separated by a 1-cm flexible strip) to double the total panel size to 5-inches -- other screen sizes are also in the works. What looks like a break through the center of the combined display above is actually a software taskbar. While these are obvious mock-ups, prototype displays do exist with plans to take the technology -- which will included touchscreen capabilities -- into production sometime next year. Imagine this applied to an N97 followup and you might appreciate our enthusiasm.

Gallery: ITRI's folding TFT-EPD display: ready for smartphones next year

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[Via Computerwoche]

[Nate @ Dec 5th 2008 5:00AM]

I will pawn my anything I own, especially my soul for this. I guess everything, excluding my 28 inch monitor.

[onepinksheep @ Dec 5th 2008 5:12AM]

I will pawn anything Nate owns, especially his soul for this. I'll even include his 28 inch monitor.

[Techie @ Dec 5th 2008 7:33AM]

Fold it one more time and then it will become a portable chair.

[superhobo @ Dec 6th 2008 3:03AM]

Want want want want want

Until holographic displays are small enough

[Nicky-Larson @ Dec 5th 2008 5:03AM]

That's Good Looking. But the price might be Hectic one when it makes it to the market

[Kris @ Dec 5th 2008 7:23AM]

Nope. Refreshingly cheap ;)

[konshuss @ Dec 5th 2008 10:21AM]

might be pricey if it's running Vista like in the phony screens... doesn't hurt that the fake resolution looks to be well over 1920... though on 320x240 i'm sure it will still look sweet.

[BlurMagic @ Dec 5th 2008 1:05PM]

BLAM! Give that bitch some Android lovin and I will be on that ish all day!

[Hellios @ Dec 5th 2008 5:04AM]

Smartphones hmm.. My first thought was DS2, but then again, this would cost way too much for a $130 handheld.

[Poom @ Dec 5th 2008 5:07AM]

What about those thin OLED transparent sheets we've been seeing for so long now?? I sure hope it becomes mass-marketted soon. =O

[ahdok @ Dec 5th 2008 5:20AM]

Pilotfish seem to have some very nice renders there. The black and orange thing they've got going on is awesome.

[Hackettman @ Dec 5th 2008 10:28AM]

AGREED!

[Troels C @ Dec 5th 2008 5:26AM]

Prototypes of flexible monitor sheets have been around for 8 years. It's about time that we see some on the market...

[Blastar @ Dec 5th 2008 5:27AM]

I am really waiting quite some time now to see a Ultra Mobile Touch Screen PC.
I am dreaming over a year now having a Multy Touch Screen EeePC that would have just a screen and nothing more except the USB ports, plugs, card readers etc.. with a complete visual touch environment, meaning no extra keyboards, pads, mouses etc.

I can see that been a very nasty competitor for the Today's Smart Phones, Notebooks, Tablet PC's (The OH Mighty Super -for no reason- expensive ones) and generally to all mobile devices including GPS and other mobile multimedia devices since it could do everything !.
The super cool simple designed environment, the OS as well the very good battery duration are a very good and strong combination.

I think that's the first step of the new era for the new UMPC's.

[RemDX @ Dec 5th 2008 6:36AM]

They should use this technology in internet tablets as well. Have a folding display on a future nokia internet thingy.

[Greg @ Dec 5th 2008 7:04AM]

Sheesh, isn't about time we had images beamed directly into our brains? Now *that* would be an Engadget post worth reading.

[Kris @ Dec 5th 2008 7:35AM]

Maybe lower the bar a tad. You might find yourself slightly less disappointed...

[Hackettman @ Dec 5th 2008 10:37AM]

Problem with that I think is design. And minds like mine who would never be able to control that without checking engadget and woot.com every five seconds.....

[iHoppipolla @ Dec 5th 2008 8:09AM]

The third one in the gallery with the screen folded up made me weak in the knees...

[Chromana @ Dec 5th 2008 1:34PM]

Isn't that the Firefox logo in the middle bottom of the screen? Sweet!

[Félix @ Dec 5th 2008 9:12AM]

Totally HOT !
Kind of reminds me of this Nokia advertising about nanotechnology... only this is real.

[Rob @ Dec 5th 2008 9:41AM]

Can you make it into a Crane? I didn't think so. And I'm sorry I'm being the skeptic here, but I really don't think we'll see anything even remotely good looking as those mockups.

[thedesolate1 @ Dec 5th 2008 10:37AM]

Yay Ubuntu Mobile. Those guys know whats up. But I wouldn't hold my breath for this technology to be released next year. I suspect maybe in 2010. You guys remember those chargers we were getting all excited about?

[Hackettman @ Dec 5th 2008 10:38AM]

I have to say I really like the rendered OS........ Like if it were a hot piece of TnA I might get a restraining order put upon me......

[Foxbat @ Dec 5th 2008 10:44AM]

I'm waiting for the roll-up display Smartphone like the ones in "Earth: Final Conflict". (see Post # 6 here: http://www.neowin.net/news/main/08/11/29/flexible-smartphone-screens#comment689912)

A Roll should be easier to deal with than a Fold and less stress on the material due to the larger bend radius.

[VitaminCM @ Dec 5th 2008 5:35PM]

No more Folding screens!
I'm tired of reading all of these articles about the folding portable screen that's "right around the corner". I've been hearing "Next year, next year, next year" since about 2001.
They're NEVER coming!
Do me a favor - don't write another "Folding Screen" article until the title is "I just bought a folding screen at Walmart". Then you can tell me how awesome it works in your flying car.

[R-R @ Dec 5th 2008 11:27AM]

unless it runs Maemo, I'm not interested...

[Aice @ Dec 5th 2008 11:47AM]

i would totally get this but it would have to be alot thinner. great concept though.

[XChrisX @ Dec 5th 2008 2:28PM]

Totally hot, would!

[keithwwalker @ Dec 5th 2008 2:08PM]

I want a foldable screen that turns into a trucker hat. It will be a hit at the ironic singles bar

[Justin @ Dec 5th 2008 3:39PM]

This is SO fucking awesome!

[jl123 @ Dec 8th 2008 10:22PM]

God forbid anyone design a usable keyboard.

[jl123 @ Dec 5th 2008 4:15PM]

GOD forbid anyone ever design a usable keyboard.

[bandigolo @ Dec 5th 2008 4:31PM]

GOD forbid anyone ever EVER design a usable keyboard.

[Vincent @ Dec 5th 2008 5:52PM]

this has iPhone writen all over it

[djupp @ Dec 6th 2008 3:40PM]

Just like your mother...