Sony's flexible OLED mockups

Sony hasn't gotten very far along with these units -- they're really just plastic shells -- but we like we're they're headed with it. They showed off a full-screen laptop (pictured), bendable e-reader, and Walkman bracelet concepts, all based around flexible OLED technology and built with "flexible bioplastics," along with the flexible display that going to power them all when they hit the market... in the year 2000.

Gallery: Sony's flexible OLED mockups

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[brian @ Jan 12th 2009 11:43AM]

""the flexible display that going to power them all when they hit the market... in the year 2000.""""




what the hell engadget?? you guys know how to read dates????

[Jarrod @ Jan 12th 2009 11:46AM]

Is this a Conan O'Brian joke?

[Boarderwoot @ Jan 12th 2009 11:48AM]

Since these are just mockups and they have no proof this concept is going to work, Engadget has chosen to put the product comming out in the year 2000 which is the widely known year in when everything we know was supposed to change, along with everyone getting flying cars and jet packs.

[-Tj- @ Jan 12th 2009 11:53AM]

I think that was supposed to be read "In the yeeeeeeeeear two thousaaaaaaaaaaaand!"

[ethana2 @ Jan 12th 2009 12:10PM]

Not much has changed but they live under waAAHAHAGETOUTOFMYHEAD!!1¡¹

[Josh @ Jan 12th 2009 12:18PM]

in the year 2000...a strange virus will kill every man in the world except conan o'brien, and every woman in the world except jennifer lopez, the marriage will last 32 days

[Ethan @ Jan 12th 2009 12:24PM]

It'll be strange, because we'll all be fully grown.

[absinthe party @ Jan 12th 2009 12:48PM]

Welcooome to the wooorld of tomorroooow!

[Decoy @ Jan 12th 2009 4:11PM]

Binary solo!

[jack @ Jan 12th 2009 10:30PM]

In the future, there will be no more elephants.
And there will be no more unethical treatment of elephants, either.

[John @ Mar 25th 2009 7:21AM]

WTH, Brian! Don't you know how to read humor, sarcasm even? I really shouldn't blast you so I won't, but your low rank I'm sure sends the requisite message. Cheers!

[Evan @ Jan 12th 2009 11:45AM]

So wait, the display isn't even functional in all these concepts?

Oh Sony...

[KIFF @ Jan 12th 2009 11:49AM]

That is why it is called a concept...

[tobz1000 @ Jan 12th 2009 12:27PM]

The main circular panel they're showing off works. The mock-ups are just examples of how it might be used.

[Temple @ Jan 12th 2009 12:33PM]

Evan, what part of 'mock-up' don't you understand?

They already shown it functioning here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcAm3KihFho

[Jarrod @ Jan 12th 2009 11:45AM]

Phenomenal!

[superhobo @ Jan 12th 2009 11:48AM]

Hurry up and release them already.

[Blastar @ Jan 12th 2009 1:48PM]

It's been there from the Year 2000..
but can you imagine a laptop with a touch-screen like that ???
Lower part would be the Keyboard and the higher the Screen and if you like you could make it as one screen.. Super thin foldable Tables.
Wow that would be awesome !!

[superhobo @ Jan 12th 2009 1:52PM]

Wow, did you think of that all by yourself while looking at the picture of the same thing?

[Blastar @ Jan 12th 2009 4:12PM]

Naaa, I just read it from it in the article... mo ha ha ha...

[Skorpius @ Jan 12th 2009 11:51AM]

The only thing that is seemingly unchanging is battery size.

[Magallanes @ Jan 12th 2009 11:53AM]

But, will it blend?

YES!

:-D

[joe23521 @ Jan 12th 2009 12:35PM]

No, but it will bend.

[toxicpiano @ Jan 12th 2009 11:54AM]

They have gone one better than Apple and removed the keyboard.

[ethana2 @ Jan 12th 2009 12:11PM]

Actually, assuming multi-touch and a decent layout (colemak, dvorak, etc), no keyboard is the ultimate keyboard.
I can't wait to not actually have to press keys down to type.. It's so much work sometimes..
Haptic feedback is an interesting challenge though..

[Patriks7 @ Jan 12th 2009 12:43PM]

It sure doesn't beat the MacBook Wheel!

[Jsizzle @ Jan 12th 2009 11:56AM]

Whats up with # 3 of 13 saying "no photos please" and then their are 13 pictures of this thing. Sorry just had to point that out, it was too striking... Cool concept though...

[Tom G @ Jan 12th 2009 1:11PM]

They probably didn't want a million photos of these concept models being posted around the internet because you know how stupid people are they would be flooded with people asking "HOW MUCH FOR DE BENDY LEPTEP?!!"
Also these wild concepts always leave the companies looking bad until they make the concepts a reality.

[Josh L @ Jan 12th 2009 9:58PM]

The screen and the concepts were by far the coolest things at the show... but I about got my head taken off when I tried to take pictures.

[Bryan @ Jan 12th 2009 11:58AM]

Throw a ton of gloss on it and of course it looks "sexy".

Concept cars run- so should concept laptops. Put an atom processor, throw a video through loop and call it a day. Not too difficult Sony!

[Game_playa @ Jan 12th 2009 3:48PM]

Concept? or Mockup? Put on some glasses and learn to read. Not that difficult Bryan!

[Bryan @ Jan 12th 2009 4:01PM]

But it's so darn difficult to read. I'll copy the beggining to the second sentence again so maybe you can read it this time around G.

"They showed off a full-screen laptop (pictured), bendable e-reader, and Walkman bracelet concepts...."

Correction FAIL!

[Wonderkid @ Jan 12th 2009 11:58AM]

"Scotty, what's bioplastic? Can it harm the crew?"
"I dunno Captain, it's new to me too. Better be safe than sorry, when you and Bones beam down, wear protection. And why not take some green stuff too, just in case..."
"Bendy factor 7 Scotty, let's get out of here..."

[Jaimi @ Jan 12th 2009 12:31PM]

"And don't forget to bring Ensign Wilson, he's over there in the red shirt".

[ironman @ Jan 12th 2009 12:00PM]

"we're they're headed" -- I guess if spell check doesn't catch it, it must be right.

[juliangfox @ Jan 12th 2009 12:02PM]

Hats off to you for photographing the "No Photos Please" sign in the background!

[dspalding @ Jan 12th 2009 12:24PM]

I was gonna say the same thing. When I was there, two guards were standing there staring me down because I had my camera in my hand.

[Shinigami @ Jan 12th 2009 12:31PM]

... in the year 3000 :)

[FILA @ Jan 12th 2009 1:42PM]

damn how i miss the year 2000, it was a great year

[Jash Sayani @ Jan 12th 2009 2:40PM]

Wow!! World's first display cum chair !

[DueNorth @ Jan 12th 2009 3:54PM]

It is the distant future,
The year 2000.
we are robots.
The world is quite different ever since the robotic uprising of the late 90's.

[tristank @ Jan 12th 2009 5:41PM]

Who else is bored of flexible oled screens? They still wont fold in on themselves or they will break, cant see any real use.

Every single company has put out a prototype flexible oled, we have seen each one, each one has a small bend applied with a large radius.

Ok we have seen this tech, either introduce it or get over it!

[Plothole @ Jan 12th 2009 11:38PM]

You don't have to fold the screen. Look at the Readius. It uses a flexible display that rolls up. Of course that's eInk, but eventually the same thing should be possible with OLED too.

Of course even if you can't collapse the screen, that doesn't mean flexibility is useless. A screen that can bend, even just a little bit, is going to be a lot more resistant to impacts than ones that are rigid.

[tristank @ Jan 12th 2009 11:56PM]

So you cant fit a large display in your pocket because it cant fold.

It isnt more resistive to knocks if it bends. These oled screens are fragile as. They still need a wiring matrix and have a small amount of give to allow them to bend, all the pics we have seen of the bend are pushing the device to the limit, it wont roll up. The most they are going to be able to do is make a watch with a screen that follows the contour of your wrist. Useless technology unless i can get more screen in my pocket.

[deedeedee @ Jan 13th 2009 1:24AM]

The deal for this technology is not that so you get more screen in your pocket, if you want that the best way is to get 10 panels and collapse them with hinges. This flexable oled tech allows for a continuous panel without needing a gap due to shape change, so you get that laptop concept which eliminate the physical keyboard and give you a smooth screen for the entire surface. Folding in without hinges and multiple panels is way too complex, we haven't found that kind of material.

[Plothole @ Jan 13th 2009 2:27PM]

OLEDs are fragile because they are built on brittle substrates and wires. Replacing the substrate removes one issue. Using organic transistors, like used in the Readius (and the company has even stated that this technology could be adapted to other display technologies), can do help with the other.

[terry @ Jan 13th 2009 9:09AM]

"but we like we're they're headed with it."

*where

[tom sheridan @ Jan 14th 2009 12:00AM]

I play with my navel (belly button)

[Olav @ Jan 14th 2009 3:29AM]

Slap some keys and a regular old screen on that thing at it would still be a pretty redical design :)