14 DAY TRIAL // There has been some talk of bendable tablets in the past few months. Granted, we certainly have some way to go before we see such products on retail shelves, but the idea is out there and gaining more and more traction. And a new breakthrough could make rollable tablets a reality sooner than you think.
Before MWC 2014, we told you Samsung might have already developed a tablet boasting bendable capabilities. More than that, there’s a possibility Sammy showed the prototype at an event behind closed doors in Barcelona to a select few. But that information wasn't confirmed, so it might as well be pure fiction.
Anyway, in early February, we showed you an innovative render depicting the so-called Samsung Galaxy Note Book, a device capable of switching between tablet and smartphone model. This feat was achieved by neatly folding the 7.9-inch AMOLED tablet into a 5.5-inch 2K display smartphone.
But recent research conducted by the University of Surrey in partnership with Philips has developed a source-gated transistor (or SGT) which is said to be capable of facilitating the production of thin and flexible mobile devices (via DailyMail).
SGT is not exactly a new discovery, but the new study shows scientists behind the project have finally found a way to implement the technology into mobile devices, such as tablets.
The technology involves thin plastic sheets of electronic circuits, reminiscent of sheets of paper, but the problem was it could only be reproduced in small quantities. These boundaries have been transcended now, as the group of scientists has discovered a way of making it possible for mobile devices to adopt the new standard, without increasing the complexity or cost of the design.
We can see the relevance of the application, especially in tablets, because there are a lot of models that sport large displays, leaving customers unable to tuck them into their pockets or small hand bags. Imagine having a 10.1-inch tablet you could just roll up and put in your shoulder bag and it wouldn't weigh more than a smartphone.
But what would that mean for performance? Will bringing about an innovative design like this take its toll on overall performance? Probably. On top of that, future manufacturers will have to consider the risk factors for such rollable devices and to come up with ways to prevent accidental damage.
Keeping costs low will certainly help with the adoption of the new standard in tablets and smartphones, but let’s face it, when the first device like this appears on market shelves, you’re going to be picking one up just out of curiosity, aren't you?