Samsung Display announced on the 22nd that its new foldable panel passed the 500,000-fold folding test conducted by the global certification agency Bureau Veritas.
The folding test is a durability test that involves repeatedly folding and unfolding the screen, and Samsung Display explained that it raised the test standard from the previous 200,000 times to 500,000 times, which is 2.5 times more.
A representative from Bureau Veritas noted, "This test was conducted under normal temperature conditions of 25 degrees Celsius for 13 days, and the panel continued to operate normally even after 500,000 repeated folds."
A user who folds and unfolds the device about 100 times daily can use it for more than 10 years, while heavy users who do so more than 200 times daily can also use it for over 6 years.
Samsung Display explained that the results indicate that the durability of the foldable panel no longer poses a problem for the lifespan of foldable smartphones.
Recently, Samsung Display applied a reinforced structure developed using the principles of bulletproof glass to foldable OLEDs, enhancing the durability of the panel.
General bulletproof glass has a multilayer structure made of tempered glass and several layers of special plastic film, which absorbs the force of bullets upon impact, preventing penetration.
Samsung Display built upon this principle by increasing the thickness of the ultra-thin glass (UTG) protecting the panel by 50% compared to previous versions and replaced the special adhesive used to bond each layer inside the panel with a high-elasticity material that has improved recovery capacity by more than four times, thus enhancing the panel's shock absorption rate.
Additionally, the design was modified to introduce a flattening structure in the panel to effectively disperse impacts from external sources, while titanium was applied to the plate, which supports the foldable panel.
The titanium plate is the second among Samsung Electronics' Galaxy series, following the 'Galaxy Z Fold SE.'
Titanium is difficult to process but is thinner and stronger compared to other materials, allowing the panel to be made thinner while enhancing its protective capabilities.
Lee Ho-jung, head of the product planning team in the small and medium-sized business division at Samsung Display (vice president), stated, "The foldable OLED, entering its seventh year of commercialization, has achieved significant advancements in durability and design starting this year. This new product will instill confidence in consumers regarding the durability of foldable panels and serve as a reaffirmation of our foldable technology, which is distinctly different from our competitors."