Samsung Galaxy S4 and Note 3 could have flexible displays

Samsung is in a position to launch smartphones with flexible displays next year, such as the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.

The fight is on between tech vendors to produce the first bendy phone. LG, Philips, Sharp, Sony and Nokia are battling, but it's Samsung which is tipped to get there first, according to the BBC. A flexible screen could well be the headline feature of the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 3.
Samsung's screen will be: "foldable, rollable, wearable and more, [and] will allow for a high degree of durability through their use of a plastic substrate that is thinner, lighter and more flexible than conventional LCD technology", according to a Samsung spokesperson.

The firm believes that the technology will be "very popular among consumers worldwide".

The Galaxy S4 will be Samsung's flagship smartphone next year and is rumoured to feature a 5in full HD display, quad-core Cortex-A15 processor and a 13Mp camera.

Flexible screens have actually been around for a while in devices such as eReaders like Amazon's Kindle. Although the display is bendable, it's another thing making the entire device supple - with cost the main reason why it hasn't happened yet.

Samsung favours OLED (organic light emitting diode) technology but another contender is called graphene. This alternative is a sheet of carbon which is one atom thick yet stronger than diamond. Researchers believe it may replace silicon.

If they do arrive in 2013, flexible phones will be thinner, lighter and droppable without fear of damage.