Samsung Display's new foldable OLED panel passes 500,000-fold durability test

SEOUL, July 22 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Display Co. said Tuesday its latest foldable organic light-emitting diode (OLED) panel has successfully passed a 500,000-fold durability test, demonstrating the company's advances in flexible display technology.

The panel, used in Samsung Electronics Co.'s newly launched Galaxy Z Fold 7 smartphone, remained fully functional after undergoing 500,000 folds over a 13-day period in a temperature of 25 C, according to testing results verified by global certification agency Bureau Veritas.

The result is more than double Samsung Display's previous internal durability standard of 200,000 fold and reflects the company's confidence in the long-term resilience of its foldable OLED technology, the company said.

Samsung Display explained the 500,000-fold benchmark equates to over 10 years of use for average consumers and more than six years for heavy users folding over 200 times daily.

The company attributed the enhanced durability to a newly developed shock-resistant structure inspired by bulletproof glass.

Samsung increased the thickness of its Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) cover by 50 percent and adopted a new high-elastic adhesive, improving impact recovery performance fourfold compared with previous materials.

"This new panel not only builds consumer confidence in foldable OLED durability but also underscores the technological advantage that makes Samsung Display distinguished in the industry," said Lee Ho-jung, head of the mobile display product planning team at Samsung Display.

odissy@yna.co.kr
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