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Stretchable Screens Could Be the Next Big Thing for Car Navigation

LG Display is reportedly working with the South Korean government to develop what’s being called a “stretchable” screen and which would eventually be used on a wide variety of devices, including cars and infotainment systems for the automotive industry.
8-inch display in 2020 Nissan Leaf 1 photo
Photo: Nissan
While the concept of a stretchable screen might sound awkward at first, it’s not something entirely new, and several other companies have previously been rumored to be looking into such tech.

LG Display, which is one of the biggest suppliers of automotive displays and working with BMW, Hyundai, and Tesla, plans to build a stretchable screen that could be expanded in any direction by as much as 20 percent.

According to a report from South Korean site The Elec, the display should be launched by 2024.

Needless to say, the smartphone industry would be the one to benefit from the debut of a new type of display, but LG is also targeting the automotive industry, smart TVs, and even wearables.

At this point, foldable displays are the new trend in the mobile business, so stretchable displays would more or less be a natural step forward for all devices.

How stretchable displays would be used inside a car is still not a clear, but it’s believed they could be allowed to expand whenever certain smart features are required. For example, a standard screen can be used for anything like climate controls and music options, but the display can then stretch in a specific direction for additional systems like navigation.

This way, the display itself can eat up less space on the console when certain features aren’t used, albeit it remains to be seen how manufacturers manage to make the expanding process more convenient without requiring any input on the user side.

For the time being, however, it’s very clear that the concept is still in its early days, and there’s no doubt it’ll also attract the attention of other companies too. Samsung Display, which is right now the number one screen manufacturer in the mobile business, is also believed to be looking into stretchable screens as well.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
Bogdan Popa profile photo

Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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