Samsung Display may change panel tech for S Pen in foldable 

Samsung Display change its display panel technology for its foldable panel that will be supplied for Samsung Electronics’ foldable smartphone launching next year to accommodate the S Pen stylus, a South Korean research firm said.

Samsung Display will consider applying active electrostatic solution (AES) to remove the digitizer needed to accommodate a stylus, UBI Research said. It was also considering changing the thickness of ultrathin glass used as cover windows on the panels, the research firm said.

Samsung currently uses electro magnetic resonance (EMR) to support stylus use in its Galaxy Note series. EMR requires a digitizer but increases touch sensitivity and doesn’t require a battery to placed within the stylus.

UBI Research believes Samsung dropped its plans to apply the S Pen onto its Galaxy Z Fold 2 due to durability issues of the ultrahin glass and flexibility of the digitizer.

Unless Samsung’s vendor for EMR develops a solution that can help support stylus, the conglomerate will likely apply AES technology, UBI Research said.

This will lead to the sensors on Y-OCTA to become more dense or the IC design becoming more complicated.

LG Display was also developing foldable technology with BOE using AES technology.

Ultrathin glass will also become thicker to 60 micrometers from the current 30 micrometers to make it endure the pressure from pen points.

The challenge will be to make the thicker glass more flexible, the research firm said.

UBI Research expects ultrathin glass to account for 78% of the cover windows used in foldable smartphones in 2025.