Samsung Display unveils touch-enabled OLED laptop PC screen

A South Korean company has developed an OLED laptop PC display with a touch function like a smartphone screen without needing a separate film attachment, with notebook PCs using this breakthrough set for release next month.

Samsung Display on Tuesday said it developed the world's first "large-size touch-integrated OLED" and will start full-scale production this month. This screen does not require a touch screen panel, or a separate film that recognizes touch, attached to the display surface.

"The new product uses no plastic touch film or adhesive," a company source said. "The simplified panel structure reduces thickness and weight and is eco-friendly."

Touch film accounts for 6%-11% of a display's thickness and thinning the latter improves the design scalability and portability of a laptop PC. Displays using this technology will be installed in select models of Samsung Electronics' next-generation Galaxy Book notebook PC series set for release next month.

In 2010, Samsung Display developed the world's first touch-integrated OLED technology. The use of technology applied to smartphones has been applied to OLED screens on laptop PCs. Implementing touch technology for a larger display is highly difficult because the number of touch sensors required rises with growth in the display area.

In 2010, Samsung Display developed the world's first touch-integrated OLED technology. The use of technology applied to smartphones has been applied to OLED screens on laptop PCs. Implementing touch technology for a larger display is highly difficult because the number of touch sensors required rises with growth in the display area.

"We achieved a natural and soft touch even in a large area thanks to our development of new materials and process technology,," said Lee Ho-jung, head of the Product Planning Team at Samsung Display's Small and Medium-sized Display Division.

Display pundits forecast that this product will quickly penetrate the market.

"Consumers nowadays want an ultra-high-definition display with the same convenient operation as a smartphone to realistically enjoy movies and games," an industry source said. "Touch-integrated OLED screen notebook PCs will become a mainstream item on the high-end product market."

This breakthrough is just one of several that Samsung Display has recently rolled out. Early this month at CES 2023, the world’s largest IT and home appliance exhibition, the company unveiled Flex Hybrid, an OLED mobile screen display that can simultaneously fold and slide.

Write to Ji-Eun Jeong at jeong@hankyung.com