John Paul M. Joaquin Tech 01.07.2023 01:Jan AM EST

CES 2023: LG Steals the Show With 360-Degree Foldable OLED

LG's latest concept OLED devices are a definite show-stopper.

The South Korean tech giant revealed two new foldable concept OLED devices at CES 2023: a laptop/tablet and a smartphone-like device that can fold in two directions, contrary to what the latest foldable smartphones can do.

It is unknown if and when LG would use these devices displays to make their own based on them.

The company previously closed its mobile business unit in 2021, much to the public's disappointment, to focus its resources on growth areas and exit the "incredibly competitive" mobile phone sector, per the company's April 5, 2021 statement.

LG 360-Degree Foldable Device Details

LG's foldable OLED devices are just as impressive as it is mindblowing. According to an Engadget report, LG Display revealed a device its calls the "360-degree Foldable OLED," an 8-inch device that looks similar to Samsung's Galaxy Fold.

Unlike the Galaxy Fold, however, and true to its name, LG's device can fold inwards as intended and outwards, allowing a similar device to be used in many different modes.

Tom's Guide also reports that the device's module structure is strong enough to be folded more than 200,000 times, with its folding mechanism minimizing wrinkles along its folding areas.

With app and software developers still figuring out how to best use a regular foldable smartphone's display, it may take some time for them to create apps for a device similar to LG's.

Nevertheless, LG demonstrated the power of its concept device and how to best use it. It showed where the device's calendar and widget are present on the left side of the screen, while the Spotify Music Player is on the right.

The device's middle portion has a quick launcher bar for its user's favorite apps.

LG Foldable OLED Laptop/Tablet Details

LG also wowed audiences with its other device. The company revealed a 17-inch laptop/tablet and an 8-inch smartphone-like device that can fold in both directions.

Let's start with the laptop/tablet. LG Display claims this device is "almost entirely crease-free," unlike the foldable tablets currently on the market. However, a closer inspection showed that the device has a visible seam where it folds. However, this same seam can't be found on the device when fully extended.

Aside from the visible seam, the device didn't have any rippling or gap sometimes present in foldable devices. Interestingly, LG mentioned that the device's foldable display was tested for up to 50,000 folds, making it quite durable.

This foldable laptop/tablet comes with 400 nits of brightness, a resolution of 2560 x 1920, and support for finger and pen input.

This capability means the device can operate like a touchscreen device and register what users are writing or scribbling with its pen companion.

Additionally, the device's display also covers 99.5% of the DCI-P3 color gamut. Interestingly, the device turns into a 12.5-inch device that has a display more than large enough for productivity activities when folded in half.