What They Say
In its Innovation 2022 event, Intel showed a prototype slidable/rollable OLED-based PC which opens out from a 13″ diagonal to 17″. Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger introduced JS Choi of Samsung Display Corp at the event and he and Gelsinger (and a developer) showed the way the display could be extended.
You can see this part of the one hour video here.
The firm also showed ‘Unison’ technology that allows the integration of display content from iOS and Android displays on Windows PCs, but also allows devices such as the slidable to be used as wireless external displays. The technology is said to be ‘coming soon’ on Intel Evo notebook PCs.
What We Think
When I watched the video, Choi was very careful to be controlled and measured in opening the display while Gelsinger, after an initial move, moved it very quickly. At that point, there was a vertical white area on the display. I captured the moment (below) but in retrospect, it’s not clear to me if this is some kind of artefact of the display or just an unlucky reflection from the stage lighting.
Still, I like the idea of a slidable much more than the foldable products that have been developed by Lenovo and others. On the other hand, DSCC has pointed out the downsides of the approach – with extra weight, complexity and moving parts if the roll out is motorised. The Intel demo showed the downside of a non-motorised approach – the way the display is extended will vary a lot according to the individual. In both approaches, you have the potential scratching problem where the display rolls into the frame. There are other challenges too, in the tightness of the radius that you have to roll to.
Still, at Display Week, SDC had a number of different slidable demonstrations so there is clearly substantial interest in the form factor. (BR)
