Forget foldable displays, incredibly stretchable displays are the next big trend
LG Display has long been a pioneer in flexible and transparent displays and is now exploring new territory with what the company calls a groundbreaking development: stretchable displays.
Yep, you heard that right. According to LG Display, “Stretchable displays…can be stretched, folded and rotated freely.”
The folding and even twisting is not that special. I have been in many LG Display private meeting rooms at CES and other events where they have demonstrated all sorts of screen rolls, bends, twists and bends. Stretching, however, is something else.
LG Display’s first Stretchable Display prototype will make its debut at the 2025 S/S Seoul Fashion Week (Sept. 5-7), where runway models will demonstrate how the display can be stretched from 12 to 14 inches. It’s something I’ve never seen before.
What you could do with stretchable displays, well, that’s why LG is showing it off at a fashion show. Imagine it on a dress that has to conform to your curves or a bag that can handle being stuffed to the point of bulging. LG has some photos and a very short video of the LG Stretchable Display in use in a few fashion scenarios, but I can’t wait to see, touch and stretch these displays for myself.
“Stretchable displays will have a major impact on the fashion industry as they enable the implementation of designs that were previously only thought possible,” said Korean fashion designer Chung-Chung Lee in an LG press release.
But how?
LG Display explained to me that these stretchable displays are high-resolution, active matrix micro LED screens. The maximum stretch is about 20%, and the secret to that stretchability is LG Display’s use of a silicone material, which is most commonly used in contact lenses. It gives them, they claim, an almost rubber-like stretchability. These stretchable displays should also last a while, with a promised ability to withstand over 10,000 shape changes. So push, pull, and wrinkle your display dress until you wear it out; the stretchable display can apparently handle it.
LG Display told me its Micro LED display is durable and “has a resolution that rivals standard monitors.” That may be true, but the full RGB displays only support 100 ppi. That’s less than a quarter of the resolution you’d get on your standard best iPhone. We still don’t know anything about screen size limitations or where the power source for these displays will reside. Are you going to wear a battery-powered dress?
While LG Display is currently positioning Stretchable Displays for commercial use, the technology allows screens to stick not only to fabric, but also to human skin. If LG Display can solve the power supply situation, we could stick these thin, light, and replaceable screens to our arms and then stretch them slightly to create illustrative and ever-changing tattoo sleeves.
As LG notes in its press release, “…they could revolutionize daily life by enabling an era of IT devices that can be worn comfortably like clothing or attached to the body.”
LG isn’t the only one looking into stretchable displays, by the way. Earlier this year, we stumbled upon an Apple patent that outlined stretchable displays for things like the Apple Watch and MacBooks. Of course, that’s just a patent that may never see the light of day. LG Display’s stretchable displays are already adorning shirts and bags.