FlexEnable showcases first wrist-worn, conformable OLCD for wearable applications at Mobile World Congress

Barcelona (Spain), February 2016 – FlexEnable, the leader in the development and industrialisation of flexible organic electronics, is showcasing a full colour, conformable organic LCD (OLCD) at Mobile World Congress 2016.  Curved into a smartwatch form factor, the 0.3mm thick display component demonstrates how mainstream wearables can be brought to life with displays and sensors using flexible electronics.

FlexEnable’s OLCD featured in this smartwatch prototype shows the unique benefits that flexible technology brings to wearables: the use of flexible displays means that wearable products are no longer constrained by rigid design dimensions, but can conform to the wearer and not the other way around. Being extremely light and thin, flexible displays save space that can be used to improve product form factors and include additional components or battery capacity.

In addition to standard smartwatch interface, the OLCD can also run vivid colour and smooth video content – a feature that brings vastly more utility because of the large area. This product concept demonstrates that body conformal displays offer the potential to significantly increase the viewing area of wearable devices without compromising user comfort and aesthetics.

The 4.7” OLCD is driven by FlexEnable’s groundbreaking flexible transistor technology, which has been used to develop glass-free, flexible and unbreakable displays, and is particularly applicable in the mobile, wearable and automotive industries.

Chuck Milligan, CEO of FlexEnable, said: “The market for wearable devices, and the applications enabled by these devices, is growing fast.  However, form-factor constraints and rigidness of components, particularly the display, present challenges for wearables that limit design options and utility.

“Flexible displays are driving a paradigm shift enabling greater levels of innovation in wearable applications. The ability to bend and form ultra-thin, unbreakable displays and sensors to any and every surface gives our partners the freedom to design game-changing products which have been impossible until today.”

FlexEnable will be showcasing the OLCD smartwatch prototype at booth L30 in Hall 8.0 at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain between 22-25 February 2016.