Samsung research could put graphene into your future thin, light, even bendy phone

By Rich Edmonds
published

Have you ever looked at your Samsung smartphone and thought "this could be more bendy!"? Well, this could become reality now the manufacturer has mastered the material graphene in the production process. Partnering up with Sungkyunkwan University, Samsung will reportedly be able to make thinner, lighter and more durable hardware.

If you’re not familiar with the material, graphene has high heat conduction and is more durable than steel, properties that are perfect for wearables and mobile devices. The only issue with the material was previous manufacturing methods reduced the electric benefits, which led the company to really dig deep and attempt to commercialize graphene.

"This is one of the most significant breakthroughs in graphene research in history," said the laboratory leaders at SAIT’s Lab. "We expect this discovery to accelerate the commercialization of graphene, which could unlock the next era of consumer electronic technology."

It sounds like a neat idea and we’ll surely look out for more graphene news.

Source: Samsung, via: Engadget

Rich Edmonds
Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

67 Comments
  • Finally something innovative from samsung..
  • Indeed
  • Bendy phones? That's stupid. It shouldn't even called a phone then.
  • Right. Now apply your logic to phones just before cell phones were introduced. "Mobile phones? That's stupid. It shouldn't even be called a phone then."
  • I thought "bendy phone" was a feature in their current Galaxy line of phones!! :p
  • I think samsung is way better than nokia in mid range phones
  • Are you serious? How can a laggy mid-range phone be better than a mid-range phone with an high-end user experience?
    However this is off-topic.
  • I think the quality of Samsung's high-end phones compared to Nokia offerings could be debated, but Nokia dominates when it comes to mid-range phones.
  • +720
  • I wish they would show it and come out with something mind blowing
  • While this innovative, it sounds incredibly stupid to me. I wouldn't want to own a phone that is flexible or bends.
  • Obviously this would be for their flexible screens
  • It could bend around your wrist, or fit better in your pocket and not have issues that can crop up when bending down or getting into a low car (a mate broke his screen that way). To say it's stupid is, well, stupid.
  • But will it blend?
  • That is the question!
  • Ha. Perfect!
  • Now we just have to wait until Nokia releases a new flagship using it
  • Nokia already doing that research since long ago... In cooperation with many other companies (well, it's a big thing for something so beneficial) you can find their videos about it in the YouTube
  • Samsung just started and it might have a bendy phone by the end of the year. Nokia has been fooling around with it for a long time and nothing yet, unless the smart watch has it.
  • I really want this. Bendable displays could work wonderfully for smart watches.
  • If i remember right, nokia patented a bendy battery a few weeks ago, great for smartwatches !
  • I was wondering the same thing.
  • In fairness Nokia got together with a few EU based compaines with 3 billion in funding from the EU to do research and develope patents that samsung are probably now using. stuff like mass production methods, costs and uses not just for smartphone use but base level tech and up... its also why the EU is throwing money at 5G tech, they want EU compaies to hold the patents rather than US or Asian companies... I dont know what happens to that research now the hardware division is now MS
  • The research division is staying at Nokia I believe. Presumably graphene was being researched by that arm of the company.
  • actually nokia said long time ago that they arent interested in making shells with it but finding use in making chips.they are going big time with it.sure they will make durable shells down the road but for now it is not priority
  • FYI http://www.cnet.com/news/nokia-begins-work-on-graphene-worlds-strongest-material/   Somewhere someone screwed it up for Nokia not sure who any guess.... http://www.cnet.com/news/nokia-demos-bendable-cell-phone/ http://www.geek.com/mobile/nokia-gives-a-sneak-preview-of-bendable-phones-1434183/    
  • Why no one is innovating batteries on teh smartphonz?
  • Exactly. Every upgrade makes phones more and more battery hungry, however batteries haven't had any major innovations in over 10-20 years. We are currently heavily limited by stagnating battery tech, it's about time there was something new.
  • If I'm not mistaken, there are researchers working on graphene itself to store electricity. And I'm sure they're gonna need new innovative battery which is flexible so it can blend in well with graphene based phone.
  • Nokia patented bendable batteries a while ago..
  • people have been saying this for years... but truth is they have gotten better just not the way you think. Li batteries used to be sold with kevlar bag to charge in because they might explode... like all the time... but anyway, i'm sure that it would of been done by now if it were easy, the amount of money spent on research around the world and all the top collages i'm sure there are at least a few thousand people the world over working on it right now
  • I agree, battery tech has been stale for too long. Li-Ion was great but we need something better.
  • Nokia is already working with Graphene. http://conversations.nokia.com/2013/02/07/hero-material-10-fascinating-f...
  • Just posted about that myself.. :)
  • Nokia have been working on this for over a year. Its not new.
  • Just about damn time for graphene to be used for smartphone and other technologies
  • Thats the youm flexi I guess.
  • Wasn't Nokia awarded around 2 billion dollars sometime last year by the European Union to further research and advance the material?
  • Yep.
  • I think lots of people doing that and MAYBE, Samsung is also part of it... Only TALK about it in advance from others. (though Nokia Is faster)
  • Nokia got Billions from the EU for the research in Graphene
  • my 920 is,updating..anyone elses phone being updated ..i have preview for developers on
    update 8.0.10521.155..
  • Pls confirm whats that!
  • Its a bug fix for GDR3
  • Thnx
  • oh ok thnx bro .. to get 8.1 i hav to update to dat right? also if i do ..does it go over black or not
  • It's just a bug fix, won't affect firmware updates like black
  • The phone has been updating since 1 hour I have soft reset twice...it just gets stuck at a point..the meter that is..the clogs continue to rotate..what I do soft resetting isn't working ..I just did it for the 3rd time..I am gona let it run for another hour but you got any suggestions? Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • Just think, put it in your back pocket and it conforms to your butt.
  • thats actually really neat when you think about it lol, like it can conform to our bodies, no more uncomfortable pocket bumps, it will be seamless, THIS IS THE FUTURE!!! +8X
  • It can replace Gorilla Glass right?
  • Imagine what Samsung could do to put Windows Phone on the map, if they put this into a WP device and held off on the Android for a couple months... And now that WP is free, there's some incentive to do so.... Not saying they will, just saying to imagine the possibility.
  • I believe that graphene was originally a British invention, so yay us! Let's hope we have all the right patents filed...
  • Possibly, but...
    http://www.nanowerk.com/news2/newsid=26851.php
  • A while ago there was talk about a consortium including Nokia working to incorporate graphene into the manufacturing process. It came along with a discussion about how the material could be used to create a new photo-layer only one molecule thick, and thus significantly miniaturise (yes, I'm British) the PureView lens array. It implied the possibility of a 1020 without a hump.
  • Speaking of Samsung, the ATIV SE is now available for pre-order at Verizon and even has a buy one get one free deal... it also supports microSD.
    The device ships April 12th.
  • Ok, so this will result in a bendy Samsung phone - I don't know why that doesn't sound very exciting to me. I wish they would find more innovative use for graphene that would involve more than just a bendy phone.
  • If samsungs phone bend anywore they'll break lol. My other phone (a dumb phone) has already reached fatigue
  • Nokia did something like this I'm sure long time ago, see link below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYrhinsaMZ8
  • Samsung makes cheap junk and always has!
  • This technology will make for far more attractive car interiors that have curved surfaces.
  • just imagine a display in a car with no buttons and seamless, right into the car, that would be so amazing
  • https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X-GXO_urMow this is my dream since I saw it 1 year ago, but nothing happens for customers, hope graphene is faster available for customers..
  • This is about the 7th time in the last 4 years that I hear someone say: "We've revolutionized graphene production. We will soon see graphene in consumer products". While the material has some amazing properties, and I would love to see it happening, I won't expect it.
  • Actually, Samsung's Windows Phone is not my first choice or even second.
  • I thought "bendy phone" was a feature in their current Galaxy line of phones!!
  • That's funny, no one said it was stupid when Nokia showed patents for bendable batteries.