Galaxy Note 3 to have flexible, shatterproof screen?

Rumor: Galaxy Note 3 to have flexible, shatterproof screen

By Andy Boxall April 23, 2013

Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet.

Now the Galaxy S4 has been announced and is almost ready to hit a store near you, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has become the next most anticipated future release from the company. A new rumor could see it become even more desirable, as the original smartphone/tablet hybrid may do away with a glass screen in favor of an unbreakable plastic screen.

This could be one of the first commercial examples of what we currently know as a flexible smartphone display, as until the innards of our phones are as flexible as the plastic screen, it’s primary selling point will be its toughness. According to the report, the Note 3 will use a plastic-covered OLED display, which will be shatterproof, as well as allowing Samsung to make the Note 3 thinner and lighter than before.

The Note 2 measures 9.5mm in thickness, but the Note 3 is said to be less than 8mm thick; however, while the 183 gram weight could be reduced, the source of the rumor doesn’t say by how much. It’s also indicated the Note 3 will have a larger screen than before, and we’ve heard talk of a 5.9-inch screen being considered.

So, exciting stuff, right? Yes, but there may be a few problems. Apparently, Samsung may not be able to make enough of the brand new flexible screens to satisfy demand, and the report says Note 3 devices equipped with the special display will be available in limited quantities, and could be, “Shipped to selected carriers in some regions.” Sound familiar? Yep, it’s a similar situation to the Exynos 5 Octa processor inside the Galaxy S4, which has only found its way into certain models.

There’s also a question mark over whether the screen will be able to handle a Full HD resolution, and we’d be very surprised to see the Note 3 not display 1080p, as not only does the Galaxy S4 manage it, but so do almost all the Note 3’s direct challengers.

Samsung has been teasing us with flexible displays for a while now, but has recently backed away from saying they’ll be out this year, which makes us wary of all this talk of one appearing on the Note 3. LG, on the other hand, has indicated it wants to be first, and there’s a chance the Optimus G2 will come with a flexible display later this year. Finally, the rumor report says we won’t be seeing the Galaxy Note 3 until the IFA show in September, something we expected anyway.

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