LG Display, Lenovo Reportedly Working On 13-Inch Foldable Tablet

A new report claims that LG Display has partnered with Lenovo to create a 13-inch tablet that is able to fold in half. LG Display will supply the foldable OLED panel, while Lenovo will be responsible for designing and manufacturing the tablet.

An industry insider claims that LG Display has already signed a non-disclosure agreement with Lenovo and that the project has already begun, according to the South Korean website ETNews. LG Display will reportedly start supplying Lenovo with the foldable OLED panels sometime during the second half of 2019.

Not much is known about the upcoming device, but it’s been said that it will have a 13-inch OLED display that is capable of folding in half. When it’s folded in half, the device will have a size of just around eight or nine inches. The display size is rather large even when folded in half, so it’s already considered a tablet rather than a phone. The development of this new device is a bit of a surprise considering that this is the very first time that a foldable tablet is in the works.

For those who are already following the news, Samsung and Huawei are both preparing to launch their own foldable smartphones. If previous rumors are to be believed, the foldable smartphones from Samsung and Huawei will be able to function as a small tablet when unfolded and will look like a typical smartphone when folded. Unlike LG and Lenovo’s tablet, Samsung and Huawei’s foldable devices will have displays that are around 7 or 8 inches in size when unfolded, as pointed out by Android Authority.

So, why is LG more interested in a foldable tablet than a foldable smartphone? The company allegedly sees more opportunities in the foldable tablet market, according to GSM Arena. A folding tablet makes the device easier to carry around. Meanwhile, a folding smartphone may be less useful when it’s in its folded position. Another advantage of using a tablet form factor is that it will most likely have a lower frequency of folding compared to a smartphone. This will make it easier for LG to supply durable and flexible OLED panels for Lenovo.

LG Display is also said to be interested in selling its foldable 13-inch OLED panels to other manufacturers like Dell. It’s also possible that LG Electronics may find a way to incorporate the technology into new products.