In a bid to differentiate itself from the rivals, Samsung Electronics, one of the world’s largest consumer electronics conglomerates, may start mass production of bendable smartphones next year as one of its subsidiaries is on the final stages of development of flexible AMOLED [active-matrix organic light emitting diode] displays.

Samsung Display, a producer of display panels that belongs to Samsung, is in the last phase of development of flexible displays for mobile devices, which are expected to be released in the first half of next year, a person familiar with the situation revealed to the Wall Street Journal. Bendable displays are virtually unbreakable and naturally provide a lot of opportunities when it comes to creation of innovation shapes of smartphone.

Even though Samsung has already demonstrated flexible displays and mobile phones at Mobile World Congress trade-show, it does not mean that that the actual devices on their base will be as weird as technology showcases. The main advantage which they will like provide will be added crash-worthiness as well as improved usability. While the screens themselves will be able to bend, other electronics components inside smartphones, such as printed-circuit boards or chips, will not be flexible and can be broken.

In any case, such new breed of smartphones will look and feel dramatically differently from devices on the market today, which will grant Samsung ability to completely differentiate its products from competing offerings of other leading makers of mobile electronics, including arch-rival Apple.

Nokia Corp. has also demonstrated flexible mobile phones in 2011, but there is no information when those might reach production. Asustek Computer has also demonstrated concepts of bendable electronics.

Samsung did not comment on the news-story.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy, AMOLED