Samsung Electronics’ next-generation Galaxy S IV flagship smartphone will not only feature traditional software and hardware innovations, but will also take advantage of the company’s bendable screen technology, which will make its display unbreakable, a media report claims. The Google Android-powered smartphone may reinvent mobile phones as we know them today.

Samsung Galaxy S IV will be based on a high-performance quad-core Exynos application processor as well as large screen with pixel density of 441 pixels per inch (ppi), reports Reuters news-agency. But most importantly, Samsung’s next-gen flagship will feature AMOLED display panels that replace glass substrate with plastic material, which essentially means that they will never crack when the phone gets dropped.

"Eventually, they will have unbreakable and flexible displays. Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That is going to be a game-changer," said Mark Newman, an analyst at Stanford Bernstein in Hong Kong.

Back in November it was reported that 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. 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.

Samsung Galaxy S-series has proven itself as very powerful competitor for Apple’s iPhone line. The forthcoming Galaxy S IV will likely be even more competitive against Apple’s flagship than the Galaxy S III was against the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5, especially considering the woes caused by scratches on the surface of the iPhone 5.

What is important is that according to market rumours Samsung will show off the Galaxy S4 at the Mobile World Congress 2013 trade-show in February and then launch it commercially in April.

“Looking to the first half of 2013, we see evidence of Samsung likely accelerating the release of the Galaxy S IV – compared with May (in 2012) for the Galaxy S III. We believe preparations for volume manufacturing of unbreakable plastic substrate displays continue. All in all, we could see a strong products push in the high-end in the first half, followed by other releases,” said Nicolas Gaudois, an analyst with UBS.

Tags: Samsung, Galaxy, Android, AMOLED