LG Electronics' First Attempt... Success Depends on Popularity
Following Samsung Electronics' launch of the world's first foldable phone, ushering in the era of foldable phones, LG Electronics has expanded the laptop domain by introducing the first foldable laptop among domestic companies. The initial release is limited to 500 units. The Korean display industry, equipped with mass production systems for OLED (organic light-emitting diode) panels for foldable laptops, is closely watching whether LG Electronics will increase sales volume or release follow-up products after this initial launch.
◆From Smartphones to Foldable Laptops
On the 27th, the IT and display industries recognized LG Electronics' launch of the first foldable laptop from a Korean brand, the ‘LG Gram Fold,’ as a symbolic milestone to see if the era of foldable laptops can begin. This is not the first time foldable laptops have appeared in the world. After Samsung Electronics caused a major shift in the smartphone market by launching the world's first foldable smartphone in 2019, Lenovo (2020), Asus (2022), and HP (2023) also released foldable laptops. However, all were regarded as experimental products and failed to achieve commercial success.
However, the situation has changed significantly now that LG Electronics, the first Korean brand, has released a product that transforms from a 12-inch laptop when folded to a 17-inch tablet or e-reader when unfolded. Thanks to the success of foldable phones, consumers have become accustomed to folding screens. LG Electronics, which holds a 21.8% share of the domestic laptop market by volume in the first quarter of this year, releasing a foldable laptop also raises expectations that a new era of laptops could begin.
The LG Gram Fold leverages the advantages of self-emissive OLED, which requires no backlight, making it thin and easy to bend. When unfolded, the thickest part measures 9.4mm, and the screen size is a large 17 inches (approximately 43 cm diagonal). When folded, it is 12 inches (approximately 31 cm diagonal). It inherits the ultra-lightweight and large-screen identity of the existing Gram series laptops while adding the freedom to fold and unfold the screen, making it an innovative product. When the laptop is stood horizontally and the screen is slightly folded in the middle like a book, the screen automatically rotates and adjusts its ratio, making it convenient for reading e-books or documents. When the laptop is unfolded and stood vertically, it can also be used as a single monitor. LG Electronics plans to consider expanding foldable models after gauging the initial sales atmosphere.
The display industry is watching the success of foldable laptops closely. LG Display recently started mass production of 17-inch foldable laptop OLED panels and supplied them to LG Electronics. However, since LG Electronics released the product as a limited edition of 500 units, the order volume is not large. Samsung Display has also completed the development of 17-inch foldable panel technology that can be used for IT products beyond smartphones, so mass production is possible anytime once customers are secured.
◆Will Samsung Electronics Also Release Foldable Laptops? The Issues Are Price and Usability
Samsung Electronics, which was the first in the industry to launch foldable phones, is not lacking in the technology to fold devices. However, there are currently no plans to release foldable laptops.
What makes Samsung Electronics hesitant is market viability. Foldable panels account for about 40% of the production cost of IT devices. The larger the screen panel, the higher the price inevitably becomes. The LG Gram Fold is priced at 4.99 million KRW, which is enough to buy three units of Samsung Electronics' latest laptop, the Galaxy Book3.
Another issue is portability and usability. An industry insider said, "In the case of smartphones, the great merit is being able to fold a large screen and carry it in a pocket, but laptops are originally large, so whether folded or not, they have to be carried in a bag or by hand. Especially, the stability provided by a physical keyboard on a regular laptop cannot be ignored, so just being able to fold the screen does not necessarily mean improved usability."
If it becomes possible to drastically reduce the size of laptops to fit into a pocket, then release might be feasible. In September last year, Samsung Electronics filed a patent in the U.S. titled 'Electronic device and operation method providing execution screen of an application.' The patent suggests methods to minimize the physical size of devices, from panels that simply open and close on both sides to accordion-style folding, folding horizontally rather than vertically, and then folding multiple times vertically. If this technology can be commercialized, it would be possible to reduce large smart devices like laptops to the size of smartphones.
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