Google Glass to use Samsung's OLED

By Kim Yoo-chul

Google will use Samsung Display’s organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology in its upcoming Google Glass, a wearable computer with a head-mounted display, sources said Thursday.

The sources said that the company’s top management has recently approved a business proposal by Samsung Display to use its OLED screens for Google Glass.

“Samsung will supply its high-end OLED screens for Google Glass. This is a really big thing because its means that Google shares confidential data with Samsung on its futuristic projects,” said an executive at one of Samsung Display’s local parts suppliers.

Google Glass is the U.S. heavyweight’s ambitious project aimed at producing a mass-market ubiquitous computer. Google said the device, which is currently being tested by developers, will be launched later this year at the earliest.

“Google treats Samsung as a very serious business partner as the latter has proven its capability in its parts-related businesses. The decision will help Samsung further boost its OLED business,” said an official at another partner company.

Samsung Display CEO Kim Ki-nam also hinted that the two agreed to work together for Google Glass.

“OLED on silicon may be used for glasses-type, augmented-reality devices much like the Google Glass,” Kim said, in a key note speech during the Society for Information Display (SID) forum in Canada, Thursday (KST), adding OLEDs will spread to other sectors.

“The wearable market will be a major beneficiary of the free-form factor advantage of flexible OLEDs. Smartphone-linked wearable accessory products such as watches and health bands will use ultra-thin flexible OLEDs embedded with various sensors,” he added.

Kim noted said that the next innovation in displays will likely be flexible OLEDs, which will be unbreakable, bendable and foldable.

“With flexible OLED, completely new designs and new user experience will be possible,” he said.

Google CEO Larry Page recently inspected Samsung Display’s OLED production lines in Tangjeong and was briefed about details of the business.

“Samsung Display secured a room to diversify its client base by reducing the so-called Apple risk thanks to Google’s agreement to adopt Samsung’s OLED technology in Google Glass,” claimed an official from a local Samsung partner.

yckim@koreatimes.co.kr,