Samsung Shows New Foldable OLED That Solves the Crease Problem

At CES 2026, Samsung offered a glimpse into what could be the next major leap for foldable devices. On the show floor, the company showcased an advanced foldable OLED panel that tackles two of the category’s most persistent challenges: the visible crease and front-facing camera cutouts. While still a prototype, the technology signals where premium foldables are headed next.

Samsung may have addressed the “crease” problem in foldables

The crease has long been the Achilles’ heel of foldable phones. Despite steady improvements over multiple generations, it remains the most obvious compromise of the form factor. Samsung, a pioneer in display technology, is actively working to improve crease control in the next wave of foldables.

The panel shown at CES appeared almost entirely crease-free, with no obvious line breaking the continuity of the screen. If realized into a commercial product, it could significantly improve immersion, especially for content consumption and multitasking. The technology could be a strong contender for upcoming high-end foldables, including Samsung’s rumored “Wide Fold”, Fold 8, and Apple’s first foldable iPhone.

Beyond the crease, the prototype panel also appears to deliver a noticeable leap in overall image quality. The display shows improved uniformity and brightness, suggesting the use of more advanced light-emitting materials. While Samsung has not confirmed the exact stack, the panel could be based on next-generation OLED materials such as the M14.

Samsung’s prototype also highlights progress in under-display camera (UDC) technology. The panel lacks a traditional punch-hole cutout for the front camera. Instead, a faint circular area near the top-right hints at the camera’s location beneath the display. Importantly, this area appears far less noticeable than earlier implementations, suggesting meaningful gains in display uniformity and transparency.

Samsung first introduced under-display cameras with the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and continued refining the tech through later models. However, the Fold 7 removed the UDC altogether, likely due to trade-offs in image quality and panel complexity. The CES prototype suggests that those compromises may soon be minimized. Exciting times are ahead for foldable fans. Truly seamless foldables are no longer a distant goal, but an approaching reality.