Google, Oppo and Vivo to Adopt Dual UTG for Foldable Phones < Display Panel < 기사본문

A foldable OLED with a UTG cover window and a conventional flexible OLED with a polarizer and cover window. (Photo: Samsung Display Newsroom)

Google, Oppo and Vivo plan to adopt dual ultra-thin glass (UTG) structures for their next-generation foldable smartphones. The move marks a broader adoption of the dual-UTG design first used by Apple in its foldable phone.

According to industry sources on Sept. 2, Samsung Display is producing dual-UTG OLED prototypes tailored to specifications from Google, Oppo and Vivo. The company is evaluating performance and validating mass-production process conditions based on each customer’s product structure, thickness and durability requirements. The goal is to begin mass production in line with customers’ new product launches next year.

Dowoo Insys, Samsung Display’s UTG partner, is also understood to be participating in the development. Dowoo Insys will supply the upper and lower UTG layers, which Samsung Display will incorporate into OLED panels for delivery to customers.

Dual UTG places one sheet of UTG above and another below the OLED panel. The upper UTG serves as the cover window attached above the OLED panel. It is processed to a thickness of tens of micrometers (μm), allowing repeated folding while protecting the screen from external impact and scratches.

The lower UTG supports the OLED panel from underneath. It disperses stress concentrated around the hinge when the foldable phone is opened and closed and reinforces the rigidity of the panel’s lower section. Adjusting the physical properties of the upper and lower laminated structure helps reduce creasing at the center of the screen and deformation caused by repeated folding.

Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Fold8 series uses a different approach from dual UTG. It uses a single UTG layer above the screen, while a titanium alloy film and reinforced titanium plate are positioned beneath the OLED panel. The titanium structure supports the panel and disperses folding stress instead of using a lower UTG layer.

The single upper-UTG structure has already achieved stable mass production and offers a relatively simple manufacturing process. It can also reduce additional costs, bonding processes and yield burdens associated with adding another UTG layer. Durability and creasing can still be managed with a single UTG layer by improving the material and structure of the lower support plate together with the hinge.

Apple adopted a dual-UTG structure for its first foldable phone. As a late entrant to the foldable smartphone market, Apple is understood to have prioritized minimizing screen creases and improving overall product quality. Placing similar glass materials above and below the foldable OLED allows more precise control over the panel’s overall rigidity and folding stress.

Google, Oppo and Vivo have chosen a similar approach. Oppo and Vivo, in particular, have positioned improvements in screen creasing and durability as key differentiators for their foldable phones. As screen creases become an increasingly important measure of competitiveness in premium devices, the companies are expected to adopt dual UTG in their next-generation products.

All three companies sell book-style foldable smartphones. Google offers the Pixel Fold series, Oppo the Find N series and Vivo the X Fold series. Their latest models are the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, Find N6 and X Fold6, respectively. Industry sources expect Oppo to launch a new model in the first quarter of 2027, Vivo in the first half and Google in the second half.

The spread of dual UTG is a positive development for the UTG industry. Even if foldable smartphone shipments remain stagnant, the number of UTG sheets required per device will double from one to two.