Nokia displays device with flexible OLED display at Nokia World.

After Samsung’s flexible displays, Nokia has showcased their new ‘Nokia kinetic device’, which is a phone with a flexible OLED display. It comes with a large display that can be bent from either the centre of the screen or around the corners. The phone uses this bend feature to control the user interface on the screen. So, simply bending it from the centre will help zoom in and out of the screen. Scrolling can be done by bending the phone from the corners.

So, what are the pros and cons of this technology? Firstly, since there’s physical movement involved, you can actually use the device without looking at it. Secondly, it’s not restricted to your fingers only; it recognizes touch through gloves as well. The downside is that you need to compulsorily use both your hands and it involves much more effort than the present technology, which involves just tapping on the screen.

Obviously, the Nokia kinetic device is more of a prototype, but it gives you a glimpse of the path touch-oriented devices may take in the near future. The uses could be a little indirect though, like, for example, smartphone watches, or usage in construction areas. It’s yet hard to gauge that you’ll be twisting, turning and bending your smartphone to get your work done.

Here’s a hands on video of Nokia’s new technology by GSM Arena.