LG recently showed off a prototype of a thin and flexible 19-inch eReader, similar to a piece of real paper. It’s similar to the foil material utilized in the Skiff reader (also made by LG). Though the screen of the Skiff itself is flexible, the casing isn’t, similar to the Que. The latter device also has a bendable screen but, again, a hard-shall encasing it. LG’s prototype is meant to be an actually flexible device, so presumably people could roll it up like a newspaper and stick it in a bag.

This is a very cool, science fiction-esque idea that’s bound to get many people excited. I can conceive of a few instances where flexible ePaper would be awesome, though I don’t see such a device as being very practical. In the end, I don’t have a need for my eReader to bend the way a real newspaper would. I would be nervous all the time about it getting bent the wrong way or simply crushed. I’m sure the flexibility has a limit, after all.

The bendability of paper is a convenience, yet one I’m willing to give up when I move to digital books and magazines. Just keep the devices thin and light. They don’t need to be waif-y.Still, as dubious as I am about its usefulness, I can’t wait to try something like this out.

What do you think? Are flexible displays useful or just a cool idea? Can you come up with a practical application for this device for the consumer market? After everyone gets over how cool it is, will people find actual uses for such a device?