Aside from the Bixby smart speaker and the Galaxy Note 9, the South Korean tech giant Samsung is also busy with the first foldable smartphone. Along with the under-display fingerprint sensor, this idea of a real foldable phone which is not another clamshell or flip-phone, is something we’ve been waiting for since forever. We first heard of the idea back in 2016 when talks of a bendable smartphone started. The technology is still being perfected but we’re hoping Samsung will finally introduce something before the likes of Vivo goes ahead as it did with the X20 Plus UD with an in-glass fingerprint sensor.
We mentioned before Samsung would be releasing two smartphones with bendable screens and rollable display. It’s been two years since we heard the words “it’s coming very soon” from an executive but still nothing. It’s been quite a journey for Samsung as patent images for the foldable smartphone concept have been sighted. We thought it would be the Samsung Galaxy X according to a patent filing application discovered. There’s also that patent for flexible OLED display and a ‘fold-out’ smartphone design. We even heard of a rumor that Samsung was set to launch foldable smartphones in the 3rd quarter. That was last year and still nothing.
The foldable phone’s release was pushed to 2019 while the company continues to work on the tech. It was once expected show off foldable displays to OEMS and suppliers and finally showcase a new stretchable OLED display.
Samsung’s plan to launch a Galaxy phone with a foldable display this year may still happen as several reports that point to the possibility of the technology being ready. A foldable smartphone was spotted getting certification while a Samsung Galaxy X support page appeared. Mass production could start in Q4 this year.
The Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone was actually unveiled at CES 2018 in a private event. Samsung foldable OLED phones were once again confirmed for 2018. The company is still working on the new foldable phone. It’s only a matter of time before its official launch.
Samsung is still believed to be the first to release such foldable phones. Everything will be ready by next year. Soon, we’ll see what the Galaxy foldable smartphone will offer to the public. It may be the first but Samsung better hurry up because other OEMs are also working on similar technologies. There’s Huawei that wants to go head-to-head with Samsung beat the tech giant to the punch. Lenovo-Motorola is also working on a foldable smartphone. The closest to a foldable phone we know is the ZTE Axon M dual-screen phone that actually folds. OPPO filed a patent for a foldable smartphone. We also remember the latest patent images of LG’s first foldable phone .
Samsung may be considering the foldable phone as a new Galaxy device. This Galaxy foldable phone is already in the works and those first-tier subcontractors and parts affiliates are already being contacted. Soon, they “will begin supplying parts to Samsung Electronics” according to an industry analyst. Shinhan Financial’s Park Hyung-woo said the company will be “assembling the phone aiming for a launch next year”.
When it comes to pricing, the Samsung foldable phone will be more expensive. It could also be the most expensive Galaxy phone offering and may go over the $1,000 price point.
In its unfolded state, the phone may have a 7.3-inch OLED screen. Folded, it will be 4.5-inches. The same analyst mentioned this “new device is an interesting thing as it will have two inside panels and one outside panel”. Samsung may be showing off a prototype to mobile carriers in Europe and the US soon. We’re hoping this device with a true foldable display will be ready for everyone’s consumption.
VIA: The Korea Times
