Samsung and others have been working on foldable phones for many years now, and finally the technology could see the light of day. Here’s what we know about the Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone and its release date.
Only yesterday we were excited to tell you about new rumours we could see the Galaxy X foldable phone in 2017, and reportedly ahead of the upcoming Galaxy Note 8. Now a Samsung Display Engineer has rained on our parade with the suggestion that the technology won’t mature until 2019.
That’s not exactly what we wanted to hear, but it won’t stop the Samsung foldable phone rumours that are now coming in thick and fast.
If you’re not quite sure what we mean by a foldable phone (and why would you be?), check out the concept video from TechConfigurations at the top of this story. We’ll also explain in more detail below.
A foldable phone is exactly as it sounds, one that either folds inward (like a clamshell phone) or outward and reveals a tablet-like device when stretched out. This is possible with the use of a bendable (rather than flexible, as seen in the Galaxy S7 edge) OLED panel.
Samsung, Lenovo and LG have each showed off bendable displays and devices at various industry events, and have registered many patents for the technology. Previously called Project Valley, Samsung’s technology has become known as the Samsung Galaxy X, which may or may not be its eventual name upon release.
Samsung originally worked on fold-in phones, which close up like a wallet, but having completed its work there it has moved on to fold-out phones.
