Is Foldable, Rollable Smartphone the Next Big Thing for Samsung?
Is Foldable, Rollable Smartphone the Next Big Thing for Samsung?
  • By Kim In-wook (info@koreaittimes.com)
  • 승인 2016.06.24 11:12
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How about foldable smartphones fitting snuggly into your pocket Folder flip phones seem poised to make a comeback. However, this time, we will see smartphones with a foldable screen, not clamshell phones. Mobile phones that used to be small in size for the sake of portable convenience have become larger and thinner and now go so far as to come with a foldable screen. Mobile phones become truly hand-held toys.

As a matter of fact, Samsung is reported to have been committed to developing a foldable smatphone for the past several years. SamMobile reported that “Samsung is intent on developing its first phone with a foldable display, dubbed Project Valley, at the moment.”

SamMobile said: “Samsung’s first phone with a foldable display is rumored to be launching in January 2016. Our sources say it will be available in the following markets: the UK, Germany, Italy, South Korea, Nordic countries, France, Poland, etc.”

SamMobile added: “The US is notably absent from the list, but it’s possible Samsung will bring Project Valley to more regions later on. The Project Valley phone will carry model number SM-G929F. The Galaxy S6 edge+ has model number SM-G928, and the very small change in the foldable device’s model number suggests it could have specifications similar to the S6 edge+, with the foldable display being the highlight.”

Pictures shown during a Samsung keynote speech at CES 2013 (Source: Youtube)

Did Samsung offer us a sneak peek of the future of its strategic smartphone at CES 2013

However, Samsung had already exhibited its ambition to develop a foldable smartphone several years ago. At CES 2013, Samsung delivered a keynote speech and played a video showing renderings of two new smart devices. With hindsight, the two smart devices in the video were probably depicting the future of Samsung’s strategic smartphone.

This is because two different types of smart devices appeared in the video. One was a foldable billfold-like device; the other was a smart device with a rollable screen. At that time, it was unclear whether they were smartphones.

According to industry sources, Samsung is working on more than two smartphones with a flexible display. Patently Mobile has recently reported that the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Samsung that reveals their ongoing work on developing a foldable smartphone. Judging from the future Galaxy smartphone images provided by Patently Mobile, the future Galaxy smartphone has a resemblance to the smart devices shown in the video at CES 2013. According to Patently Mobile, the future Galaxy smartphone is a foldable smartphone that will charge in the folded position.

At Display Week 2016, held last month at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco by the SID (Society for Information Display), Samsung showed off flexible and rollable AMOLED displays. Samsung showcased a 5.7-inch rollable AMOLED display prototype, which was 0.3mm thick, weighed just 5g. The 5.7-inch rollable AMOLED display wasn’t so different from one of the two smart devices that appeared in the video at CES 2013.

Samsung unveiled a design work of its new foldable and rollable display

Does Samsung call foldable, rollable smartphones as its new premium smartphone

Samsung predicts that this year will continue to see sluggish demand for IT devices. Since it’s hard to maintain the previous year’s sales level, the Korean tech giant will probably try to break the stalemate by releasing a new disruptive product.

Samsung said: “We will focus on improving OLED flexible display technologies and increasing productivity. And we plan to secure mid- and long-term growth engines by developing mirror and transparent OLED display technologies.” And Samsung this year announced technical innovation in its premium smartphone lineup.

Therefore, Samsung’s new premium smartphone is expected to take the shape of a rollable smartphone. Samsung is projected to give us a glimpse of its technical innovation this year and commercialize it sometime next year.


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