Samsung has been working on foldable screen technology for years and is planning to launch its first smartphone with the technology this year. CNBC reports that Samsung CEO DJ Koh said the device could be unveiled at Samsung’s developer conference in November, but it’s unclear whether consumers will actually be able to buy the foldable phone this year. Koh admitted that the device had a “complicated” design, and rumors have suggested that Samsung will launch a phone with a flexible screen under the same specifications as the company’s Galaxy Note.
Samsung has been experimenting with OLED for years, and the company first showed off a prototype in 2012. Since then, Samsung has tried to launch dual-screen smartphones, aiming to innovate in the market. Koh didn’t give many details about Samsung’s foldable smartphone, but acknowledged that the device and its features should make consumers say, “This is why Samsung did it.”
Samsung released an ad for a foldable phone in 2014. The ad featured a device with a flexible screen that folds from a tablet into a cellphone. Samsung’s device may feature a single 7-inch display, according to a report published earlier this year by The Wall Street Journal. The screen would fold in half like a wallet, with the outside of the device displaying a small information bar.
Samsung isn't the only company developing foldable devices. Lenovo is working on foldable phones and tablets, and Microsoft has been aiming for a dual-screen Surface device for years. LG even revealed a 65-inch foldable OLED TV earlier this year.
