The Samsung Galaxy X smartphone, as the foldable handset been referred to, may not arrive with us until 2019.
The smartphone that folds out into a 7-inch tablet has been leaking plenty of late but this latest rumour suggests excitement best be put in check.
According to Samsung Display’s engineering head-honcho, talking to Korea Herald, the company is already doing so well at selling bezel-free screens it doesn’t need to bring in something new.
The engineer Kim Tae-woong said: "Because the bezel-free display currently sells well, we still have enough time to develop foldable display. The technology is expected to be mature around 2019.” The words are telling.
By saying current screen success gives Samsung time to develop the bendable screen it suggests the company is ready but wants to make the tech better first. Rumours, including one from Bloomberg, have suggested Samsung will release two phones in 2017, one with a bendable display.
Korean media has suggested that Samsung will be ready to show off a foldable display towards the back end of 2017. Perhaps that is the plan, to simply show off the tech rather than release it in a working handset that can be bought.
We’ll have to wait and see what effect Apple’s iPhone 8 with rumoured OLED display has on the market when Samsung will likely react with something new.
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