Samsung still testing expanding, rollable phones rather than foldables – patent shows peculiar design
Samsung's latest filing could crack the flexible phone code
Quick Summary
A Samsung patent shows a rollable phone design that expands, increasing the screen size.
Thanks to a couple of renders, we can see what the phone might look like if Samsung ever put the design into production.
Samsung continues to look at versatile phone formats, including expandable phones that use a flexible rolling display. Thanks to a patent filing dated 5 May 2026, it's possible to get an insight into some of the development work that Samsung is carrying out.
Much of this patent (via WearView) is about AR applications and calculating the changes to the device beyond the physical. While the system describes how the change in camera position is calculated, it's the technical drawings that are more interesting.
They show a phone with typical Samsung design – it looks like a recent Galaxy S model from the rear – but there are two pieces to the bodywork, with the inner section able to expand the width of the phone and it's that section that has the camera attached to it.
The design has the advantage of keeping the whole phone encased in the body – it opens like a drawer – meaning that the rear of the flexible display isn't exposed. It's similar in design to an unreleased LG rolling phone from a few years back.
The original filing date for this patent is 2023, when there was a little more activity around this type of device. And while we're yet to see any real commercial success for this type of flexible display device, it does have some advantages.
It allows the phone to behave like a regular device, because when "closed" it's just a normal candybar phone. But when expanded, there's a lot more screen space to use.
However, it's also easy to see why Samsung might not be rushing to launch this type of device.
Book-style folding phones already struggle to really make use of that large display effectively and this minor screen expansion might not offer a great advantage considering the complexity and cost of the design.
As is always the case with these sort of patents, it's not clear if this will ever make it to a device that gets launched, so while it's clear that development work still continues on rollable phones, it's not an indication of launch.
Instead, it gives Samsung the opportunity to develop and protect various technologies through the patent process. The renders – drawn up by xleaks – make for a great looking device, however.
