Samsung teases folding Galaxy smartphone

Samsung offers a final folding phone tease ahead of its developers conference

Life

Image: Samsung

After four years, dozens of rumours, several patents, and one profile pic change, Samsung appears to finally be on the verge of showing off its first folding Galaxy phone.

Ahead of its annual Developer Conference on Wednesday, Samsung provided the most concrete evidence that it will be showing off its new folding phone this week. Samsung Mobile updated its Facebook and Twitter profile pics with a folding Samsung logo, which can really only mean one thing: at long last, we’re finally going to get a look at Samsung’s vision of the foldable future.

Samsung released a concept video showing off a folding phone back in 2014 and now we’re finally almost ready to maybe get a peek at what it might be.

Above the fold
The company has made no secret of its plans to create a folding smartphone, and Samsung executives have consistently teased the developers conference keynote.

However, according to Bloomberg, Samsung might still not ready to fully show off its folding phone, with vertical and landscape prototypes both in the running for final approval. Both models reportedly include a 4″ screen on the outside of the device for use when folded, so it’s likely we’ll get a good idea of what it will look like. Korean publication The Bell chimed in with possible specs of the new device: The main display will reportedly be 7.29″ with the secondary ‘outside’ display measuring 4.58″.

If we do get a look at Samsung’s folding phone, it will likely be one of several making their debut in 2018. LG and Huawei are already rumoured to be working on their own folding models, and just last week, US start-up Royole staked a claim to “the world’s first commercial foldable smartphone with flexible display” with the FlexPai phone.

Of note, Royole’s phone folds over itself so the screen is always visible, while Samsung’s is rumoured to fold under, like a book. Little is known about the 7.8″ FlexPai phone beyond a series of slick-looking renders, but Royole is already taking preorders for the device, which is due to begin shipping in December. It doesn’t come cheap though. Royole is charging $1,318 for a 128Gb model and $1,469 for 256Gb.

With the Galaxy Note 9 topping €800, it’s all but certain that Samsung’s folding phone won’t come cheap either. At any rate, all should be revealed tomorrow.

IDG News Service

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