Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone preview
A new look at the potential design, and hints of a 2018 debut
SETTING THE TABLE
Samsung has been quietly preparing us for this future for the past several years. Back in 2011, Samsung released a concept video that showed a flexible AMOLED phone that’s little more than a technological piece of translucent paper: much more advanced than what’s actually coming anytime soon, but a truly inspired creative spark all the same. Fast-forward to early 2015, and a Samsung Display representative said that “the commercialisation of foldable smartphones will be possible in 2016.” Indeed, Samsung was apparently so far advanced with its plans that it was reportedly showing off the new phone behind closed doors at this year’s Mobile World Congress. It was a prototype, admittedly, but the investors and mobile operators that saw it were reportedly “very impressed” with the concept.
THE WALLET PHONE
From the outside, in its fully open and extended state, the Galaxy X phone could look pretty similar to a typical Samsung flagship phone: it has one large touchscreen on the front, cameras on both sides, and perhaps a home button below the display. It’s a smartphone. Only this smartphone does something quite surprising: as this patent application illustration shows (via Patently Mobile), the phone can fold right in half, fully covering the screen and making the phone about half its normal size. That makes it more pocket-friendly, plus it keeps the display nicely ensconced within the shell.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
That’s the most realistic Samsung illustration we’ve seen to date of the foldable design, but there have been other sketches and concepts seen over the last couple of years. One constant has remained true between them: that amazing new hinge system. Samsung reportedly calls this initiative “Project Valley” because of that hinge: essentially, it creates a little pocket for the touch display to fold up without ever creasing. That small valley allows the phone to fold flat while allowing enough space for the screen have a slightly curve, preventing unsightly seams from appearing. And then when you unfold the phone, the screen becomes fully taut, making it a properly useable smartphone.
FOLD OR ROLL?
While the wallet-like design seems the most prominent one, there are other concepts too. Bloomberg reports that Samsung will release a foldable phone that resembles a makeup compact, which should be pretty similar to the wallet design in function, and also a 5in phone that unfolds to reveal an 8in tablet screen within. And that’s not all: a patent application uncovered in late 2015 included another illustration of that concept (above), with the phone screen appearing on the outside and the larger tablet screen unfolding from within.
KEEP ROLLIN’
Samsung’s rollable device concept might be the most intriguing of the bunch, however, and the company recently showed an updated concept (above) in May 2016 at a display expo. It was also seen in a patent application in late 2015. One version of the rollable phone features a small touchscreen on the cylinder, with a dialer app and quick access to various apps, while the full touch display rolls out from the tube. However, the newer version shown above appears to be for tablet or television use and doesn’t seem to have app functionality on the tube itself. Samsung may still be finalizing the use cases for these concepts, but the idea of a slim, travel-friendly tube that unfurls into a full-size, functional touch screen is very intriguing indeed.
THE DS-PHONE
Here’s the latest patent illustration (via LetsGoDigital), which was filed in April 2017 and emerged online in December 2017. It shows a dual-screen approach that can’t help but remind us of the Nintendo DS and 3DS portable game systems. In short, rather than having a bendable screen, this approach would have two rigid screens with a hinge between them, giving you the option to use one screen as usual or expand out and use two side-by-side, offering almost tablet-like dimensions in sum. It’s essentially the same kind of concept as the just-released ZTE Axon M, which costs as much as a flagship phone but comes with lesser tech and a bulky design. Not the most exciting of the bunch here, Samsung – and hopefully not what we ultimately get from the Galaxy X after years of leaks and hype.
GALAXY X-PECTATIONS
For a couple years now, we’ve been expecting a Galaxy X announcement right around the corner… and it still hasn’t arrived. However, Samsung’s mobile president Koh Dong-Jin told reporters in September 2017 that they aim to release a phone with a bendable screen in 2018. Samsung loves pioneering these totally out-there concepts, and we saw the super-niche Galaxy Note Edge quickly evolve into the immensely popular Galaxy S6 Edge and Galaxy S7 Edge, with the Galaxy S8 ditching the flat-screen option. Will foldable smartphones be its next surprise success story? We may find out in 2018.
