Earlier this week, Samsung‘s mobile division CEO, DJ Koh, confirmed that the company will be releasing what could be the first truly foldable phone later this year. While there has been a number of rumours surrounding the phone, we still don’t know how it would look like. However, latest reports suggest the foldable phone to be in-folding, and equipped with a massive OLED display.
Samsung foldable smartphone
The Samsung foldable smartphone is being developed under project name Winner, and will have a diary-like design, ET News reports. On folding, the phone moves inwards along the longitudinal axis. According to the report, the phone will feature a massive 7.3-inch OLED display when unfolded. The display will have a 1.5R curvature, which means the display can be folded to wrap around a 1.5 millimeter-radius circle.
To eliminate the drawbacks of the in-folding display, and to boost the phone’s usability even when folded, Samsung plans to attach an extra 4.6-inch flexible OLED display on the outside.
Samsung is expected to produce between 100,000 and 120,000 units of the foldable display per month. However, due to yield issues, the company will likely place parts orders for 150,000 to 180,000 units per month. Samsung Display, the display manufacturing unit of Samsung, will start placing parts orders from October.
The Samsung foldable smartphone is expected to bring fresh breathe into the otherwise stagnant smartphone market. But the phone, for sure, will be highly priced, as it uses two OLED screens and some parts that have never been mass-produced.
While Samsung hasn’t confirmed the release date for the foldable phone yet, the best place I can imagine Samsung doing so is at Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) 2018. The event will take place from November 7-8 in San Francisco.
Meanwhile, it’s not a one-horse race for Samsung either. Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and Oppo are also developing their own versions of foldable phone. Huawei, in particular, is competing head-on with Samsung to launch the first truly foldable smartphone. A few other OEMs like Xiaomi, Lenovo, and LG are also in the race. It’d be interesting to see who comes out at top.
