Rumors surrounding what Samsung‘s first foldable phone could look like have been doing rounds for months now. However, it seems Samsung itself is yet to come to terms with its design.
Samsung’s mobile division CEO, DJ Koh, had last month stated, “If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would they buy it?.” However, contradicting himself, Koh has now said that the unfolded device will offer the functionality of a tablet.
Samsung foldable smartphone
Samsung’s foldable phone isn’t a gimmick for sure. We’ve already seen a stack of Samsung patents for devices with a flexible display. The company itself has confirmed the existence of a foldable smartphone in their plans, with a targeted release later this year. Though the device may not go on sale this year, the company has given us a first glimpse of what it will be like to use when it comes out.
Speaking to CNET, DJ Koh has said that the device will work as a tablet when unfolded. On folding, it would turn into a smartphone that can fit in our pocket. Samsung apparently wants to offer multitasking capabilities in the device along with easy portability.
The description provided by Koh fits in line with a concept trailer the company released way back in 2013. A report last month also talked about a similar design: a massive in-folding OLED display, along with an extra flexible display on the outside.
The device is still far from reality, but Samsung is firm in its intentions of delivering a truly foldable smartphone. “When we deliver a foldable phone, it has to be really meaningful to our customer,” Koh told CNET. “If the user experience is not up to my standard, I don’t want to deliver those kinds of products,” he added.
Samsung is not alone in the race though. Chinese smartphone makers Huawei and Oppo are also developing their own versions of the foldable phone. A few other OEMs like Xiaomi, Lenovo, and LG are also in the race.
Meanwhile, this year’s Samsung Developer Conference (SDC) is scheduled to take place on November 7-8 in San Francisco. Let’s wait and see if the foldable smartphone makes an appearance in any capacity at the event.
