It looks like we really might finally be seeing foldable smartphones from Samsung next year. According to a report by Korean publication, ETNews, Samsung will begin a trial production of foldable OLED panels, followed by mass production by the end of the year. The report notes that full-scale production line will have a production capacity of 100,000 units, and by next year, Samsung plans to ramp up production to about a million units.
However, the design of the fold is still a mystery. ETNow’s notes that when folded in half, the device would measure about 7-inches. However, doing so would mean that the display would be completely covered by itself. However, by folding it two-thirds of the way down, it leaves a little bit of the display visible. This would allow the smartphone to little bits of information such as the time.
The report notes that the release schedule depends on the yield and reliability that Samsung Display manages to achieve with its panels. Previous reports have suggested that Samsung may finally unveil its foldable smartphone, the Galaxy X at MWC 2019. Samsung even reportedly showcased the phone to clients during CES 2018. When Samsung does launch the smartphone, don't expect it to be cheap. Reports suggest that the smartphone might be priced at $1850 (approx Rs 1,27,100).
Samsung has been rumoured to launch its foldable smartphone for quite a while. However, Other smartphones makes are also rumoured to launch bendable smartphones. Back in 2016, Oppo and Xiaomi were tipped to be working on bendable smartphones. More recently, Motorola was granted a patent that allowed bendable smartphone to bend multiple times without any damage. The report noted that companies are facing problems regarding the durability of these panels as frequent bending can cause problems in the long run. Motorola’s patent involves the use of heat to allow OLED displays to bend a lot.
Surprisingly, Microsoft has also been tipped to launch a "pocketable Surface" device this year. The long rumoured ‘Andromeda’ device is tipped to fold like a book and might use a stylus. The company is reportedly experimenting with ARM processors, but its still not clear if the company would use Intel or Qualcomm processors inside the final device.