Last month DJ Koh, CEO of Samsung's Mobile Division, had confirmed that the company would launch its highly-anticipated foldable smartphone by the end of 2018. The executive has now divulged more information about the smartphone and said that Samsung’s foldable smartphone will be a tablet that users can fold and keep in their pockets. He also reiterated that the foldable phone will not be a “gimmick product”, and the product will be available globally.
“When we deliver a foldable phone, it has to be really meaningful to our customer. If the user experience is not up to my standard, I don't want to deliver those kind of products. The foldable phone will not be a ‘gimmick product’ that will ‘disappear after six to nine months after it's delivered,” Koh told CNET in an interview at the sidelines of the Samsung Galaxy A9 (First Impressions) launch in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the news report, the foldable smartphone will be available globally, unlike previous phones like the Galaxy Round, which was available only in Korea.
Earlier this year, a report said that Samsung's foldable smartphone, reportedly called that 'Galaxy X', may be priced $1,850. On the price of the phone, Koh said, “Possibly when we start selling the foldable phone, it may be a niche market, but definitely, it will expand. I'm positive that we do need a foldable phone.”
Further, Samsung is not the only company that is developing a foldable smartphone. Apparently, Apple and Huawei also have dedicated teams which are working to develop a phone with a foldable display. Apple may launch a foldable iPhone in 2020 that could potentially double up as a tablet but Huawei is reportedly looking to launch the device by the end of 2018. The company had filed a patent for a foldable phone at WIPO (World Intellectual property Organization). Last week, LG had confirmed that it is making a foldable smartphone and wants to create something which consumers actually want, and is not aiming to be the first to launch the smartphone.