Samsung is Working on a Foldable Smartphone

When you think of a foldable smartphone, the first images that come to mind might be of old-school flip phones or T Mobile’s Sidekick. But that’s not even close to what Samsung has in mind. There’ve been rumors for years that Samsung was developing a foldable smartphone. However, this could be the year that the phone is finally released.

According to CNET, these rumors of a foldable smartphone are likely to be true because Samsung has been working on foldable devices and screens for years now. Would a foldable smartphone even be successful in 2017? We might have to wait a bit longer to find out.

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Nonetheless, a foldable smartphone would allow the phone to act more like a tablet, while taking up the physical space of a smaller phone. Samsung’s foldable phone is rumored to have a thin, folding (or bendable) screen that allows the device to expand into a 7-inch tablet. The device is also rumored to exist in two different models: one that bends inward and one that bends outward.

The foldable smartphone is expected to be revealed at a trade show at the end of February. If it is, the phone could be on shelves as early as this fall or winter. There are rumors that more than 100,000 units of the phone could be released as early as this fall, though. That’s incredibly soon for a device that hasn’t even been revealed yet. Still, don’t get too excited: there are also rumors that the phone will be revealed at a trade show in 2018, not 2017.

If Samsung does decide to bring their smartphone to the trade show, only a select number of people will get an idea as to what this phone will be like. This will help Samsung to get a better idea on whether or not there’s a market for this product.

If this foldable smartphone proves successful, this could be exactly what Samsung needs to recover from the disaster of the Samsung Note 7. If anything, it’s impressive technology — it would be interesting to see it utilized all over the tech world, and not necessarily restricted to smartphone usage. However, this device could be especially popular among those who like to keep their phones in their pockets. With a phone that folds like a wallet, the phone would not only take up less space, but would also be more protected from potential screen damage.