The smartphone world is anxiously waiting for news about the foldable Samsung phone release date, which for now is a mystery. It was reported previously that the Korean firm would launch the foldable smartphone in November. However, a new report suggests Samsung has no such plans and puts the foldable Samsung phone release date sometime next year.
Foldable Samsung phone release date not until next year
Last week in an interview with CNBC, Samsung Mobile Chief D.J. Koh noted that it is “time to deliver” a foldable phone. The executive also hinted that the company might launch the much-anticipated phone in November at the Samsung Developer Conference. The conference starts Nov. 7 at Moscone West in San Francisco.
Now a report from the Korea Herald claims the foldable Samsung phone release date will not be in November. According to the news outlet, Samsung may only share some details about the foldable smartphone at its developer conference. However, the company admitted that the handset is nearing completion. This suggests the foldable Samsung phone release date may not be far off.
“We will have more to say about the phone under development by that time, probably some details about specifications,” one Samsung executive told the publication. Now it is believed the company will have a working prototype ready by November, but that the foldable Samsung phone release date could be closer to CES 2019 or the Mobile World Congress in 2019.
Making a foldable phone is “complicated”
Samsung has been working on a bendable OLED display for years now. In 2012, the Korean company first showed off a concept of it. Since then, the company has been experimenting with dual-screen smartphones which can be mass produced. In 2014, the company came up with an ad for a foldable phone, showing a tablet-like device folding into a pocket-size phone.
Samsung has also been teasing the foldable phone release since earlier this year. In February, Koh revealed that they had addressed a “major technological hurdle” in the development of the phone, “but we are not sure yet when consumers will be in need of such a new type of phone.”
Then in August when announcing the Galaxy Note 9, Koh hinted that the company is still working on the foldable phone.
“We will not give up on being the world’s first,” he said.
However, thus far there has been no confirmed release date for the foldable Samsung phone.
In the interview with CNBC, Koh admitted that developing such a device was “complicated,” adding that buyers’ reactions to the device and its features should be “Wow, this is the reason Samsung made it.”
What to expect from the foldable Samsung phone
Though little is known about the foldable Samsung phone officially, the handset has been the subject of numerous leaks and speculations. It is expected that the foldable device will have two displays: a 7.3-inch OLED display when unfolded and a 4.6-inch OLED display when folded. The screen will likely fold in half.
It has been reported that the foldable Samsung phone will cost more than $1,500. Koh previously confirmed that the device would have a foldable screen and not a hinged display. Hopefully we will get some confirmed details on the foldable phone at the upcoming Samsung developer conference.
Samsung’s developer conference is an annual event used to highlight the progress the company has made in the software segment. The company also uses the event to speak with developers and help them with the app development process. At the next conference, Samsung is expected to launch the second edition of its voice assistant platform Bixby. The company is also expected to share more details about the Galaxy Home, its Bixby 2.0-powered smart speaker.
For Samsung, a foldable phone will play a vital role in its strategy to reinvigorate the growth of its mobile segment. Samsung’s mobile segment witnessed a 20% year-over-year drop in the second quarter, thanks to rising competition from the likes of Apple and Huawei. A foldable phone would help Samsung differentiate its product line from those of rivals and also charge a higher selling price.
Samsung is not the only company to be working on a foldable device. Lenovo has long been working on bendable phones and tablets. Similarly, Microsoft has been reportedly working on a dual-screen Surface device for years now. Earlier this year, LG showcased a foldable 65-inch OLED TV.
