Samsung’s been developing a foldable smartphone with a flexible screen for years at this point. But so far, we haven’t heard anything regarding a firm release timeframe for the device. Now, in a new report out of CNBC, it looks like the company will unveil the phone later this year.
According to CNBC, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh said the company would unveil the foldable smartphone this year, possibly at the company’s developer conference this November. However, it isn’t clear if the device will go up for sale before 2019, let alone whether it’ll actually debut before December.
Koh had the following to say regarding the foldable smartphone that, while still tight on details, could prove to be a pretty worthy contender to the plus-sized phones of the world thanks to its more versatile form factor.
“You can use most of the uses … on foldable status. But when you need to browse or see something, then you may need to unfold it. But even unfolded, what kind of benefit does that give compared to the tablet? If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would they (consumers) buy it?,” Koh said at the IFA electronics show in Berlin last week.
“So every device, every feature, every innovation should have a meaningful message to our end customer. So when the end customer uses it, (they think) ‘wow, this is the reason Samsung made it’.”
A report out of The Wall Street Journal earlier this year indicated the foldable Samsung smartphone would arrive early next year. The report also mentions a screen size of 7 inches and a price tag possibly upwards of $1,500. Since today’s CNBC article doesn’t corroborate WSJ‘s reported release date, it’s hard to tell how much substance the other rumors mentioned have left.
For the time being, we’ll have to sit and be patient as we await Samsung’s official announcement of the foldable device, likely before the end of the year. We’ll be sure to keep you posted.
