Rumors about Samsung’s foldable smartphone , which may release in 2017, have circulated for months; however, a recent report from Bloomberg backs up claims that such a device is on the way.
Samsung may launch two new smartphone designs in 2017 with the foldable display concept, sources told Bloomberg Tuesday. One such smartphone, codenamed “Project Valley” may open and close like a makeup compact, starting in 5-inch form, more like a smartphone, but folding out into an 8-inch form, more like a tablet. Samsung could announce this smartphone in February 2017 during the next Mobile World Congress.
Samsung has made considerable advances in flexible and foldable display technology in recent years. The manufacturer showcased its Youm technology for bendable displays in 2013, when rumors suggested the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 might feature a flexible display. Instead, consumers have seen many iterations of Samsung’s experiments, from the Galaxy Round, to the Galaxy Note Edge to the Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S6 Edge+ and Galaxy S7 Edge. Rumors indicate Samsung's upcoming flagship phablet , which may be called the Galaxy Note 7 instead of the Galaxy Note 6, may also feature curved edges.
However, Samsung’s aim has always been to introduce a device that can actually bend, screen and all. The manufacturer holds several patents for such smartphone designs.
The manufacturer hopes to launch its foldable display smartphone before Apple can introduce devices with OLED displays, according to Bloomberg’s source. The iOS manufacturer is supposedly working with Samsung to supply OLED displays for devices to release in late 2017. Apple is known for using LCD displays on its devices; however, OLED displays are known for having richer color depth and brightness.
