Foldable Smartphone with Tablet Function to Be Released This Year

According to sources in the display industry on June 24, Samsung and LG Electronics are planning to roll out new smartphones with 5-inch flexible displays as early as this September.

Last year, both companies also introduced flexible smartphones like the Galaxy Round and the G Flex, but their influence was not far-reaching. Samsung’s flexible smartphones that are going to be released this year are more likely to feature a new three-sided flexible display.

Previously, Samsung showcased a flexible “Youm” display at last year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The Korean tech giant rolled out new flexible smartphone called the Galaxy Round in October of last year using the Youm display, but the phone did not live up to market expectations owing to a lack of differentiated features beyond its flexible screen. 

To address the problem, the world’s largest smartphone vendor has reportedly been working to develop smartphones with a three-sided flexible display by upgrading the Youm display. A prototype of the new model received a lot of attention at Samsung’s Analyst Day 2013. The firm also filed a patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for a three-sided display.  

The new model has a wraparound screen that displays a battery charging status, lock mode, and alarm messages on the side of the device. The industry anticipates that the new flexible version will receive a warmer response from the market than the Galaxy Round, since it can show more information to users. 

In addition, Samsung is said to be intensifying efforts to develop foldable smartphones with two functions. When folded, the device functions as a smartphone, but becomes a tablet when unfolded. The company filed a patent for a foldable display with the USPTO as well. 

LG is also reportedly planning to introduce new flexible smartphones in the latter half of this year. The new flexible model features a QHD display with a 510ppi pixel density, while the recently released G3 is equipped with a QHD screen with 538 pixels per inch. The second-largest Android phone maker is said to have a plan to stress its competitive advantage in technology by launching flexible smartphones that sport a screen with a QHD resolution.