Foldable Display | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Mon, 21 Jan 2019 15:39:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png Foldable Display | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 New patent shows off Motorola’s revived Razr complete with foldable display https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/damien-cox/new-patent-shows-off-motorolas-revived-razr-brand-complete-with-foldable-display/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/damien-cox/new-patent-shows-off-motorolas-revived-razr-brand-complete-with-foldable-display/#respond Mon, 21 Jan 2019 15:12:40 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=401724 After dominating the smartphone market back in the mid-2000s, Motorola’s Razr brand has been pegged for a comeback thanks to developments in foldable display technology. Details surrounding the device have been few and far between, but a new patent gives us our first look at what could very well be Motorola’s next flagship. The Razr …

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After dominating the smartphone market back in the mid-2000s, Motorola’s Razr brand has been pegged for a comeback thanks to developments in foldable display technology. Details surrounding the device have been few and far between, but a new patent gives us our first look at what could very well be Motorola’s next flagship.

The Razr brand embedded itself as a fashion accessory thanks to film and television utilising its unique appearance, but quickly began to dominate the market thanks to an ultra-slim profile and affordable pricing. Unfortunately, successors failed to garner as much attention; however the Lenovo-owned Motorola Mobility seems to be looking to revive the iconic branding.

Whispers of a Razr smartphone with foldable display technology have been around for quite some time, although Motorola’s appearances at various technology conventions saw the manufacturer focus on its modular products instead. A new patent was filed on December 17, 2018, uncovered by 91Mobiles, which takes a closer look at what the company could have in-development.

The design looks similar to the popular Motorola Razr V3, including a rectangular second screen and a circular space for the company’s logo below. Noticeably, there is no front-facing camera when folded over or opened up. It’s not quite as bezel-less as current competitors on the market, with a thick chin and notch-like top, both presumed to house the speakers.

Of course, Motorola isn’t the first company to be toying with foldable screens, as Royole managed to take that crown at CES 2019. Samsung is also set to follow with its own Galaxy branded efforts in the near future, however the Razr concept is still unique in that it does away with the idea of tablet functionality and instead attempts to make smartphones more compact. In the age of the ever-increasing display size, this is perhaps a better way to go.

The Wall Street Journal believes that Motorola could unveil its foldable Razr smartphone as early as February, with a limited number of units priced as high as $1,500 each. Given that Google has announced it will be adding support for foldable smartphones within Android, this is likely Motorola’s operating system of choice, although this should be taken with a pinch of salt.

KitGuru Says: I have fond memories of my Moto Razr V3, especially given that the smartphones were incredibly durable. I can’t imagine the new version will be quite so tough when it comes to market, but that remains to be seen. Do you like the idea of a Motorola Razr sporting a foldable display?

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Samsung unfolds its Infinity Flex Display smartphone/tablet hybrid https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-announcement/damien-cox/samsung-unfolds-its-infinity-flex-display-smartphone-tablet-hybrid/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/featured-announcement/damien-cox/samsung-unfolds-its-infinity-flex-display-smartphone-tablet-hybrid/#respond Thu, 08 Nov 2018 14:57:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=394256 Samsung finally unveiled its foldable smartphone/tablet hybrid that’s become lovingly known as the Galaxy X by the media.

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While Samsung’s array of notches seems to have stolen a bit of the spotlight, its developer conference was still headlined by the firm’s new Infinity Flex Display. Details surrounding the tentatively titled Galaxy X handset are being kept under wraps, but Samsung did unveil more about what to expect from the screen and the user interface.

Come to be known as the Galaxy X by the media, Samsung’s flexible smartphone still has yet to be officially named. Despite this, many of the rumours surrounding the device seem to have been proven true so far, as the firm showcased a tablet that folds inwards and uses its external “cover” display to act as a traditional touchscreen smartphone.

Samsung was careful about exposing its final design by disguising the new technology in a dimly lit chunky case. Still, this is a proof of concept with a fully-fledged user interface that can supposedly be repeatedly opened and closed without degradation.

Reporters were firmly kept away from the experimental project, however CNET managed to get the inside track on screen specifications. When in tablet mode, the device on stage measures 7.3 inches at an unusual 1536×2152 resolution. Closing the device reveals an entirely separate 4.58-inch screen with a smaller 840×1960 resolution.

This is already considerably different to display maker FlexPai’s foldable smartphone/tablet hybrid that managed to beat Samsung to the punch last week. While Samsung’s tablet screen will be protected, FlexPai’s single 7.8-inch screen will be exposed by folding outwards to turn it into a 4-inch smartphone.

Delving into its new software, Samsung reveals that ‘One UI’ is derivative of its current Android overlay. It acts as “a new approach to content and controls” by splitting the window up into a ‘viewing area’ and ‘interaction area’. It will use new ‘Multi Active Window' tech to handle up to three applications simultaneously. Finally, most applications will relocate the navigation bar from the top to the bottom in order to prevent strain.

“Users now have the best of both worlds: a compact smartphone that unfolds to reveal a larger immersive display for multitasking and viewing content,” explained Samsung. “The app experience seamlessly transitions from the smaller display to the larger display as the device unfolds. In addition, users can browse, watch, connect and multitask without losing a beat, simultaneously using three active apps on the larger display.”

Samsung’s Infinity Flex Display-clad device is currently “within months” of mass production, meaning that these specifications are unlikely to change. In the meantime, the firm will be releasing a beta test for its One UI within the US later this month. This will be followed by a rollout to Samsung’s Galaxy S9, S9 Plus and Note 9 users alongside Android 9 Pie in 2019.

KitGuru Says: It looks like foldable is the future whether you like it or not. Honestly, I can see good applications for the devices, but it remains to be seen whether it will be an affordable and effective solution to something that is now like an extra limb to the population. How do you feel about Samsung’s flexible design?

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Display maker beats Samsung and LG to the punch, launching world’s first foldable smartphone/tablet https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/display-maker-beats-samsung-and-lg-to-the-punch-launching-worlds-first-foldable-smartphone-tablet/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/display-maker-beats-samsung-and-lg-to-the-punch-launching-worlds-first-foldable-smartphone-tablet/#respond Thu, 01 Nov 2018 12:03:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=393380 Over the last few years, there has been plenty of talk surrounding Samsung and LG releasing their own foldable smartphone/tablet hybrid devices. We were all expecting Samsung to be the first to release such a device but it looks like a dark horse has entered the arena and beat them to it, with Royole showing off the 'world's first' flexible smartphone this week.

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Over the last few years, there has been plenty of talk surrounding Samsung and LG releasing their own foldable smartphone/tablet hybrid devices. We were all expecting Samsung to be the first to release such a device but it looks like a dark horse has entered the arena and beat them to it, with Royole showing off the ‘world's first' flexible smartphone this week.

Royole is a little-known display maker that has clearly been paying close attention to this area of technology over the last few years. At an event in Beijing this week, the company showed off the ‘FlexPai', a smartphone/tablet hybrid that users can physically fold in half to switch between the two modes.

In tablet mode, the device's screen measures in at 7.8-inches and in smartphone mode, it cuts down to 4-inches. The FlexPai does look quite hefty and the software handling the changes doesn't appear to offer the smoothest experience. Still, this is an interesting first look at where this technology could go.

Under the hood, the FlexPai houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8150 SoC with 6GB or 8GB of RAM depending on the version, The battery measures in at 3,800mAh and the dual camera setup comprises of a 20MP and 16MP sensor.

It seems unlikely that we'll see the Royole FlexPai make its way to the west, it will also be quite expensive to pick up. In China, the device will cost between 8,999 Yuan and 12,999 Yuan depending on how much storage you need. Here in the UK, that works out to just over £1,000 for the base model and up to almost £1,500 for the top-end.

Royole may be the first to unveil its flexible smart device, but Samsung is also expected to show off its own either this year or in early 2019. Notorious smartphone leaker, Evan Blass, has also tweeted recently that LG is set to make its foldable phone debut at CES in 2019.

KitGuru Says: As a concept, this idea seems really cool, although I don't see phone makers ironing out all of the design kinks for a few more years. In the future where designs are thinner and everything runs smoothly, would you consider picking up a foldable device like this?

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Samsung wants to bring its foldable AMOLED displays to laptops too https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/samsung-wants-to-bring-its-foldable-amoled-displays-to-laptops-too/ https://www.kitguru.net/channel/generaltech/matthew-wilson/samsung-wants-to-bring-its-foldable-amoled-displays-to-laptops-too/#respond Wed, 24 Oct 2018 15:30:00 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=392354 Samsung has been teasing its foldable, unbreakable display technology for years. We're expecting the foldable smartphone/tablet to launch soon but after that, it looks like attention could turn towards laptops.

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We've been hearing about Samsung's foldable smartphone display plans for several years at this point but it looks like the company is planning to expand this technology to other areas too. We know that the first foldable display will appear on a Samsung smartphone in the near future, but it looks like we'll be seeing these displays spread to laptops too.

As reported by The Korea Herald, Samsung's VP of PC marketing, Lee Min-Cheol, recently touched on the company's foldable display plans at a recent event: “Like foldable smartphones, Samsung is collaborating with display makers to develop laptops with foldable displays that will not just simply fold in and out but create new value and user experience”.

These laptop displays would use Samsung's AMOLED technology. Outside of that though, we have no idea what design possibilities a larger flexible display could open up for laptops. Hopefully we'll hear more on that front once Samsung's Galaxy X foldable phone begins rolling out, which should be any time within the next few months.

KitGuru Says: Perhaps these foldable displays could be used to pack more than one screen in a laptop, delivering an all-in-one portable multi-screen setup. Either way, after hearing about this technology for years, it will be great to finally see it hit the market.

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Huawei wants to beat Samsung by launching its own foldable phone within a year https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/huawei-wants-to-beat-samsung-by-launching-its-own-foldable-phone-within-a-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/huawei-wants-to-beat-samsung-by-launching-its-own-foldable-phone-within-a-year/#respond Fri, 14 Sep 2018 13:51:11 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=386922 Last week, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh stated that it was “time to deliver” on its long-promised foldable OLED handset, potentially releasing the first consumer available bendable smartphone in 2019. Huawei has something to say about that, however, as it unveils plans to beat its rival to the punchline, hoping to get its own flexible …

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Last week, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh stated that it was “time to deliver” on its long-promised foldable OLED handset, potentially releasing the first consumer available bendable smartphone in 2019. Huawei has something to say about that, however, as it unveils plans to beat its rival to the punchline, hoping to get its own flexible device live and kicking “within a year.”

Although LG, Lenovo, Microsoft are all attempting to get their own foldable devices off the ground, Samsung publicly persisted as the frontrunner for the technology. Throughout this time, rumours claimed that Huawei was a contender in itself, striking a deal with Beijing Oriental Electronics (BOE) for flexible OLED panels ready for a limited run as soon as “very early 2019.”

Huawei CEO Richard Yu has since spoken out about this, telling German newspaper Die Welt that it is “already working” on bendable technology of its own. “You will not even have to wait another year.” Yu was coy about details surrounding the tentative device, however he did relate its proposed screen to rival those used with desktop setups.

Image: Microsoft's leaked Andromeda foldable device.

“Why are you still using a computer? Probably because the smartphone display is too small for you. We will change that. It is conceivable that a display can be folded out,” Yu postulates. It could just be his means of marketing, or Google Translate, but the use of “conceivable” suggests that a device capable of replacing desktop displays is a little further away than early 2019.

Not only is this an attempt to claw at Samsung as the number one smartphone vendor, it’s an effort to further the gap between Huawei and Apple after the former surpassed the latter in July. This is likely why Huawei has unveiled its plans so close to Apple’s iPhone Xs, Xs Max and Xr launch. In the meantime, Huawei will definitely be pushing forward with its plans for 5G throughout 2019, powering smartphones with its 5G-enabled Kirin 980.

KitGuru Says: It’s interesting to speculate what a foldable device could look like, although if it’s big enough to replace a laptop, I imagine it would be a rather chunky handset to carry around folded. What do you want to see from Huawei’s foldable smartphone?

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Samsung hopes to reveal more details on its foldable smartphone before the end of 2018 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/damien-cox/samsung-hopes-to-reveal-more-details-on-its-foldable-smartphone-before-the-end-of-2018/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/damien-cox/samsung-hopes-to-reveal-more-details-on-its-foldable-smartphone-before-the-end-of-2018/#respond Tue, 04 Sep 2018 12:43:51 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=385647 Many companies debuted their bendable OLED technology at this year’s IFA electronics show, with Samsung noticeably quiet despite having a foldable smartphone in the works for quite some time. Fortunately, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh has addressed the matter, hinting that the device could appear before the end of the year. Samsung has been tinkering …

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Many companies debuted their bendable OLED technology at this year’s IFA electronics show, with Samsung noticeably quiet despite having a foldable smartphone in the works for quite some time. Fortunately, Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh has addressed the matter, hinting that the device could appear before the end of the year.

Samsung has been tinkering with foldable displays as early as 2015, with multiple showcases and patents cropping up in subsequent years. Given that LG, Lenovo, Microsoft and more of the firm’s rivals are inching closer to their own versions of the technology, Samsung has been embroiled in a race to be the first to bring the displays to market.

While development has been “complicated” for Samsung, resulting in numerous delays, Koh revealed in an interview with CNBC that it’s “time to deliver” on its promises. The firm has already confirmed that the market is there with its own consumer surveys, however it had to wait for the right time to ensure “every device, every feature, every innovation” has a “meaningful message” rather than pumping out handsets that don’t change the scene enough to entice purchase.

Image: LG's OLED Canyon at IFA 2018.

Koh pointed towards Samsung’s Developer Conference held in San Francisco on November 7 to find out more details, although no window of release has been unveiled just yet. Given that Samsung has just about “nearly concluded” its design process, reasonable predictions would perhaps peg the undisclosed handset for a 2019 launch.

Sadly, this isn’t the first time that Samsung has shown confidence in an unveiling for it to backfire and see a further delay, so it’s worth taking this information with a pinch of salt. That being said, Samsung could really do with differentiating its line-up with something significant given recent incremental models.

KitGuru Says: I can’t help but imagine the introduction of foldable smartphones to hearken back to the days of flip phones. At the very least, it would be a lot easier to carry given screen size increases and potentially more protection for those screens. I dread to think of reparaibility, though. What would you want a bendable screen for?

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Reports suggest Samsung’s foldable smartphone will reach a launch price of £1,400 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/reports-suggest-samsungs-foldable-smartphone-will-reach-a-launch-price-of-1400/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/android/damien-cox/reports-suggest-samsungs-foldable-smartphone-will-reach-a-launch-price-of-1400/#respond Fri, 15 Jun 2018 13:44:31 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=376968 Samsung has been working on its foldable tech for quite some time, with the tentatively titled Galaxy X handset tipped to debut in 2019 sporting the flexible design. Reports are suggesting that this won’t come cheap, however, setting an unprecedented price of up to £1,400. According to The Korea Times, head of research at Golden …

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Samsung has been working on its foldable tech for quite some time, with the tentatively titled Galaxy X handset tipped to debut in 2019 sporting the flexible design. Reports are suggesting that this won’t come cheap, however, setting an unprecedented price of up to £1,400.

According to The Korea Times, head of research at Golden Bridge Investment, Jim Jang-yeol broke the news that Samsung could push towards a price of 2 million won for the technology. While this exchanges to approximately £1,380, if there is truth to the statement then it could reach much higher when the device releases in the west.

After numerous delays, the Galaxy X is now supposedly going to receive a soft debut at CES 2019, providing a hands-on with the device behind closed doors. A full launch is then expected around next year’s MWC, which follows the expected January reveal of the Samsung Galaxy S10.

Golden Bridge also shared the down-low on what to expect from the foldable device, which will supposedly pack a 7.3-inch OLED screen when unfolded, formed from two inner panels, while reducing to a single 4.5-inch screen when closed over. This information comes from Park Hyung-woo, an analyst at South Korean bank Shinhan Financial in his interview with the publication.

While Samsung continues to work on its own, presumably OLED, foldable display that it has showcased in the past, LG has made significant progress on its own bendy displays, with 100,000 panels expected to hit devices in Q4 2018. LG’s efforts are said to be more advanced than anything we’ve currently seen, but it might license the use of its technology rather than solely focus on first-party devices.

Samsung has kept surprisingly mum about the Galaxy X handset, currently in development under the codename ‘Project Valley’, meaning any and all information here is subject to change before release.

KitGuru Says: I am still not sold on the practicality of a foldable display but I am keen to see what Samsung and its rivals have in store to progress the otherwise stagnant smartphone market. Would you be open to a flexible smartphone?

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Samsung confirms it will be launching the first foldable OLED smartphone this year https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-confirms-it-will-be-launching-the-first-foldable-oled-smartphone-this-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-confirms-it-will-be-launching-the-first-foldable-oled-smartphone-this-year/#comments Wed, 31 Jan 2018 17:57:50 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=362567 We have been hearing whispers about Samsung's foldable display smartphone plans for several years now. In 2017, it looked like things were finally coming to fruition but it didn't end up coming to pass. This year though, things are different, as Samsung confirmed to investors in an earnings call this month that we will be …

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We have been hearing whispers about Samsung's foldable display smartphone plans for several years now. In 2017, it looked like things were finally coming to fruition but it didn't end up coming to pass. This year though, things are different, as Samsung confirmed to investors in an earnings call this month that we will be seeing the launch of foldable OLED smartphones.

Samsung held its quarterly earnings report on the 31st of January, during which the firm broke the news, stating: “in 2018, we will differentiate through the development of cutting-edge products, which as foldable OLED smartphones”.

Samsung held some secret meetings at CES this year to show off new prototypes for the foldable OLED smartphone, currently known as the Galaxy X. It likely used that opportunity to get feedback to inform final design decisions.

The current rumor is that the Galaxy X will be a smartphone/tablet hybrid, with a 7.3-inch display that can fold out to act as a tablet display, or fold in to fit the more traditional smartphone form factor. We don't know exactly when Samsung will launch the device, but confirmation of a 2018 launch is a good sign that we will hear more in the coming months.

KitGuru Says: Samsung began showing off its foldable display tech as far back as 2014. It has taken several years, but it looks like the company will finally be putting it to good use. It certainly sounds like an interesting concept, now we just have to wait and see if it catches on.

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Samsung engineer confirms Galaxy X foldable smartphone won’t release until 2019 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-engineer-confirms-galaxy-x-foldable-smartphone-wont-release-until-2019/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsung-engineer-confirms-galaxy-x-foldable-smartphone-wont-release-until-2019/#respond Tue, 04 Apr 2017 16:09:07 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=328784 Over the last 12 months or so, there have been tons of rumours regarding Samsung's upcoming foldable smartphone, currently known as the Galaxy X. While we know for a fact that a prototype is in the works, it seems that earlier indications that we may see it this year were untrue as this week a …

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Over the last 12 months or so, there have been tons of rumours regarding Samsung's upcoming foldable smartphone, currently known as the Galaxy X. While we know for a fact that a prototype is in the works, it seems that earlier indications that we may see it this year were untrue as this week a Samsung display engineer confirmed that the company would be taking more time with it.

This year, Samsung introduced the Galaxy S8 with a bezel-free display. It turns out, this new design is very popular, so rather than testing the waters with an all new flexible display, Samsung will be focussing on bezel-free displays for now.

Speaking at the Display TechSalon event in Seoul (via KoreaHerald), Samsung's principle display engineer, Kim Tae-Woong said: “Because the bezel-free display currently sells well, we still have enough time to develop foldable display”. He then added that the technology is “expected to be mature around 2019”, at which point the company will attempt to commercialise foldable phones.

While we won't see a Galaxy X on the market this year, there is still potential that we may see a prototype at some point. Still, it seems Samsung's foldable display is still further off than initially thought.

KitGuru Says: Samsung has been demonstrating its foldable display technology for years now, so it seemed pretty believable that we would see a close to finished product this year. Still, if the tech needs more time, then it needs more time.

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Samsung’s Galaxy X foldable smartphone tipped to be shown off in Q3 https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsungs-galaxy-x-foldable-smartphone-tipped-to-be-shown-off-in-q3/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/samsungs-galaxy-x-foldable-smartphone-tipped-to-be-shown-off-in-q3/#comments Tue, 14 Mar 2017 18:07:22 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=325157 Samsung has been experimenting with foldable/flexible displays for quite some time, showing off its new technology at trade shows for a number of years now. However, over the last few months we have been seeing increasing reports claiming that Samsung now has its tech down to a point that it can implemented into an actual …

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Samsung has been experimenting with foldable/flexible displays for quite some time, showing off its new technology at trade shows for a number of years now. However, over the last few months we have been seeing increasing reports claiming that Samsung now has its tech down to a point that it can implemented into an actual product. The first smartphone to feature this all new flexible display is currently dubbed the ‘Galaxy X' and according to reports this week, it will make its debut later this year.

Now this isn't the first time we have heard that Samsung may unveil the Galaxy X in 2017. However, while earlier reports left a lot to the imagination, this week's rumour from ETNews claims that the Galaxy X will be be unveiled in Q3 this year but only in prototype form.

Previously, we were led to believe that the Galaxy X would be a product you could actually buy, with an unveiling at Samsung's usual August/September Unpacked event. However, if this latest report is to be believed, we will only get a look at the concept this year, likely in an effort to gauge the public reaction.

If the concept goes down well, then the Galaxy X may end up being a finalised smartphone in 2018. If people end up hating it, then Samsung will likely go back to the drawing board and come up with something else.

KitGuru Says: Going straight to market with a concept as wild as a foldable/rollable smart device would be a risky move, so it makes sense that Samsung wants to show its prototype first and get a feel for the public reaction before investing more into it. 

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Microsoft is experimenting with foldable phone/tablet hybrids https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-experimenting-with-foldable-phonetablet-hybrids/ https://www.kitguru.net/lifestyle/mobile/matthew-wilson/microsoft-is-experimenting-with-foldable-phonetablet-hybrids/#respond Mon, 16 Jan 2017 18:52:02 +0000 http://www.kitguru.net/?p=317788 It looks like Samsung and LG aren't the only ones working on flexible display technology as it appears that Microsoft has also been experimenting with new designs. This week, a new patent from Microsoft was discovered, detailing what appears to be a Surface device with a foldable display, allowing you to extend your smartphone into …

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It looks like Samsung and LG aren't the only ones working on flexible display technology as it appears that Microsoft has also been experimenting with new designs. This week, a new patent from Microsoft was discovered, detailing what appears to be a Surface device with a foldable display, allowing you to extend your smartphone into a tablet.

The patent filings were made as far back as 2014 and detail a new concept mobile device. From the looks of it, there are three modes, smartphone mode, tablet mode and then what looks like a kickstand mode, with the tablet propped up.


This particular patent was filed by Kabir Siddiqui at Microsoft, who has previously filed patents for the Surface kickstand and Surface camera for Microsoft. This patent could potentially be showing us what Microsoft wants the future Surface Phone to be, which has been rumoured for quite some time.

As The Verge points out, Microsoft has a history of avoiding traditional form factors with all things Surface-related, whether it be the aspect ratio of the Surface Studio display or the kickstand on the Surface tablet. Microsoft's place in the smartphone market hasn't been great for a number of years, so a never before seen device like this could be just what the company needs to stir up interest.

All of that said, this is still just a patent filing, which means there is no guarantee that we will ever see a finished product come out of this. That said, the foldable smartphone concept is pretty far along at this point, with LG ready to mass produce flexible displays and Samsung reportedly launching the Galaxy X later this year, there is a chance that Microsoft could also have a smartphone like this ready for release later this year.

KitGuru Says: Flexible and foldable screens are going to pave the way for some really interesting and new designs, which is just what the smartphone market needs at this point. After all, flagship releases have become quite predictable over the last few years. What do you guys think of Microsoft's Surface phone/tablet concept? 

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