Not so long ago, a patent application for a Samsung foldable smartphone was picked up by Dutch tech site GalaxyClub. It was suggested that the bendable and foldable smartphone was a part of ‘Project Valley,’ Samsung’s very own moonshot. Looks like the South Korean company may be finally ready to unveil its foldable smartphone at the Mobile World Congress 2017.
A new report by out of Korea reveals Samsung is developing two types of foldable smartphones, both completely different from each other. The latest development will be part of Samsung’s ‘two-track strategy’.
Samsung Foldable Smartphones
Are Consumers Ready For The Samsung Foldable Smartphones?
Samsung is developing a dual-screen smartphone that will use a flat display on each side, along with a foldable smartphone with a single flexible OLED display. It is widely believed that Samsung will first gauge responses from markets after releasing its dual-screen smartphone. Later, it will release its bendable and foldable smartphone.
Samsung’s dual-screen smartphone strikingly resembles a Japan Display Inc. product. The smartphone does not bend a panel, but instead has a hinge in the middle and has a flat display on each side. A one-of-a-kind flexible rear hinge and a flexible display will allow users to unvaryingly change from a regular smartphone shape to a flip phone.
Three years ago, Samsung released the curved smartphone called ‘Galaxy Round’ to gauge early responses from users regarding the curved functions and related functions. Soon, it released Galaxy Note Edge that has an edge display in 2014.
Smartphone enthusiasts believe that with the dual-screen smartphone, Samsung is trying to increase the level of awareness on the usage of a foldable phone.
In 2014, Samsung released a video of a foldable product, which could function both as a smartphone and a tablet. The video showed an in-foldable smartphone, which had a foldable panel on the inside. Although, the Samsung foldable smartphone under Project Valley is going to be an out-foldable smartphone which can bend outwardly.
In an out-foldable smartphone, the OLED panels are placed in the front and the back. This allows the users to use the smartphone as a table when it is not folded. At Lenovo’s Tech World event in August 2016, the company took a moment to demo an out-foldable smartphone. The smartphone can function as a bendable wrist phone and a tablet that folds in half.
Samsung Unfolds Strategy For The Launch of Project Valley Devices
By any means, it looks like Samsung is it for a long game. For now, it’s focusing on a foldable technology’s capabilities to avoid another Galaxy Note 7-like nightmare. The exploding and fire-catching Galaxy Note 7 turned out to be the biggest disaster in smartphone history.
The two Project Valley devices will debut in February at the Mobile World Congress 2017. Although, there’s no word yet on what names Samsung has chosen for the foldable smartphones.