Samsung confirms development of phones with foldable displays
What's the story
According to Samsung's latest earnings report, the company is developing foldable displays for its 2018 smartphones. In the pipeline for a while, Samsung first showcased a prototype for its foldable display in 2013. Earlier, Samsung had said that it is yet to overcome some "problems" around the foldable display technology, but now the company is touting it as a definite source of new revenue.
Quote
Samsung to adopt cutting-edge technologies for smartphones
Mentioning the component for the third time in its official reports, Samsung said, "As for the Mobile business, Samsung will continue its efforts to differentiate its smartphones by adopting cutting-edge technologies, such as foldable OLED displays."
Details
Foldable phone to go on sale in 2019
In January, it was reported that Samsung had unveiled its first foldable phone at the CES 2018 - but in secret, during a private meeting. Samsung reportedly also shared a timeline of the device's launch. Samsung's display-manufacturing-arm, Samsung Display developed a huge 7.3-inch foldable screen; it plans to start production this year. The phone would be released in 2019.
Background
Before foldable displays, Samsung forayed into flexible displays
Samsung had earlier forayed into flexible displays, that can curve and bend, and that are currently being used in Galaxy S8 and Note 8 smartphones. However, foldable displays hint towards a screen that can fold in its entirety. Such OLED panels seem an apt fit for a foldable phone, something that can replace flip phones, and for which Samsung has already submitted a patent.