Samsung May Have Outdone Apple's Announcement With Their Foldable Smartphone

Tuesday marked the latest edition of Apple’s annual September “special event,” with the Cupertino-based tech giant showing off an all-display iPhone X with wireless charging. But across the Pacific, Samsung’s president of mobile might’ve stolen the show with an announcement that could revolutionize the form and function of smartphones as we know them.

At a news conference, Samsung’s Koh Dong-Jin told reporters the company plans to release a Galaxy Note model with a foldable display sometime in 2018. While rumors of a handset with a bendable OLED screen have swirled since Samsung produced a prototype of the tech back in 2013, Koh’s comments are a declaration of intent. “As the head of the business, I can say our current goal is next year. When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product,” he said.

While the South Korean consumer electronics company has incorporated curved displays into some of its TVs and mobile handsets, creating a truly collapsable display will be a bigger challenge. Koh would only say that there are still “several hurdles” to overcome, but figuring out how to incorporate rigid hardware components and working around competitor LG’s patent on a foldable tablet concept look to be two of them.

Despite the obstacles, Apple’s biggest rival is determined to make foldable screens a reality. There’s no telling when the rumored “Galaxy Note X” will launch, but Koh implied he’s willing to push back the phone’s release date if the cutting-edge flexible display isn’t ready. As long as this Galaxy Note installment doesn’t spontaneously combust, it’ll go a long way toward restoring Samsung’s image as a smartphone innovator.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

Read More :