Samsung Galaxy X: Everything we know so far

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Think the Samsung Edge display was cool? Something cooler could be coming very soon. Samsung has been working on foldable displays for a number of years, and the South Korean giant might finally be ready to showcase its first completely flexible smartphone in late 2018 or early 2019.

Information about the phone, which has been dubbed the Galaxy X or “Treble Eight” (don’t confuse it for the Galaxy S10 that we also anticipate) has slowly trickled out. Here’s everything we think we know about it so far.

Release date and price

So when should we expect to see Samsung’s folding masterpiece? According to an interview between DJ Koh and CNBC, details about the Galaxy X may be offered in November at the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco. That’s not to say Samsung will actually announce a new folding handset at the event. Instead Bloomberg reports a detailed conceptual image of the phone will be shown at the conference.. This jibes with earlier reports that confirmed the launch of the foldable smartphone wasn’t far away. In those earlier reports DJ Koh also indicated the phone isn’t a one-time thing, and might actually emerge as a series.

Other rumors and leaks suggest Samsung intends to launch the device early in 2019. They claim the initial rollout wouldn’t be on a large scale, but would instead target more specific markets with a “broader commercial debut in the second half of 2019.” If we had to guess exactly when Samsung plans to launch the phone, we’d hesitantly go with the rumor that the phone will be announced at Mobile World Congress in February 2019.

While Samsung might be the first smartphone manufacturer to launch a phone with a foldable screen, it won’t come at a cheap price. Kim Jang-yeol, head of research at Golden Bridge Investment, says the phone could reportedly cost as much as two million won at release, Korea Times reports. In the U.S., that converts to about $1,850.

This project has been in the cards for some time. Samsung it made reference to flexible and folding screens several times in its end-of-2017 financial report, discussing short to midterm advances in mobile, and its intention to “differentiate its smartphones by adopting cutting-edge technologies, such as foldable OLED displays.” The company first introduced the concept of a foldable display at CES 2013 and supposedly showed its first foldable phone prototype in a private meeting at CES 2014.

Design

What will the Samsung Galaxy X look like? Well, as of October 2018, it seems that even Samsung isn’t sure what their folding phone will look like. Bloomberg reports that Samsung is still deciding between a two designs. One version is longer horizontally when the phone is unfolded while the other is longer vertically. Apparently the current frontrunner is the vertical version that resembles a flip phone and has a small display on the outside that displays messages and notifications.

In a recent interview with CNET, Samsung mobile CEO D.J. Koh recently shed some light on the project, noting that it would essentially take the form of a tablet with multi-tasking features that would then fold up into a more portable phone. Koh also stressed that the phone would not be a gimmick and that it will be available globally when it does finally get launched, unlike some other Samsung phones that have only been available in South Korea.

And while it looks like the design is still being debated at Samsung HQ, some early rumors may give us a rough idea.

One of the most recent rumors comes courtesy of Let’s Go Digital. The tech site uncovered a recent patent Samsung submitted to WIPO.

The patent shows a smartphone with a display that folds over the back of the phone. The folded panel can be used as a viewfinder for the rear camera or can show unique information or graphics. When folded, it becomes part of the primary display.

The Wall Street Journal recently published a report with more details on what the Galaxy X might look like. Sources close to the matter say the device features a screen that measures about 7 inches diagonally and can be folded in half — like a wallet. When the phone is folded, the outside shows a small display bar on one side and the other side holds the cameras.

Corroborating the report, a Samsung patent discovered by LetsGoDigital matches the same description. The patent, titled “Foldable Electronic Device Including Hidden Display and Information Display Method Thereof,” illustrates a foldable smartphone with a second display that is partly covered until the device is fully folded — which is when it will activate. From the images, it looks like the display is hidden under the top rear of the device when it’s unfolded and then comes out once it’s closed. While it hasn’t been confirmed, this could be how the hidden display will function.

The hidden display is where you will see information like texts or notifications, whether you’re in portrait or landscape mode. That way, you’ll be able to see important alerts without having to unfold the phone each time. The patent also states the touchscreen will be compatible with an S pen.

Another report comes from the Korean Times, which spoke to Park Hyung-woo, an analyst at Shinhan Financial in South Korea. Park believes the Galaxy X will have two inside panels forming the 7.3-inch screen when the phone is unfolded, along with one outside panel to use when it’s folded.

According to South Korean news site The Bell, the final design for the Galaxy X foldable smartphone was tentatively confirmed in May. In a surprise to absolutely no one, the Galaxy X will apparently be using OLED panels in its construction — but what is notable is the number of them. According to The Bell’s report, the Galaxy X will feature three 3.5-inch OLED panels, two that form a massive 7-inch screen when unfolded, and a single one on the rear of the device that allows for the phone to be used when folded. If such a design is accurate, we could soon be adding a device with a 7-inch screen to our list of the smallest smartphones — not something we thought we would be doing.

via IndianExpress

Screens without bezels, like the ones used on the Galaxy S9, may be used to create a seamless, one-screen look. A recent patent confirmed that Samsung is experimenting with even more bezel-less phones — possibly even a completely bezel-less front with an under-display fingerprint sensor.

Previous Galaxy X designs showed a massive 7.3-inch OLED screen that folded down into a shape reminiscent of the popular “clamshell” phone designs of the past. The above image shows a Galaxy X that’s less sleek than current smartphone designs, with the back of the phone sporting a curved and wavy design. On November 9, 2017, Sammobile released a whole host of images that appeared to show the Galaxy X. A previous patent from Samsung Display was registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office at the end of September 2016. The diagrams included are dated mid-June and show a clamshell-like device that resembles a makeup compact, folding out into a traditional rectangular smartphone shape.

Before this, a different patent filed by Samsung showed how a folded and unfolded Galaxy X might operate. As Patently Mobile reports, a user could touch an icon on the edge area of the phone so that the app will be open once the device is unfolded. Multiple user profiles would also be displayed on the edge, allowing multiple users to enter passwords to access information from the device’s edge.

Name

Now that the Project Valley prototype is no more, what will the production version of Samsung’s first official foldable phone be called? And when will it be released? The Galaxy X has been most commonly used to refer to the phone, but rumors from Bloomberg and The Bell state Samsung uses the code name “Winner” for its coming folding phone. Earlier this year there was a rumor that the phone would be called the Galaxy F, however it seems less likely.

The smartphone’s model number — SM-G888N0 — was posted on a support page on Samsung’s site, and while the page is currently empty and lists no other information, it’s not the first time we’ve seen the number appear. The phone’s model number (with “N0” reportedly denoting that it’s for the South Korean market), was also listed on documents for Bluetooth testing. Then it was referenced in Wi-Fi certification from the Wi-Fi Alliance and in filings submitted to the National Radio Research Agency of the Korea Communications Commission.

Specifications

There have been no rumors regarding the Galaxy X’s specifications. However, the foldable phone has been linked with a tweet stating Samsung is developing a gaming phone. The rumor came shortly after the same account stated the Galaxy X would not be called the Galaxy X, leading to speculation the phone will be marketed to gamers. This has been mentioned in the past, after it was stated Samsung would target gamers with a limited initial release of the device. If gaming is the phone’s focus, then expect the specification to be high.

Updated on October 26, 2018: Samsung may show detailed image of Galaxy X in November before launching the phone in 2019.

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