Samsung hasn’t folded on new device
Months after reports surfaced that Samsung was working on a smartphone that folds into a square, the South Korean tech giant is offering a glimpse at a concept that takes flip phones to the next level.
On Tuesday at its 2019 developer conference in San Jose, Samsung showed a clip of a new device that folds vertically like the Motorola Razr from 2004. Instead of having a keyboard on its lower half like the flashback flip phones, the entire front of the concept device is a touch screen.
Samsung said in a tweet that it is a new “form factor” and the brand is exploring other kinds of foldable devices.
The concept has punch-hole cameras like the Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Plus. No name for the conceptualized smartphone was announced and it’s unclear if it will ever hit the market.
Still, the announcement gives credence to a September report that the electronics company is building a premium smartphone that folds down into a square, shutting closed like a clamshell.
The sneak peek comes on the heels of Samsung’s long-delayed Galaxy Fold, which we reviewed in September. The hybrid between a smartphone and a tablet has a $1,980 price tag and two internal batteries.
As interest and intrigue continue to grow over foldable phones, it’s still unclear how successful the segment will be considering smartphone companies have had a hard time getting first attempts right.
Samsung’s Galaxy fold was riddled with problems including creasing screens, delaying its official launch.
Huawei was supposed to unveil its Mate X foldable phone in September after a planned release date in June. And reviewers of the Royole FlexPai complained the world’s first commercial foldable smartphone had design and software issues.
Motorola has teased a Razr comeback in 2019. CNET reported in September that the company is still on track.