Samsung had a rough start with foldable smartphones as the original Galaxy Fold ran into several problems. However, the company has turned things around as it has refined the technology in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip. The focus is now on rollable / sliding smartphones. Companies like TCL, LG, and Oppo are all working on similar technology. And now, it has been confirmed that Samsung is working on smartphones with rollable or sliding screen as well.
Samsung Rollable/Sliding Screen Smartphones
The news was first reported by The Elec, a South Korean media outlet that focuses on the tech industry. According to the report, Samsung Display has confirmed that the company is developing on rollable and slidable smartphones. These new form factors are what the company believes will help it expand its leadership in foldable technology.
As of now, Samsung has already foldable smartphones in two different form factors – Fold (Galaxy Fold, Galaxy X Fold 2) and Flip (Galaxy Z Flip). The introduction of smartphones with rollable and foldable screens will expand the company’s portfolio of foldable smartphones. As a result, customers will have more form factors to choose from.
We are yet to see any official renders or live-images of Samsung rollable/sliding screen smartphones. However, LetsGoDigital published some renders of the said phones based on what they would look like.
Last year, it was TCL that shared its concept of rollable/sliding screens. Then there was news of LG, the brand behind the T-shaped Wing phone, working on similar technology. The company also teased the technology in the CES 2021. Oppo has also showcased a working prototype of the technology in Oppo X 2021.
Samsung may be looking to beat all these brands in integrating the technology in commercial smartphones. The company is looking to launch phones with new form factors later this year.
Other Display Trends in 2021
Also, the company has announced that it will still be developing LCD panels. If you remember, it was announced last year that Samsung Display will stop production of LCD panels by the end of 2020 in favor of other display technology. Since its clients are still using LCD panels, the company will still produce them at their request.
The company will also be promoting its OLED panels. Samsung is working on making OLED work with variable refresh rate and tweaking it to consume less power. In addition to smartphones, Samsung will also be shipping OLED panels to notebook and laptop manufacturers. Samsung will also push its Quantum Display to premium TVs.
- Watch our review of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.