The foldable smartphone that Samsung is working on not only has a foldable screen on the inside, but also a secondary screen on the outside, business newspaper The Wall Street Journal reports based on anonymous sources.
Concept foldable smartphone Samsung from 2011
There is a small screen on the front and the cameras on the back, The Wall Street Journal claims. According to the newspaper, the device would have a screen of around 7 “unfolded. The article does not mention how large the secondary screen is at the front.
According to the newspaper, Samsung is aiming for a niche such as gamers with the first generation of the device, which should be released in 2019. The price would also be too high for a mainstream phone. According to The Wall Street Journal, the phone would cost more than $1500, which in Europe would be around $1600 including VAT. The most expensive Samsung phone to date is last year’s Galaxy Note 8, which cost 999 euros at release. In addition to the screen, other components would also cost more than with other devices.
Samsung would like to explore the market for foldable smartphones with the model, without the immediate goal being to sell a lot of them. The same happened with the curved screens that are now on the Galaxy S9 and Note 8, for example; Samsung tried that with a variant of the Galaxy Note 4, called Note Edge. It also appeared in a relatively small edition.
The manufacturer has wanted to make a smartphone with a folding screen for years and hopes to be the first. Reportedly, Chinese manufacturers are also working on the technology, although they probably need OLED screens from Samsung. Samsung has previously confirmed that it is working on a smartphone with a folding screen, but it has been postponed time and again so far. In recent months, the release of the device is said to have become ‘a top priority’ within Samsung.
The business newspaper also reports the arrival of a speaker from Samsung with assistant Bixby. According to the newspaper, the speaker is spherical with legs at the bottom. The speaker would come along with the Galaxy Note 9 in August and cost around $ 300. Samsung has already confirmed that it is working on the speaker.