Samsung's new foldables: rollable, S-shaped and with 17-inch diagonal
18.5.2021
Translation: Eva Francis
Samsung showcased new concepts for the devices of the future as part of a virtual Display Week exhibition. These seem so well developed that they could hit the market tomorrow.
At the Society for Information Displays exhibition, Samsung revealed new concepts for foldable devices. Yet, these devices aren’t the «up in the air» concepts that are usually presented. They’re also not market-ready devices. They’re something in between.
The three concepts are daring and show a completely new way of using smartphones.
The rollable Samsung
The most conservative concept of the devices shown is the rollable Samsung smartphone. Samsung calls the device a «Slidable», breaking with the previous, unofficial naming «Rollable».
The display is curved so that it rolls up over the long edge of the device. Judging by the distance of the Samsung Slidable, the rolled-up display isn’t coiled, but merely bent by 270 degrees. Therefore, the roll-out part of the display is relatively small.
The Foldable with two hinges
Samsung is calling the foldable smartphone with two hinges the «S-Foldable». Why? Because the phone is supposed to look like the letter S with a half-opened display. Attentive observers of the above image will have noticed that the supposed S looks more like a Z. However, the Samsung Galaxy Fold Z already exists.
When opened up, the S-Foldable measures 7.2 inches diagonally and is supposed to feel more like a tablet.
The foldable tablet
The South Korean company doesn’t only manufacture smartphones, but also tablets. The pioneer of foldable smartphones must have therefore wondered what happens when a tablet is folded.
This isn’t a new concept. If you know the Samsung Galaxy Fold, you know the Foldable Tablet. At least its hardware. The tablet is just larger, measuring 17 inches diagonally when opened. On the software side, Samsung is intending to use the foldable tablet's proximity to the PC and Microsoft as a strength. The foldable tablet is designed to function as an external screen for laptops or PCs.
In essence, imagine something like the Asus ZenScreen Touch that can be folded and used as a regular tablet.
The notebook with under panel camera
What looks like a regular notebook at first glance is actually a small revolution. Samsung claims that they’ve managed to place the device's webcam under the screen.
Samsung's engineers aren’t the first with to come up with this idea. It is rumoured that Chinese manufacturer Vivo will launch the next Nex Phone with an under panel camera. Oppo showcased a prototype of the under display selfie cam in 2019. Oppo is also rumoured to be rolling out a production-ready product soon.
But still, Samsung's notebook with an under panel camera allows for a bezel-less display, which looks very elegant.
No details have been announced yet regarding its sales launch. Neither globally, nor in Switzerland, nor at digitec. What a shame.
Journalist. Author. Hacker. A storyteller searching for boundaries, secrets and taboos – putting the world to paper. Not because I can but because I can’t not.
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