remontandroid
Samsung's rollable phone: Aim for 2028
Samsung's ambitions in the area of rollable phones are nothing new. The company has long been associated with concepts of expandable smartphones appearing in patents, prototype displays, and supply chain reports. Now, a new report from South Korea adds another piece to the puzzle and suggests the project is still ongoing.
South Korean portal Money Today reports that Samsung plans to launch its first rollable smartphone in the first half of 2028 (via SamMobile). That is still far off, but the report lends credibility to rumors that have been circulating for several years.
The device is expected to use a rollable OLED panel from Samsung Display, but no final decision has been made yet. Samsung Electronics is reportedly leading development internally and is working closely with its display division.
Technology on the rise
This should come as no surprise to anyone following Samsung's display technology. Samsung Display has been showcasing flexible OLED concepts for years that go far beyond today's foldables. At CES 2023, it introduced the Flex Hybrid display, which combines folding and sliding into one panel. It also demonstrated the Rollable Flex, a display that can expand to more than five times its original size. These demonstrations never came with launch plans, but they showed that the underlying technology is constantly maturing.
Samsung has filed numerous patents for expandable smartphones over the years, leading to speculation that a commercial device is only a matter of time. Patents don't always turn into products, but this latest report suggests Samsung hasn't given up on the idea.
Challenges and prospects
A rollable phone is not like today's foldables. Instead of a hinge, part of the display is hidden inside the phone's body and slides out at the user's request. This approach promises a larger display without having to carry an ever-larger device. However, this convenience comes with significant technical challenges. The display must be rolled and unrolled many times without damaging the OLED panel, and the internal mechanism must be reliable for years of daily use. Samsung also needs to ensure that the larger screen maintains brightness, color accuracy, and structural integrity.
If the reported timeline is accurate, we still have several years to wait before Samsung shows what comes after foldables.