Foldable displays on smartphones isn’t a new rumour or trend. What is new is that Samsung has confirmed that it is working on a smartphone with a foldable display, reportedly called the 'Galaxy F', and is racing to be the first to bring it to the market. For the longest time, Samsung's foldable smartphone was rumoured to be called the 'Galaxy X'. In fact, back in February, Samsung CEO DJ Koh had told CNET in an interview that the company will ensure that its foldable smartphone is not a gimmick. "I need complete confidence that we're delivering the best user experience when we're launching a new category.
When the time comes to show off the device, I'll be open about the new product,” he said. Now, Speaking with Forbes in an interview, Koh has once again stressed on the importance of the foldable Galaxy smartphone. He said that Samsung is "focusing on developing innovations that will be genuinely accepted and liked by consumers". "Didn't want to lose the world's first title," he added. The device is question is the rumoured Galaxy F series of devices as per the report. Koh has reportedly confirmed that Samsung's foldable phone will not be a one-off device, but will be the beginning of a new range of devices. There is no information available as to when Samsung will unveil the new foldable device or whether the foldable display will make an appearance on the 10th anniversary Galaxy S10 slated to launch next year.
However, the workings of the foldable Samsung phone have been leaked through patent listings several times since last year. Samsung isn’t the only company toying with a foldable display on a smartphone. In the past we have heard rumours and seen patent filings suggesting that Apple and Huawei are both working on devices with foldable displays, while we have also seen phones like the ZTE Axon M play with the concept of a foldable smartphone by combining two displays with a hinge. According to Wamsi Mohan, an analyst at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Apple may launch a foldable iPhone in 2020 that could potentially double up as a tablet. Last year, CEO of Huawei's Consumer Business Group, Richard Yu had also revealed that Huawei is working on a foldable phone which could be released in 2018.
The company had filed the patent for a foldable phone at WIPO (World Intellectual property Organization). Yu mentioned that the prototype they are working on has a gap in the middle of the two screens, and they are trying to get rid of that. Samsung recently launched its phablet, the Galaxy Note 9 in India. The device will be available in two variants - Rs 67,900 for the 128GB storage variant and the Rs 84,900 for the 512GB storage option. In terms of specifications, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 sports a 6.4-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED display and is powered by the Exynos 9810 Octa processor. It runs on Android Oreo 8.1 and comes in two variants, one with 6GB RAM/128GB storage and another with 8GB RAM/512GB storage.
For shutterbugs, the Galaxy Note 9 comes equipped with a dual-rear camera setup with Dual OIS. There is a 12MP wide-angle sensor with F1.5/F2.4 variable aperture and a 12MP telephoto lens with an F2.4 aperture. On the front is an 8MP sensor with F1.7 aperture. This year, the upgraded S-Pen stylus supports Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) and enables users to use it as a remote to take selfies, group pictures, present slides, pause and play music, and more. The Galaxy Note 9 supports fast wireless charging and is IP68 rated. You can read our first impressions of Samsung’s phablet here.