Samsung Display Reportedly Expects Foldable Smartphones to Be Commercialised in 2019

While some reports from earlier this year indicated that Samsung is looking to launch a foldable smartphone by as early as Q3 this year, a report cites Samsung Display's principal engineer Kim Tae-woong to say such smartphones may not be commercialised until 2019. As per Kim Tae-woong, the bezel-less display by the company already sells well and the foldable smartphone still needs to overcome some technical obstacles.

At Display TechSalon event in Seoul, Kim Tae-woong said, "Because the bezel-free display currently sells well, we still have enough time to develop foldable display. The technology is expected to be mature around 2019," as per South Korean publication The Korea Herald.

Chung Won-seok, an analyst at HI Investment and Securities, clarified that the South Korean company doesn't need to commercialise foldable smartphones as it is already enjoying 20 percent of the operating profits with the bezel-less display, as per the report. "When the demand for bezel-free handsets slows down, Samsung will unveil the foldable display as the next card," he reportedly said.

Notably, Samsung Display said that single foldable phones are expected to be unveiled before multi-foldable (both sides) phones will be introduced, The Korea Herald points out.

Samsung's foldable smartphone is currently expected to be named Galaxy X. Last month, a trademark in the same name was spotted by a Twitter user who posted the screenshot of the document showing the name while another image included a Galaxy X branding promo.