Samsung's Foldable Smartphone Isn't a Gimmick, Claims CEO; Bixby Speaker Coming H2 2018

Samsung Mobile CEO DJ Koh, on the sidelines of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ launch in Barcelona, revealed some details about the company's first foldable smartphone that is already rumoured as the Galaxy X. The executive stated in a media interview that the foldable smartphone isn't just a gimmick. Foldable smartphones are so far a part of concepts, but Samsung is one of those market leaders who is set to distinguish the experience. The South Korean company during its latest earnings call late last month confirmed that it would bring foldable OLED smartphones this year to differentiate from the competition. The company also confirmed the development of the Bixby-powered smart speaker, as well as the timeline for its arrival.

Koh told CNET, "I need complete confidence that we're delivering the best user experience when we're launching a new category." While the executive didn't divulge any further details about the new development, he promised to be open about the new development when the time comes to unveil the handset.

At CES 2018 in Las Vegas last month, Samsung reportedly privately showcased a prototype of its foldable device that was reportedly featuring a 7.3-inch display panel. It is expected that the first version of the foldable device by Samsung will fold inwards, while a model with an outward folding screen is likely to be unveiled at a later stage.

Samsung in its quarterly report last month confirmed the production of foldable OLED displays that are vital for making distinguished form factors. "As for the Mobile business, Samsung will continue its efforts to differentiate its smartphones by adopting cutting-edge technologies, such as foldable OLED displays," the company said in its quarterly report for the fourth quarter of 2017.

Samsung is targeting to develop smartphones with a foldable screen later this year. Companies such as Apple, Huawei, and Microsoft are also seemingly building their native foldable mobile device versions to step into the next-level of the smartphone market. Some patent applications lately revealed how the market giants are planning to differentiate their models going forward.

Koh also confirmed the development of a Bixby-powered smart speaker, and that it was due later this year. This could be Samsung's take against Amazon Echo, Apple HomePod, and Google Home. Notably, the Galaxy smartphone maker already has Harman International on board, the company that brought the Harman Kardon Allure with Amazon's Alexa integration last year. Separately, Samsung confirmed to WSJ that the Bixby smart speaker would arrive in the second half of this year.