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Samsung’s foldable phone tipped for January release with microSD slot, sealed battery

By Daniel Petrov

Updated: Oct 15, 2015, 6:39 AM

Samsung foldable OLED display research

Samsung is literally going to bring its phones into the fold early next year, it seems, as rumors have emerged that its first foldable phone is about to become a reality at that time. Samsung itself said in the spring that it expects to have fully functional foldable devices in 2016, and it might be on its way to deliver precisely that.

Samsung's first phone with flexible display, made with plastic instead of glass substrate, was the Galaxy Round way back in 2013. Since then we saw the technology enter the mainstream in the Galaxy S6 edge and edge+, as well as the Note Edge, predominantly for the cool factor, rather than any tangible benefits from the side-sloping display.

Samsung foldable display patent

A real foldable device is another matter, though, as you can have a largish display in a small pocketable footprint for carrying around. From a Weibo account that has leaked quite a few important things already, now comes the tip that the so-called Project V (for Valley) by Samsung is being tested for January release. The foldable smartphone is allegedly being run through its paces with both Snapdragon 620 and 820 configurations, 3 GB of RAM, microSD card slot, and, naturally, a non-removable battery.

How exactly will Samsung's foldable Project V smartphone look like, remains to be seen, but the company research you see above, allows for thousands of closings and openings without deterioration of the folding area. It's using a metal mesh touch layer in the display itself, and not an indium tin oxide (ITO) film, which deteriorates when bent, especially at the curved area.

Back at the CES expo in 2013, Samsung was rumored to have shown a 5.68" foldable prototype to select audience, though it wasn't clear if that's in a folded or open state. Coincidentally, there are speculations about two versions of the Galaxy S7 - a 5.2" and 5.7" one - which sounds rather strange, and our money would only be on the smaller screen size. That rumored 5.7-incher? Well, it just might be Samsung's first foldable display phone, and we can't wait to see if this rumor holds water come CES in January. In the meantime, marvel at Samsung's concept video below, and dream of the day we will carry folded tablets in our pocket.

source: Weibo via G4Games

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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena from 2010 to 2025, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.