Samsung could release smartphones with bendable screens by 2017

7 Jun 2016

Korean tech giant Samsung is planning to release two smartphone models with bendable screens in early 2017

Samsung could have the ability to release two new smartphone models with bendable screens by early to mid-2017: one that can fold in half and another with a 5in screen that can be unfurled into an 8in tablet.

Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter, reported the devices, which will use organic light-emitting diodes, could be released by early 2017, possibly at the time of Mobile World Congress in February.

In an initiative codenamed “Project Valley”, Samsung is preparing itself for a showdown with Apple, which is rumoured to be preparing to launch bezel-less smartphone designs in 2017.

Samsung, which is the world’s biggest supplier of OLED panels for mobile devices, pioneered new screen formats with multi-sided Edge smartphones in recent years.

It is also being reported by The Verge that the next Galaxy Note may skip a version number – moving to number 7 – to align with the Galaxy range.

Samsung demonstrated a rollable OLED screen at SD Display Week in San Francisco last month.

Samsung bendable phone concept video:

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

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