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Samsung Building Foldable Smartphone Pilot Line
July 02, 2018


Samsung Display is reportedly gearing up for the production of foldable OLED displays. The company has built a pilot line at its OLED manufacturing site in Asan, Korea that will begin operations this summer, according to ETNews. ETNews says the displays will be used in a foldable smartphones that are planned for release early next year. The phone will reportedly be inward folding device with a 7- to 8-inch screen, similar to what was demonstrated at CES. Once any potential issues are ironed out on the pilot line, ETNews says that Samsung will convert it into a line for mass production by the end of the year. In 2019, Samsung reportedly plans to produce 1 million foldable panels.  This report is consistent with earlier rumors that said Samsung planned to start production of foldable displays by November.
One thing that isn’t yet thought to be decided is where exactly the phone will fold. If the device folds in half the user will have no way of easily checking the screen. To solve this, Samsung is reportedly considering a device that folds two-thirds of the way up, which would leave part of the display visible when folded. While this is still not official news from Samsung, the rumors over the past year do appear to be pretty consistent. Perhaps 2019 will actually be the year we finally get to see a device with a foldable display.