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Samsung Mobile Confirms Foldable Smartphone Release in Early 2019
August 27, 2018

Samsung Mobile Products, CEO DJ Koh has confirmed the company is not just developing a Galaxy with a folding display, but that it is in a race to get this potentially game-changing phone to market.  Speaking about the so-called ‘Galaxy F’, Koh stressed Samsung is "focusing on developing innovations that will be genuinely accepted and liked by consumers". What’s more, the company acknowledges rivals are trying to beat Samsung to the punch with this technology and it "didn't want to lose the world's first title". Koh explained that the Galaxy F is not a one-off concept, but the beginning of a long-running new range, stressing: “We wouldn't have started [the project] if it was a going to be a one-time thing." The timing of Koh’s comments is crucial.Samsung needs a new flagship smartphone which signals the company can keep pace not only with Apple but innovative Chinese phone makers that have made bezel-less, notch-less phones this year.  Samsung Electronics is said to have added 200 employees to their ‘foldable’ project team during July, in keeping with comments made by Samsung’s mobile division chief at the recent Galaxy Note 9 press event.  “We don’t want to lose the world’s first title when it comes to a foldable phone,” he said. “Thus far we were cautious about commenting on the new phone launch largely due to quality and durability issues but now the issues have been resolved and we are nearing the final stages.”  Officials at Samsung Display confirmed that the task force has been created but would not reveal their plans for the mass-production of the foldable smartphone. The South Korean Patent Office has noted that over the last 6 years South Korean companies have applied for 276 patents that relate to foldable panels, with 210 in the last three years.  Not that it matters, but LG Displayhas applied for the most (94) followed by Samsung Display (80), Samsung Electronics (23) and LG Electronics (17), with hinge technology (86) the most common, followed by ways in which the screen can be refolded (50), sensing touch on the screen (48) and ‘cover technology’ (22). While South Korean companies are leading the foldable charge, BOE, CSoT, Visionox and Tianma have also been filers through the WIPO system (World Intellectual Property Organization).