Collapsible phones arrive

Flexible tablets and futuristic looking smartphones have captivated our imagination for years. Whether it is the folding tablets found in Westworld or the many slates resembling books with foldable pages in the videos for Microsoft's future vision, a phone that folds into a much larger device is a dream. Samsung is now trying to make these wild concepts a reality.

The Galaxy maker introduced yesterday its new Infinity Display Flex Display, a display technology that will allow a tablet-sized display to fold into a device of the size and shape of a tablet. 39, a smartphone. Although we have seen flexible and flexible wearable devices, it's one of the first times we see such a screen on a phone that would have been shipped in 2019. The Samsung device has been "Disguised" by what appears to be a thick shell, and shown only in dim light, but it's more than just conceptual art.

Samsung is currently using two separate screens to create its foldable phone – one inside and one smaller screen on the outside – unlike the Royole FlexPai, which uses a single foldable display at the same time. outside of the device. Samsung's internal display is 7.3 inches with a resolution of 1536 x 2152 (4.2: 3). It folds in half to reveal a second screen at the front of the device. This second "cover screen," as Samsung calls it, functions as a 4.58-inch phone interface with a resolution of 840 x 1960 (21: 9). It is also flanked by larger frames at the top and bottom than the internal display. Although it looks very bulky, Samsung claims that the device hidden inside the disguise is actually "stunning".

This combination of screens gave us a quick overview of what to expect from foldable phones in 2019 and beyond. The glass being not collapsible, Samsung had to develop new materials to protect its new screen. The Infinity Flex Display uses a polymer that, according to Samsung, is both "flexible and robust," which means that it can retain its strength even when folded and unfolded "hundreds of thousands of times". Samsung has associated this with a new adhesive sticking different screens. layers together to allow them to flex. However, this is not glass, so it may be that the appearance differs from the one we are used to with modern phones, tablets and tablets.

Just as smartphones began with resistive plastic screens and pen input, before the iPhone only shows that capacitive touch on the glass was the future, this foldable era will involve trade-offs before the technology is progressing. Samsung's handset, while not in the pocket, does not look particularly slim compared to modern smartphones. The frames, when folded for use as a phone, are also gigantic compared to modern flagship products, and the foldable screen that Samsung has chosen makes the device very large when it's closed .

Photo: Samsung

"Folding phones are the 3D TV of the mobile world" proclaimed the Wall Street newspaper tech columnist Christopher Mims on Twitter. Samsung, LG and many other TV manufacturers have made 3D TVs known to consumers at various annual consumer shows, but they have never really understood each other. They were considered a gadget to sell more 1080p TVs without offering a superior viewing experience. However, not everyone agrees that foldable phones will fail.

"Not everyone is wondering if foldable or rolling mobile displays are the future of smartphones, the only question is when and by whom," says Patrick Moorhead, industry analyst at Moor Insights and a former AMD executive. "The main advantage of a foldable smartphone is that the user can benefit from a larger screen but can still hold it in his pocket, his coat or his bag."

In 2011, the giant screen of 5.3 inches Galaxy Note has aroused hostility in technological circles. Today, we simply call phablets, phones. Similarly, the curved display Galaxy Note Edge and Galaxy Round, often ridiculous, has finally been transformed into Infinity screens that can be found in the modern S series of flagship Samsung. If foldable phones follow a similar path, Samsung's first device will not capture the full potential of the design. It will mark the beginning of a nascent battle around this intriguing display technology.

"It's not just a concept," says Justin Denison, senior vice president of mobile product marketing at Samsung. "The breakthroughs we've made in display materials have been accompanied by breakthroughs in manufacturing. As a result, we will be ready to begin mass production in the coming months. "

The emergence of mass production means that device manufacturers will be able to choose this screen as they already do with Samsung's OLED displays. Huawei plans to release a foldable handset next year. Lenovo and Xiaomi have also been interested in their own prototypes, and LG is also working on its own OLED displays and flexible TVs in a box. The 2019 edition of the Consumer Electronics Show in January could be a first battleground for collapsible devices, powered by Android's official support for foldable displays.

Google support will be essential as this type of new form factor will require close coupling of hardware and software. Samsung is creating its own Multi Active Window software that will allow its foldable phone to display three apps simultaneously. Multitasking is only one aspect of the software. Samsung and Google will need to optimize the entire Android UI and the experience of these types of devices. Apple has always excelled in hardware and software integration. In fact, there are rumors that a foldable iPhone could appear in the next two years.

Foldable phones are the obvious initial market for this screen technology, but manufacturers will become much more ambitious as display technology matures. Samsung is also promising roll-up and expandable OLED screens in the future. Imagine folding or rolling a 55-inch TV to fit in your bag, or replacing the pen and paper with a foldable tablet. It seems incredible at the moment, but we are only at the beginning of our flexible future.