Samsung's foldable Galaxy F phone just raises more questions

Samsung is hinting hard that its first foldable phone, rumored to be called the Galaxy F, will make an appearance this Wednesday at the company's annual developer conference in San Francisco. But this is not a traditional announcement like Samsung's big Galaxy S9 and Note 9 unveilings. Instead, Samsung will be the next big thing in Phoneland.

For Samsung, the sneak peek comes at a time when the mobile world thirsts for innovation. Apple and Samsung are slowing down, and the global handset market is said to be "in recession." Foldable phones would inject some excitement into this stalling space, where even this year's headliners, from the Galaxy S9 to the iPhone XS, vary only incrementally from 2017's devices. A radical new design like a foldable phone would certainly shake the flagging industry; But it also raises questions about the design's usefulness, and how easily it could stumble into gimmick territory.

"Possibly when we start selling the foldable phone, it may be a market niche, but definitely, it will expand," Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh told CNET in an October interview. "I'm positive that we need a foldable phone."

Samsung Developer Conference 2018: Here's how to watch

A double foldable phone available your surface area. It could look like two phones bound by a central hinge, or like a tablet held in a landscape that folds like a book. Done right, you get a display of size that you can carry around like a big, thick handset.

The design could offer new ways to use the phone. You might be playing games and watching videos on a larger canvas. Now, you could split the screen into separate panes for better multitasking.

For example, one display could become a virtual keyboard, while the other formed a composition window. Now, you could mirror the video clip on the table from a friend. And a phone that folds can not get you up, no case needed. Like the earliest attempts at dual-screen phones, the Holy Grail of greater screen surface promise.

There's little doubt that the presence of a foldable screen in some executive's hand – I put my money on Koh – will raise more questions than answers. Is it comfortable and practical to use, or just a gimmick? Will it be remotely affordable? What will keep it from flaming out like "foldable" ZTE Axon M?

Assuming that Samsung does reveal the long-expected foldable phone, do not expect to get more than a glimpse and a few vague details. The Galaxy F, apparently code-named Winner, is not expected to land until early 2019.

Samsung will likely use this event to fire up developers and phone fans. After all, this is still a developer conference and Samsung's chief goal will be to get their writers on board compatible with a new, folding display.

"Wayne Lam, Senior Analyst with IHS Markit, said," The foldable device is more of a platform than a product release. "Android is only really developed for a single mobile display."

Is the future of phones foldable?

It's significant that Samsung, LG, and Huawei have all shown signs of folding a foldable phone design. (Chinese brand Royole has already come out with the all-plastic FlexPai, which similarly folds up.) As these powerful, portable computers continue to become the hub of people's lives, they have struggled to increase their productivity. Too large and heavy to carry in a pocket or purse.

The current trend of shrinking bezels and increasing screen size But making two screens is easier than done. A screen that can bend and flex is one thing – Samsung and LG first made "curved" screens in 2013 and 2014, respectively – but the phones themselves did not bend. Making the body of the device is a challenge on a large scale: Batteries and components are rigid, and shifting the battery to make the phone feel imbalanced. Besides that, flexible screens have been in place, but thin glass can be more easily compared to other devices.

Royole's FlexPai solves the screen flexibility by OLED display. The FlexPai developer models starts with $ 1,588. Royole put the battery on the right side, and said it balanced the left with the other components. A rubberized hinge controls flexion on the back.

Read: Samsung mobile CEO: Our foldable phone will be a tablet you can put in your pocket

Despite design challenges, creating a bendable phone is a risk Samsung must take. Samsung keeps its jogging while being able to help declining smartphone sales make the hardware titan vulnerable to the advance of its rival Huawei. The Galaxy F would also give Samsung a halo, aspirational product, like Ford's GT supercar or the Nokia's luxury Vertu phones. Volume is not the name of the game here, but capturing attention is.

"Does the industry need to move to fold? No, but it does not open up to a new hybrid device," said he, referring to a category that spans phones and tablets. (Note that the term "phablet" was coined in response to the Galaxy Note for the very same reason.)

Samsung's challenge is to see its new designs do not backfire and bomb. The company took a risk with the Galaxy Note series, and it ultimately paid off. Despite a rough start, it is now established with a loyal following, and the jumbo screen phone design is now standard industry. However, 2013's Korea-only Galaxy RoundGalaxy phones we take for granted today, the world's first phone with a curved screen.

The Galaxy F is rumored to have a 7.3-inch display, a silver finish and Qualcomm's Snapdragon 8150 processor. It's said to have 512GB internal storage, with support for a microSD card.

"The price point for this technology will be very high," Lam said. "It will be years before a consumer-grade version is available at the right price."

At this early stage, it is best to frame the Galaxy F, and any first-wave foldable phone, as it does not, but rather than the one we need right now.

Samsung did not respond to a request for comment.

Read now: Why you might want to foldable Galaxy phone

Read next: Samsung is making money, but not from phones