Foldable Samsung Galaxy X Possibly Shown In Patent Sketches ~ All Things Android

First possible sketches of the Galaxy X were recently sighted in the database of the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPRIS) which publicized one of Samsung’s most feasible patents detailing a foldable smartphone to date. The sketches that can be seen in the gallery below and their accompanying documentation detail a device that Samsung first envisioned no later than 2014 which is when its Galaxy X development reportedly started, with the handset itself entailing a multi-joint hinge connecting two OLED panels that can be folded out and seamlessly connected to form a larger screen. One of the two panels is described as being of the flexible OLED variety, whereas the other one will apparently be a regular module.

The concept is essentially that of a flip phone, but one with two seamlessly connected screens, like a more versatile version of the recently launched SM-G9298. The sole existence of the newly uncovered patent doesn’t guarantee that this particular design will ever be commercialized but it may hint at the final aesthetic of the Galaxy X seeing how it’s not only the latest foldable smartphone design patent awarded to Samsung but also appears to be technologically feasible in the context of Samsung’s current capabilities. The device cannot be folded outwards and was envisioned without external displays, though it’s currently unclear how durable its folding mechanism is. The hinge connecting the two screens appears to be retractable to a degree and should allow the display modules to connect without any visible space being left between them. Finally, the patent isn’t clear on whether the possible Galaxy X is capable of being perfectly folded so as to form a small rectangle, with one of the illustrations below only showing a highly deformed folded state of the device that doesn’t appear to be suitable for transport and would probably make designing a protective case for it a challenge.

The Galaxy X is rumored to bear the model number SM-G888 and should launch at some point next year, with Samsung’s mobile chief DJ Koh recently confirming that the tech giant is planning to commercialize a foldable device in 2018 after years of development. Latest rumors suggest that the Galaxy X will be introduced prior to the Galaxy S9 lineup which is expected to debut come late winter or early spring, with Samsung possibly unveiling its unconventional creation at Consumer Electronics Show in mid-January or the upcoming iteration of Mobile World Congress in late February.