Samsung showed off its foldable phone at CES 2019
Here’s a headline that many of you have read before. Samsung reportedly showed off a prototype of its upcoming foldable smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show 2019 in Las Vegas. This report seems business as usual because we have been hearing exactly the same thing for the past four years.
The prototype was reportedly showcased at a private session during CES 2019 to some of Samsung’s clients. These could include carriers who may have to decide whether or not they want to carry this device. A similar report claimed back in 2014 that Samsung had shown a foldable AMOLED display behind closed doors at CES. There was no followup and no product to show for.
Samsung foldable phone shown to clients at CES 2019
We have seen such reports almost every year since then and 2018 was no exception. The company had reportedly unveiled its foldable phone during a private meeting at CES 2018. It’s pertinent to mention here that these reports have almost always come from the same Korean news outlet.
The same news outlet is once again reporting that Samsung provided a sneak peek of its foldable phone to select clients at CES 2019. A high-level executive from one of those clients is quoted as saying that Samsung is currently polishing the optimization processors for this handset’s hardware and software.
“When unfolded, Samsung’s foldable phone does not show any crease indicating it had been bent,” the executive said, adding that the phone’s screen felt very smooth. It’s also said that “Samsung is testing the device so that the sides remain slightly lifted when folded. The prototype seen today leaves a crease mark when being folded, but this issue will be fixed in the finalized version.”
Samsung provided a glimpse of its foldable display at SDC 2018 in November. It showed off an engineering prototype of the phone with the design obscured by a protective case. The device will have a 4.6-inch external display when closed and a 7.3-inch display when folded out.
The report mentions that Samsung will target men in their 40s as the prime demographic for this device. It makes sense because the first iteration of this product is expected to be very expensive. Samsung is yet to confirm when it’s planning to release this device.
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This is an innovation but sure will not sell at all considering the price is above $2000. Nobody is going to spend $2000 on a phone even if it’s the world first foldable smartphone. People will spend that amount of money on other things like laptop motorcycle, TV, etc. Months after release, competitors will also release a foldable smartphone with cheaper price, the price which is affordable for anyone. That is why people are actually waiting for Oppo, Xiaomi, Huawei, Lenovo, Vivo and Asus to release their foldable smartphone as it will be sold in cheaper price. Moreover, Xiaomi foldable… Read more »
I’m reading that DJ Koh confirmed that the device will be released in the first half of 2019, and that it might be fully introduced at MWC 2019 in late February… CES is mostly for TVs anyway. They’re also working on the the software already. I think you’re right, it won’t be cheap!!
That’s the expectation, yes.