Samsung Foldable Phone Project Renamed ‘Winner’ — Signals Imminent Debut?

There’s new information about Samsung’s foldable phone project. Meanwhile, industry sources believe that the Galaxy S10 could be unveiled earlier than its predecessor next year.

South Korean news outlet The Bell reported Friday that Samsung has changed the name of the project that focuses on developing a foldable smartphone. Citing unnamed industry sources, the outlet stated that the project has been renamed “Winner,” ditching its original codename “Valley.”

Samsung used the codename “Valley” to refer to its foldable phone project ever since 2015, so it’s a bit of a surprise that the South Korean tech giant is changing the project’s name now. It’s not clear why Samsung renamed the project, but it could be signalling the imminent debut of the highly anticipated handset.

The Bell’s sources also claimed that Samsung has already informed its suppliers to start providing components for the foldable phone — rumored to be called Galaxy X — starting November of this year. Samsung usually requires around three months to assemble new phones, so the foldable phone could possibly launch in February.

Samsung is known for unveiling its first quarter premium phones at big events. Hence, it is very likely for the company to introduce the Galaxy X at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. If true, the new smartphone offering could steal the spotlight from the Galaxy S9’s successor, which is also expected to launch at MWC in February 2019.

However, industry sources said Samsung may be advancing the debut of the Galaxy S10. The 10th anniversary Galaxy S series installment is now believed to launch at CES in Las Vegas, Nevada in January 2019. It should be noted that its predecessor was unveiled at MWC this year. Moving the launch of the Galaxy S10 to an earlier date would ensure that it will get its own time to shine.

Meanwhile, The Investor has learned that Samsung reduced the initial production volume of the Galaxy X to around 300,000–500,000 units. The volume is undeniably lower than the 50 million units Samsung comes up with for its Galaxy S and Note flagships, but it would be enough for the company to gauge the foldable phone’s marketability.

According to previous reports, Samsung has already showcased its foldable phone to a select group of global partners during a closed-door meeting at CES 2018. Insiders disclosed that the prototype that was introduced at the time was an in-folding type phone with three 3.5-inch OLED screens: one outside and two inside. When the handset is folded out, the two screens inside form a 7-inch large display.