Samsung Galaxy X Foldable Phone Rumors Suggest Prototype Launch At IFA

Samsung may showcase a prototype model of the rumored Galaxy X foldable smartphone during the IFA conference in September, according to a report by ETNews. The manufacturer is reportedly near the end of development for this new product and should be ready to showcase its progress within the third quarter of 2017.

There have been murmurs about the Galaxy X devices for months. Samsung was expected to privately showcase the device to investors during Mobile World Congress; however, the tech conference came and went without any mention of the new technology. This new claim has not been confirmed, but pundits will likely be looking for more evidence of the device’s release in the coming weeks and months.

Samsung has used IFA to announce its latest premium smartwatches for several years. Prior to that the conference was where Samsung unveiled new Galaxy Note devices. Samsung has had a shake up in how it showcases new devices ever since the discontinuation of the Galaxy Note 7. The Galaxy S8 launch was pushed from MWC 2017 to a standalone event in late March. The later unveiling has the potential to push other launches, such as the Galaxy Note 8 release date to a later time.

But Samsung’s product lineup beyond the Galaxy S8 remains largely a mystery at this point. There have been a handful of specs rumors for the Galaxy X smartphone, suggesting it may start as a 5-inch smartphone and fold out into a 7-or-8-inch tablet, granting it the codename “Project Valley.” February reports also indicated Samsung has trademarked the name Galaxy X in Korea.

Samsung has been experimenting with foldable displays for years. Samsung showcased at CES its Youm brand flexible display technology during CES 2013, which prompted rumored about a smartphone that could bend. Reports that year suggested the Galaxy Note 3 would release with flexible display. Instead, Samsung released a device called the Galaxy Round later that year with a curved display and the Galaxy Note Edge a year later.

These prototype models ushered in several curved display smartphones for Samsung, including the Galaxy S6 Edge, Galaxy S7 Edge and Galaxy Note 7. However, the manufacturer has yet to release a device with a screen that actually bends.

Samsung executives have spoken about the technology in summer 2016, stating that foldable displays are “right around the corner.” It remains unknown if the follies surrounding the Galaxy Note 7 also delayed the launch of the Galaxy X.