Samsung Galaxy X Release Date Postponed? Foldable Phone Reportedly Coming In 2019

When Samsung confirmed last year that it is commercially launching a foldable phone — believed to be called Galaxy X, the company’s mobile chief, Koh Dong-jin, said that they are planning to release the device in 2018. Unfortunately, the South Korea tech giant wouldn’t be able to keep its word this year.

On Tuesday, Koh himself retracted his previous statement about the Galaxy X foldable phone during a press briefing in Las Vegas a day prior the CES 2018. Last year, Samsung’s mobile division head sounded hopeful they would be able to introduce the smartphone in 2018. But earlier today, he was singing a different tune when asked about the handset’s launch later this year.

“It’s difficult to talk about the date of the launch now. We want to unveil the products properly but now seems a bit early,” Koh was quoted as saying by South Korean news outlet Korea Herald. Koh also maintained that Samsung is still hard at work in developing the foldable handset.

According to the mobile chief, they are taking their time in making the Galaxy X to ensure the new product will receive a positive response from consumers. “We want to have a good reaction from customers once the phone is out in the market,” he said. “But there are still durability issues that we need to address.”

While Koh did not give a firm Galaxy X release date, industry sources already tipped The Investor that Samsung is commencing production of the Galaxy X foldable phone in November. They also claimed that the handset will most likely make its debut either in December or early next year.

The industry sources went as far as saying that Apple’s biggest rival has already finalized the Galaxy X’s specifications and its plans for the device’s production. They added that the development of the special displays needed for the foldable phone will be completed this March.

Ever since foldable displays were showcased at CES 2013, market interest over foldable phones have been continuously rising. This could have been Samsung’s motivation to finally consider launching a smartphone that can be folded out to become a tablet.

Latest rumors about Samsung’s first foldable phone say the device will sport a 7.3-inch OLED display, which can be folded in half for its smartphone configuration. Recently uncovered patents state that Samsung could be using a special type of hinge to ensure that the device will have a smooth folding and unfolding mechanism. There’s also mention of a 3D Touch-like technology that’s being developed for the phone’s display.

Aside from Samsung, Apple is also developing its own foldable phone in partnership with another South Korean manufacturer, LG. Unfortunately, details about the foldable phone being developed by the two tech companies are scarce as of late. Also, Apple and LG’s foldable phone won’t be commercially available until 2020.