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Foldable phones have long been tipped as the future of the mobile industry, and now Samsung has suggested they could become a reality as early as 2016.
Sparking speculation around a foldable Galaxy S6 follow-on, the Korean manufacturer has reportedly tipped the innovative tech to make an appearance on commercially available devices next year.
Speaking with Business Korea, an unnamed Samsung Display official stataed: “The industry believes that the commercialisation of foldable smartphones will be possible in 2016.”
Easing itself into the industry of novel screen technologies, Samsung recently introduced its first dual-edge screen encompassing handset, the aptly named Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge.
Arcing back to the days of clamshell handsets – albeit with far improved user experiences – foldable phones will provide vast amounts of on-screen space in compact, pocketable forms.
According to Samsung’s lead native rival LG, foldable phones are already possible. Costing and yield rates, however, continue to hold the technology back.
Speaking to TrustedReviews earlier this year, LG’s Head of Smartphone Planning, Dr. Ramchan Woo stated: “Foldable phones are already a possible technology.”
He added: “It is technologically possible to make bendable phones, but there are a lot of barriers as well, especially when you go to mass production because the cover glass is not bendable.”
Related: Galaxy Note 5 rumours
Although Samsung’s comments have inevitably sparked rumours of a foldable Galaxy S7 being on the cards, don’t go betting on such an arrival just yet.
Given the inevitable costs of introducing a new technology, a foldable S7 would be unfeasibly expensive for a mass consumer release.
The S6 Edge is suffering similar issues, with the base storage model setting wannabe owners back a wallet-busting £760.
