Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Samsung Rumored to Launch Fully Bendable Smartphones in 2017

69Mustang said:
Hell, Apple isn't known as a first to market innovator or risk taker. They are known for taking previously created tech and innovating improvements of that tech and integrating it into a cohesive platform. That's perfectly fine and has proven to be strategy that has worked tremendously. Conversely, Samsung is more of a risk taker. Somebody has to be. Around here, it's called "throw it against the wall". Some of it works, some doesn't. Even the stuff that doesn't initially work sometimes gets picked up by another company and improved. It's a different means to an end. Not a slight against Apple.
Click to expand...

The problem with this, is perception. For decades, Apple has been perceived as the most innovative company despite not being first to market. They could get away with that in the past.

It's a little different today. It's about being agile and iterative. I get that Apple likes to tweak and perfect things. But it's becoming quite apparent (especially on Mac forums), that Apple is perceived as slow and reactionary. IMO, it's has more to do with too many products and spreading themselves too thin. Apple is not doomed, but it is losing some it's lustre.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit, darthbane2k, RedOrchestra and 1 other person
I dont think it will be a consumer product!!!
What kind of battery life do you expect from it??!!
And how the hell are you going to carry so much of weight??!!
Though it looks interesting, just putting bendable displays isn't the proper solution.Way better battery, faster components and many other things need to be implemented.
So I am sure, even if Samsung does launch it as early as 2017, the technology wont be ripe until Apple enters the market!!
 
YakAttack said:
Tell me, what problem does a bendable phone solve? What function does it serve? Would you enjoy typing on a transparency or a sheet of paper?
Click to expand...

A bendable phone screen kills 2 birds with one stone- you have a phone-sized "phone" when you want a phone and a tablet-sized screen when you want more screen real estate. That seems like a win compared to carrying 2 separate devices to accomplish the same.

It's function is consumer utility. For example, IMO watching a movie on a phone-sized screen is not as nice as watching it on a tablet-sized screen. But making phone calls on a tablet is not as nice as making them on a phone-sized device. Again, 2 birds with one stone.

It may work out that it is net "lighter" to carry one of these instead of a phone and tablet. So that's a lighter load in the bag or pocket.

Typing may be a challenge but is it really that different than typing on a thin pane of glass? And even if we are argue the latter is much, much better (and I'm sure some will), what about all the people that don't really type that much on their phones or tablets? Is relative typing experience the (non Apple product) deal killer? Or does that get washed by the utility of having the small screen for the pocket AND the bigger screen for media consumption?

Rhetorical. It's not an Apple-based rumor so it MUST BE stupid, useless and "99% don't want." I can pick it apart as good any anyone else but I'd rather see "half full" instead of "all empty." Much prefer thinking about the possibilities in this than trying to get excited about 2 camera lenses, headphone adapter "tails" and/or dark mode screens.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit, S G, Oblivious.Robot and 1 other person
Now, that is impressive - I can't wait to see how this actually works in practice.
 
1. Douchey ad/demo betrays the technology.

2. 1st concept cool, but unpolished in form factor. The binding edge is too fat and makes the folded dimensions ugly. It just looks awkward.

3. 2nd concept I like a lot. Very compact stick breaks out into a full screen. It's the best of the old school micro cell phones and today's Phablets in one device. Perfect for casual when a Phablet is a PITA to carry around, and also business when you want as much screen real estate as possible.

Samsung has laid it's cards on the table. I'm not a fan of Android but clearly if Samsung leapfrogs Apple here and makes something like this real before Apple it's hard to say Apple is an innovation leader. This is truly the next generation and right now it's Samsungs to take.
 
  • Like
Reactions: chabig
My initial thought is gimmick. But to have a standard iPhone unfold to an iPad mini would be super convenient.

Or, it could be that a standard iPhone folds into something even smaller and compact.

Not such a gimmick in my opinion.

Screen folding durability is the question that needs answered here.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit and S G
fullauto said:
Surely there will be some sort of warping or fold line(s) on the screens hinge area eventually? Continuous flexing on a certain point would have to cause issues.
Click to expand...
Exactly my point. And when that happens, Samsung will probably do a mea culpa..."you're bending it wrong."
 
segmentPage said:
I dont think it will be a consumer product!!!
What kind of battery life do you expect from it??!!
And how the hell are you going to carry so much of weight??!!
Though it looks interesting, just putting bendable displays isn't the proper solution.Way better battery, faster components and many other things need to be implemented.
So I am sure, even if Samsung does launch it as early as 2017, the technology wont be ripe until Apple enters the market!!
Click to expand...
Why? it could have two batteries and have 10+ hour battery life just like an iPad...
why do you think it will be super heavy? People carry wallet phone cases that probably weigh more than this thing. They showed the rollable oled display this year i believe i don't see why this can't become a reality by next year. Polished maybe not but it can be a consumer product imo. What do you think technology will be in by 2030? way more advanced than this
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit
This is pretty cool concept! It have been around for some years and kind of reminds me the Microsoft table with multitouch concept that never became reality and Apple then came with iPhone 7. Hope Samsung does not let this be a vapourware.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit and 69Mustang
MacRumors said:



Smartphone maker and display manufacturer Samsung is believed to launch a pair of smartphones in early 2017, each with a bendable OLED display. According to people familiar with the smartphones' development (via Bloomberg), the two devices could be unveiled as early as Q1 2017 -- potentially at Mobile World Congress in February -- and come in two different sizes, similar to that of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

samsung-bendable-phone.jpg

Bendable smartphone mockup by Samsung​


One phone would have a 5-inch screen when used in a normal handset fashion, and could then be opened to a tablet size that's "as large as 8 inches." The smaller alternative is estimated to be sized around a traditional modern 5-inch smartphone, but users would have the ability to fold it in half "like a cosmetic compact" to easily fit it into bags and pockets.
Codenamed "Project Valley," the bendable smartphones won't be Samsung's new flagship devices, and are believed to be angled more as an experiment by the company to test the waters of user response to bendable screens. Because of this, the two new handhelds also won't fall under the Galaxy S line of phones currently running by Samsung, but will be newly named entries in its collection of smartphones.


While not bendable, Apple's 2017 iPhone is expected to pack in a curved OLED display with an edge-to-edge, bezel-free design, similar to that of Samsung's Galaxy S7 smartphone. Overall, Apple's "iPhone 8" is expected to be a huge update year for the company's smartphone, following 2016's internals-focused upgrade, so it'll be interesting to see how the the two handhelds fare against each other when they launch.

Article Link: Samsung Rumored to Launch Fully Bendable Smartphones in 2017
Click to expand...
 
I don't really see the point of having a device that takes the size of two devices to have a device that can occupy 2 functions. Maybe in some use cases, but if I want to have a phone in my pocket, I want the best possible device that can fit in my pocket, not a double sized phone. It's called optimization.
 
  • Like
Reactions: redscull and bevsb2
satchmo said:
The problem with this, is perception. For decades, Apple has been perceived as the most innovative company despite not being first to market. They could get away with that in the past.

It's a little different today. It's about being agile and iterative. I get that Apple likes to tweak and perfect things. But it's becoming quite apparent (especially on Mac forums), that Apple is perceived as slow and reactionary. IMO, it's has more to do with too many products and spreading themselves too thin. Apple is not doomed, but it is losing some it's lustre.
Click to expand...

Good points. You're describing a classic Catch 22 scenario. Apple tweaks and improves = slow and reactionary. Apple adds new products = spreading themselves too thin. They can't win from a perception perspective. I think neither is totally true or totally false. It's more like Schroeder playing a piano that has a cat in a box sitting on it. <-- Peanuts and quantum questions. Don't see that every day.:)

Personally, I think Apple needs new products. iPod - near dead. iPad - trending downward. Macs - stable but flat. Phones - represent a disproportionate contribution to the revenue. Sort of scary.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Demo Kit
Nice Concept, however this design is pretty bad. Looks like a passport wallet. Plus the screens in the video aren't real, they appear to be cutouts that were glued to plastic folded material. Needs work, but could be something in a few years with the right designers/engineers.
 
0 interest in this particular product. Not sure how they will resolve the crease and wrinkle problem that could occur over time? Samsung in many ways is just like Google being that most of their products are half baked. This will be no exception.
 
  • Like
Reactions: paul4339, MLVC and citysnaps
To all the morons out there who keep wishing for thinner iPhones, please go and buy these so I can laugh at you when they break after 1 week.
 
Very interesting. Wonder how reliable those bendable phones would be. My iPhone 5 from 2012 is still great and everyday with me. Works even better then on the first day, due to iOS 9 of course.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back