Samsung Shows Off Prototype Smartphone With Foldable Display

[7thson]

Apple has gone on a stage to sort of show part of a product they’re still working on? Which one?

Airpower and wireless AirPods case.

 

[Vasilioskn]

This is actually fantastic! I am sensing a bunch of Apple fanboys frowning at it tho lmao

 

[Morgenland]

Unfinished fantasies cannot necessarily be transformed into a meaningful product, so this is not an innovation. It is astonishing how unrealistic the jubilant audience is here.
It is nice if they now migrate to the Samsung side, then here at Macrumors there is finally a more constructive exchange of information again.

 

[Precursor]

Double the explosion

 

[Lynxpoint]

It’s perspective with those large screens, where the bezel is narrow enough that at a distance the lines divided are very fine to a point where it blends into the object displayed when viewed at a distance. Move closer and you will see those narrow bezels. With a smaller screen device viewed at a short distance it will be observable.

Look at the infinity edge display, it has a roll seem near its edges, move that display further from your eyes you will not see it anymore. Incorporate light reflection and refraction and and the illusion is bothersome.

Bingo Samsung is thinking along those lines to incorporate a rollable display in a watch size device.

Check out Planar LED video walls. You can be far closer than you want to be to the wall and still not see the seams (as in you can be less than arm's length from the wall and not see the seams)

 

[Baymowe335]

Where is AirPower? yeah I though so, get real.

They said coming 2018, so they have almost 2 more months, then you can start complaining.

 

[derekamoss]

Wow, that thing is thick.

This is ironic since 50% percent of the posts here are like "I wish Apple would quit making things thinner. I would much rather have it thicker and a better battery life". Plus the fact they mentioned they were using a case to obscure form factor.

 

[code-m]

Check out Planar LED video walls. You can be far closer than you want to be to the wall and still not see the seams (as in you can be less than arm's length from the wall and not see the seams)

I have heard of this company and product (news broadcaster use them a lot). Have you had a chance to see it up close in person. I am unable to do this product justice without viewing it in person I am afraid.

 

[-BigMac-]

I sincerely hope Apple never copies this. I like my screens solid and unbendable

 

[code-m]

They said coming 2018, so they have almost 2 more months, then you can start complaining.

Another iMac Pro situation. Yawn, don’t announce a product over a year in advance. You seem to be taking this personally, do you have some legal connection with Apple.

 

[Logiarius]

This is ironic since 50% percent of the posts here are like "I wish Apple would quit making things thinner. I would much rather have it thicker and a better battery life". Plus the fact they mentioned they were using a case to obscure form factor.

Yeah but that thing has almost the thickness compared to other phones.

People wished to have phone that has more juice and slightly thicker but not that thick

 

[Baymowe335]

Are you calling the recently released 2018 iPad Pro as revolutionary in comparison to a bendable screen. One is stiff as a board permanently, the other can be manipulated.

Many companies include Apple have patents for things that may or may not be released or used. A patent is not a guarantee that Apple will use it, considering it had LiquidMetal for over 10 years and has only used it in the SIM eject tool.

So the industry is using Apples developed and design AMOLED tech, or is it Apple using Samsung. This is how the industry works, their share idea’s and concepts of where the mobile market is heading. How about Qi, did Apple invent that too and the rest of the industry is using it. Let get real here.

Great, the screen bends...but at what tradeoff? How does it hold up over time? How’s the software? How thick is it? Can I unfold it with one hand?

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Yes, I’ll say it...at this moment, the a12X is more revolutionary than a bendable screen that solves what problem without creating many others? It’s not going to be an elegant solution to replace your phone and tablet. It’s thick, has awful ergonomics and will be plagued with software and hardware issues.

I shouldn’t judge because I haven’t seen it, but don’t make it sound like a bendable screen without proper implementation and practicality means something. You also have no idea if it’s any good...you just know they showed a bent screen, something they’ve shown for years.

 

[code-m]

I sincerely hope Apple never copies this. I like my screens solid and unbendable

Too late their already copied AMOLED, Qi, notch, pencil, dual cameras, etc. Another poster has already mentioned this.

 

[falainber]

On the contrary, other companies did it because Apple mainstreamed the notch. Apple is essentially a lifestyle brand, and you have a scenario where the brand power of Apple is so strong that other companies were willing to to give up their own brand identity and ride on Apple’s popularity.

Copycats aren’t just using iPhone X design cues, such as the notch, because they know the market has embraced certain features. If that were the case, these companies should be mixing Apple design cues with their own branded elements. (The reason Xiaomi and Motorola end up having a chin at the bottom of their devices is likely due to not being able to recreate the iPhone X’s curved display.)

Instead, these companies are willing to completely forgo their own brand equity to piggyback off Apple’s brand. The motive is clear: These companies want their consumers to think they are getting a version of the iPhone experience. In many cases, those phones were priced at a fraction of iPhone X.

Notice how Xiaomi, Motorola, heck, even Huawei went so far as to include smartphone wallpaper nearly identical to that of iPhone X in their marketing material.

These companies aren’t just copying a phone. Instead, they are copying a lifestyle brand. They are basically saying “You can also get the Apple experience by buying our products”.

Nobody cares that Essential did it first.

Nope. The idea to maximize screen area (notch) is trivial. Once the technology was there everybody started using it. Your is just a cospiracy theory. Why do you think Essential did it? Because Apple popularised it? There must be a time machine for that.

Just like with "multitouch" (capacitive) screens which Apple according to many Apple fans invented. They didn't. The technology matured enouch and everybody started using it. Apple did not develop it. They used it. LG was first then Apple then everyone else.

 

[Baymowe335]

Another iMac Pro situation. Yawn, don’t announce a product over a year in advance. You seem to be taking this personally, do you have some legal connection with Apple.

I couldn’t care less...it will be a small product line and wireless charging works with many other charging pads.

I’m giving you facts. They said 2018, it’s still 2018...minor product.

 

[mib1800]

Apple must be feeling nauseous since this could potentially kills off the entire iPad line.

 

[Logiarius]

Let’s face it, the mobile phone display market has hit a wall. Where do we go from bezeless displays? This expands the segment by merging the phone and tablet market. Samsung already has DEX, now you can have a 3-in-1 device.

Imagine if Apple introduced an iPhone/iPad/ARM Mac is one package. If the capability is possible, why have three separate devices to carry around. Think of the simplicity for software developers, accessory manufacturers, Apple coding a single version OS, etc. It trims a lot of necessary duplicative hardware and software. I think its a good thing, maybe this will bring annual updates to the Mac if it was all part of the same OS/hardware cycle.

Dex? You mean that stupid thing that turns your galaxy phone into a PC but need a monitor and mouse to use it as a PC?

Wow that is like an unwanted child by samsung and you are praising it. Wow

 

[mib1800]

Dex? You mean that stupid thing that turns your galaxy phone into a PC but need a monitor and mouse to use it as a PC?

Wow that is like an unwanted child by samsung and you are praising it. Wow

What's wrong with DEX? Oic. Apple doesn't have it.

 

[rjohnstone]

Oh sure. Right. That’s why they showed a video of what it will look like. Right? Right???

It’s nothing but a chunky prototype in a dark room at this point with a flashy video of what might be. This was about what I expected. This is still several years out before it goes mainstream. No doubt Apple also has concepts like this squirreled away in a lab. The difference is that they hold their cards close to their vest.

No such video was shown. (I watched the entire presentation on live stream).
They video was not about any device, just the display and how it can be used. They showed it in an extremely generic slab form.

 

[cmaier]

Too late their already copied AMOLED, Qi, notch, pencil, dual cameras, etc. Another poster has already mentioned this.

They copied the Qi standard? Sure.
They copied pencil? I guess newton never existed.
They copied notch? Sure. They didn’t start the design a year before the first notch was released.

 

[Tech198]

This is ironic since 50% percent of the posts here are like "I wish Apple would quit making things thinner. I would much rather have it thicker and a better battery life". Plus the fact they mentioned they were using a case to obscure form factor.

How many users though made exactly the opposite though, when our phones were thick with round volume buttons like the iPhone 5..

Most phones now are thin, probably not all due to Apple, but users wanted it that way. The only big-bulky one left is the iPhone SE. (which is probably also why Apple took it off the store) they didn't wanna be embarrassed by a series of thin phones, but one big fat one in the middle.

 

[code-m]

Great, the screen bends...but at what tradeoff? How does it hold up over time? How’s the software? How thick is it? Can I unfold it with one hand?

Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Yes, I’ll say it...at this moment, the a12X is more revolutionary than a bendable screen that solves what problem without creating many others? It’s not going to be an elegant solution to replace your phone and tablet. It’s thick, has awful ergonomics and will be plagued with software and hardware issues.

I shouldn’t judge because I haven’t seen it, but don’t make it sound like a bendable screen without proper implementation and practicality means something.

Many consumers in day to day usage will never take advantage of the A12X silicone, correction many don’t even use the full power of the A8 silicone. If you do not notice and interact with it, many do not care. Case in point, my modem LTE speed is XYZ, in comparison to what. People notice a foldable screen, not enough RAM, size, battery life, etc.

We don’t know if this is the final design of the shipping product, it could change, we don’t know. What I want to see next is self-healing screens/displays, it seems with every generation on the iPhone the screen is even more prone to scratches. It is ridiculous that O need to put a screen protector and a case on a phone, I never did that with any of my flip phones let alone BB.

Just because the iPhone was considered a smartphone, maybe Apple and Steve Jobs should not have released it. Humans will always push technology into new and unrealized segments.

 

[Logiarius]

What's wrong with DEX? Oic. Apple doesn't have it.

I just said why it is wrong.

Dex is basically a sort of deck that makes your galaxy phone into a PC.

But to do that so, you need a monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and a power source for your Dex.

So it is definitely not portable, because you always have to carry the monitor etc. And why just I use a damn pc which is much much more powerful than your phone by the way, if I have to set up monitor, keyboard, mouse etc just to use Dex?

 

[Lynxpoint]

I have heard of this company and product (news broadcaster use them a lot). Have you had a chance to see it up close in person. I am unable to do this product justice without viewing it in person I am afraid.

Yes, I have seen their products up close to evaluate them for use at my place of employment. The zero-seam screens are very impressive. They make their older and much cheaper video walls with visible seams seem so out-of-date (but of course the older tech still has many viable applications). They also do transparent displays which are quite impressive for the right use-case.

 

[Baymowe335]

Many consumers in day to day usage will never take advantage of the A12X silicone, correction many don’t even use the full power of the A8 silicone. If you do not notice and interact with it, many do not care. Case in point, my modem LTE speed is XYZ, in comparison to what. People notice a foldable screen, not enough RAM, size, battery life, etc.

We don’t know if this is the final design of the shipping product, it could change, we don’t know. What I want to see next is self-healing screens/displays, it seems with every generation on the iPhone the screen is even more prone to scratches. It is ridiculous that O need to put a screen protector and a case on a phone, I never did that with any of my flip phones let alone BB.

Just because the iPhone was considered a smartphone, maybe Apple and Steve Jobs should not have released it. Humans will always push technology into new and unrealized segments.

There are benefits to the silicon even if you don’t use it, such as longer useable lifespan of the product and a better, smoother user experience. I’d argue iPad Pro users are far more likely to use more of the A12X abilities, but that’s subjective. More power is great. My BMW Has 600HP and I don’t use it all the time, but it’s great when I want it.

You, like many, are failing to see the bigger picture with silicon. This is a long term story and part of a larger strategy.

The advancement in A series processors, neural networks, and domination of the mobile computing general will give Apple a huge advantage when the next big thing comes. If that’s AR, VR, or something no one has thought about, it’s undeniable the need for faster processing will be needed. You can’t just wake up and think, “Gee, we need better processors for this.” You have to build up to it and Apple is KILLING it in that space too.