Ahead of Samsung Unpacked... Interest Grows in Rollable Phones Like 'Galaxy Z Slide'

LetsGoDigital, Rollable Phone Expected to be Unveiled in 2022

Rendering image of 'Galaxy Z Slide' revealed by LetsGoDigital

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Ahead of Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Unpacked (new product launch) event in the second half of the year, interest in the rollable (rollable) smartphone expected to be released in 2022 has also increased.

On the 10th (local time), Dutch IT media LetsGoDigital predicted that Samsung Electronics is highly likely to release the 'Galaxy Z Slide' and 'Galaxy Z Roll' with a new form factor next year. They also released rendering images reconstructed based on leaked information.

The release timing of the Galaxy Z Slide and Z Roll is expected to be next year. Samsung reportedly filed a patent related to roll-up displays in Germany on April 29. The fact that the related patent was filed first in Germany rather than Korea is an intriguing point. Foreign media interpret this as a strong intention by the company to launch the product.

LetsGoDigital stated, "Early-stage development technology is usually first applied in Korea, and then as development progresses, patents are submitted to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), but this time, the patent was filed in Germany to secure technology early within Europe."

From a design perspective, it is expected to be similar to Huawei's rollable smartphone. In the case of the Galaxy Z Slide, an additional screen part is hidden on the back of the smartphone. From the outside, the display looks divided, but it forms a single flexible screen. When the hidden screen is pulled out, the overall screen size expands by 40-50%, allowing it to be used like a tablet PC. The user interface also automatically adjusts according to the screen.

Smartphone manufacturers worldwide are competing to become the 'first player' in the global rollable phone market, but technical issues make it difficult to achieve a smooth screen. LG Electronics also began work to be the first in the world by unveiling a prototype called 'LG Rollable (tentative)' at CES 2021, the world's largest electronics and IT exhibition earlier this year, but the new product launch was canceled due to the decision to withdraw from the MC division. Latecomers such as China's Oppo and TCL have also taken on the challenge.

Samsung is known to have devised a secret mechanism to prevent wrinkles on the rollable phone screen. LetsGoDigital reported, "Instead of magnets, a considerable number of flexible and elastic 'carrier films' were applied around the roller," adding, "Implementing a multi-link hinge structure is also part of the effort to achieve a smooth surface without wrinkles."

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics plans to hold the 'Samsung Galaxy Unpacked 2021: Get Ready to Unfold' event online from 11 p.m. Korean time today, where it will unveil the next-generation foldable smartphones 'Galaxy Z Fold 3' and 'Galaxy Z Flip 3.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.