{"id":550033,"date":"2026-07-14T23:52:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:52:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/550033\/"},"modified":"2026-07-14T23:52:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-14T23:52:13","slug":"beyond-the-galaxy-z-fold-samsungs-future-phone-concepts-that-roll-slide-and-expand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/550033\/","title":{"rendered":"Beyond the Galaxy Z Fold: Samsung’s Future Phone Concepts That Roll, Slide and Expand"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the years, phone-makers have shown off handsets that stretch<\/a>, bend<\/a> and fold<\/a>. But inside a secret room at Samsung Display’s headquarters in South Korea — one that had never before been opened up to the press — I got a firsthand look at the company’s vision for the future of smartphones.<\/p>\n

Along one wall sat a lineup of concept displays that could eventually make their way into future mobile devices. I wasn’t allowed to touch the prototypes, but they were mounted on machines that repeatedly bent, folded and rolled the displays, showing off their range of motion.<\/p>\n


\n This story is part of Samsung Event, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Samsung’s most popular products.
\n <\/a> \"\" <\/p>\n

Watch this: I Went Inside Samsung’s Secret Display Lab and Saw Its Wildest Phone Concepts\n <\/p>\n

03:16 <\/p>\n

Consumer tech shows such as CES and Mobile World Congress have become stages for companies to exhibit their most ambitious innovations<\/a> — many of which never see the light of day. Still, they show how manufacturers are exploring ways to make our devices more intuitive and compelling<\/a>. Samsung is one of the biggest players in the foldable phones market, having released the clamshell-style Flip<\/a>, book-style Fold<\/a> and even the phone-tablet hybrid Galaxy Z TriFold<\/a>. The company’s expected to unveil the Galaxy Z 8 series next week at its Galaxy Unpacked event<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During my visit to Samsung’s global headquarters in June, I got a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the company tests its latest mobile displays<\/a>, along with an exclusive preview of what may be coming next. Samsung didn’t share specs for its concept displays, but here’s what I saw during my tour — and what it could mean for your future phone.<\/p>\n

\"Samsung <\/p>\n

The Flex S folds into a Z shape.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/p>\n

One concept, called the Flex S, opens and closes in a Z shape (not to be confused with the Galaxy Z TriFold, which forms a C shape and folds shut like a pamphlet). The Flex S opens up to a tablet-sized display, which could be ideal for watching movies. That’s what I appreciated about the TriFold, which I happened to review while recovering from strep throat. Lying in bed, I enjoyed having a larger screen for streaming that I could simply fold shut when I was finished.<\/p>\n

See also:\u00a0From Extreme Heat to Half a Million Folds: A Rare Look Inside Samsung’s Display Lab<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Samsung <\/p>\n

The Out Foldable has screens on the outside of both panels.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/p>\n

Another prototype, called the Out Foldable, is like a reverse book-style foldable. Instead of placing the larger display on the inside, as Samsung does with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the design puts both screens on the exterior and unfolds into a wider, mini-tablet-like layout, similar to some early foldables such as the 2019 Huawei Mate X<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is a configuration I’m a little more wary of for a couple of reasons. One, it might be hard to avoid scratching or cracking the wrap-around external display. And two, I’m not sure I really need a touchscreen display on the back of my phone. But I have to admit, it looks pretty cool nonetheless.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Samsung <\/p>\n

The Flex Slidable (right) can expand horizontally.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/p>\n

The Flex Slidable does as the name suggests. It can roll out to a wider display, which could be helpful for gaming or watching videos.\u00a0<\/p>\n

My first thought when I saw this concept was, “LG is rolling in its grave right now.” (Pun intended.) The company teased a rollable smartphone<\/a> at CES 2021, but the product was canceled after the company shuttered its mobile division<\/a> just a few months later. In 2023, Motorola also unveiled a rollable smartphone concept<\/a> with a screen that extends upwards, and its parent company, Lenovo, showcased laptop concepts at this year’s CES that extend both horizontally<\/a> and vertically<\/a>. We’ll have to see if Samsung’s ideas make it out of the lab.<\/p>\n

\"Samsung <\/p>\n

The Flex Hybrid can fold and roll open to a wider screen.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/p>\n

Lastly, Samsung combined elements from its other concepts to create what it’s dubbed the Flex Hybrid. This model can fold open and also expand with a rollable display. This makes for a more compact design while ensuring you don’t damage the screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A foldable device with a rollable component provides extra screen real estate without adding as much bulk. One of the biggest drawbacks of the Galaxy Z TriFold is that it feels thick when its three display panels are folded shut. This approach could eliminate the need for an additional foldable panel, instead using a display that rolls out when you need more space and tucks away when you don’t.<\/p>\n

Next to these concepts were a couple more that caught my eye — quite literally, in the case of one device that had a dazzling 5,000-nit peak brightness. For reference, the Galaxy S26 Ultra<\/a> can hit a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. It was a lot to look at indoors, but that level of luminance could make it easier to peer at your screen in bright sunlight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Two <\/p>\n

Looking at a 5,000-nit display indoors might not be very comfortable, but it can come in handy in the bright outdoors.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/p>\n

And finally, I saw a prototype mobile display with bezels so thin they were almost invisible. To highlight just how narrow the 0.6mm borders around the screen were, Samsung placed the phone-sized concept device on top of a tablet display. The two screens combined to form a single image of colorful cathedral windows. From a distance, it was hard to tell there was even a phone in the middle of the tablet; the image appeared seamless, uninterrupted by a phone’s thick borders.<\/p>\n

\"A <\/p>\n

With bezels this thin, it’s hard to tell there’s a mobile display nestled in the center of this tablet.<\/p>\n

Samsung<\/p>\n

An expansive display stretching from one end of the phone to another can feel more immersive, but I also wonder how tricky it might be to hold the device without accidentally tapping something on the screen.\u00a0<\/p>\n

As with all concepts, it’s not clear if or when Samsung will work these display technologies into its future mobile devices. But seeing these concepts offered a rare and fascinating glimpse into where smartphones could be headed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Over the years, phone-makers have shown off handsets that stretch, bend and fold. But inside a secret room…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":550034,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[61,60,80],"class_list":["post-550033","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-technology","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550033","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=550033"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/550033\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/550034"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=550033"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=550033"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=550033"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}