Samsung Foldable Smartphone 'Highly Likely' to Launch in Q3 2017

Samsung has teased its foldable displays for quite some time now but according to recent reports, the South Korean company might be launching its first foldable smartphone as early as Q3 this year. It seems like the company is looking to fire on all cylinders as it has been tipped to roll out more than 100,000 units of fold-out devices in the third quarter.

Despite the technical completion of the smartphone, the company has not made a final decision regarding the launch of the smartphone due to marketability and profitability issues, as per a report by Korea Herald. "The final decision will be made after the personnel reshuffle of the company's information technology and mobile communications unit is carried out," the report said citing sources in the know of the matter.

Samsung had already completed the development of fold-in phones, which tuck the screen inside on being folded, around August last year and therefore it was not a big "challenge" to shift into the fold-out phones category, the report said citing a source. The fold-out phones can reportedly be used as 7-inch tablets after their panels fold out.

"The final decision will be made after the personnel reshuffle of the company's information technology and mobile communications unit is carried out," the source was quoted as saying.

In December, a report said that Samsung was working on two foldable smartphones with one expected to be released in 2017. As per the report, the company was said to be working on a 'dual-screen' smartphone with screens on both sides and another with a single flexible OLED display.