See the folding and sliding screen of the future from Samsung

samsung he wants the devices of the future to do more than just fold in half. that message was clear CES, where the smartphone maker showcased its flexible display concepts. Among the most notable was the flexible Hybrid, that has a screen that folds and slides to change its size.

The Flex Hybrid closes like a laptop, but opens to reveal a tablet-sized display with an adjustable screen. The screen can switch between 10.5-inch and 12.4-inch screen sizes, thanks to its slider and foldable design. In addition to changing the screen size, the prototype can also jump between 4:3 and 16:10 aspect ratios. Although Flex Hybrid is just a concept, it shows that Samsung is looking into what the next evolution of foldable phones and tablets might look like.

The Flex Hybrid is just one of several mockups, which Samsung detailed in a January 1 statement. 3 Press release. There’s also a 17-inch sliding screen, which was previewed in September, and a digital cockpit concept aimed at autonomous vehicles. My colleague Eli Blumenthal, who had the opportunity to See Samsung concepts in person at CES, he said these designs have renewed his enthusiasm for the future of foldables.

Samsung showed off its display concepts at CES 2023.

David Katzmaier/CNET

Concepts like these don’t always result in actual products, but the Flex Hybrid feels more in line with Samsung’s current product strategy. Foldable phones only represent a part of the broader phone market, but the Galaxy Z foldable Y flip galaxy Z have been consolidated in the line of mobile devices from Samsung. The company’s early entry into the foldable phone space has given it an edge in terms of market share, with Samsung accounting for more than 88% of the foldable smartphone market, according to omdia.

TM Roh, director of Samsung’s mobile experience business, suggested In an interview last August that the company is already thinking about what’s next after the Z Fold and Z Flip. The introduction of new concepts like the Flex Hybrid underscores that point.

“It’s all you saw [at CES] and more,” he said, referring to visualization concepts Samsung exhibited at CES last year.

But Samsung is also likely to face more competition as foldable phones continue to evolve. motorola Y TCL both have shown their own concepts of rollable phones. Oppo’s Find N2, which the company unveiled in late 2022, also promises a lot thanks to its lightweight design. as my colleague Sareena Dayaram wrote.

Although Samsung is trying to make foldable phones a more common part of our daily lives, their goal is not to replace regular phones.

“I wouldn’t see one bar type, one foldable, or another potentially new form factor dominating the market,” Roh also said during the previous interview. “But I see the different categories coexisting together.”