Folding Screen Galaxy Note Smartphone Is On Samsung's Roadmap for 2018

Samsung had a brief down period last year due to the failure of the Galaxy Note 7, but the company is now basking in the success of the Galaxy Note 8, and the Galaxy S line of devices continues to sell well. Samsung pioneered flexible screens that wrap around the sides of the phone with the Galaxy S line of devices and that design touch proved to be very popular with buyers.

Now, Samsung has plans to launch a foldable smartphone next year under the Galaxy Note line. Word of the plans for the folding smartphone came from Samsung Electronics mobile business president Koh Dong-jin. The exec said that Samsung is aiming at a 2018 launch for the foldable smartphone, but the company has hurdles to overcome. If it can't overcome these unnamed hurdles, the bendable screen device would be pushed back.

Koh said, "As the head of the business, I can say our current goal is next year. When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product." While Koh didn't offer any insight into what exactly the issues are that Samsung is trying to solve, we can assume that developing a smartphone with a screen able to bend multiple times per day and last has to be difficult.

Rumors have been swirling for years that Samsung is working on smartphones with bendable screens. In fact, a 2014 video with a folding concept phone in it from Samsung turned up online and got many fans excited. More recently in April of this year, Samsung stated that consumers shouldn't expect a folding Galaxy smartphone before 2019. We also heard in April that Samsung might be unveiling a flexible OLED, dual-screen Galaxy X concept device this year. At the time, Samsung was said to have parts on hand to build as many as 3,000 bendable smartphones. However, the last quarter of the year is nearly here, leaving Samsung with little time to unveil such a device.