Samsung's Folding Galaxy Phone Will Cram A Multitasking Tablet In Your Pocket

While launching the mid-range, quad-camera Galaxy A9 today, Samsung mobile chief DJ Koh gave a few hints as to what we can expect from the device. For starters, it will be available globally, so it won't be an exclusive to Samsung's home market of South Korea. Instead, Samsung wants maximum visibility for the product to showcase its design prowess and prop up the entire mobile division.

In addition, Koh stated, "When we deliver a foldable phone, it has to be really meaningful to our customer. If the user experience is not up to my standard, I don't want to deliver those kind of products."

For the smartphone to be meaningful, it has to be useful; it has to offer some productivity "bonus" over a traditional smartphone -- a la the Galaxy Note 9 -- to make it worth the added expense. To that end, Koh added that when unfurled, the unnamed Galaxy smartphone will take on the appearance of a tablet giving you unmatched multitasking capabilities. And when you're done, you just fold it up and stow it in your pocket like you would any other smartphone. 

The productivity of an iPad Pro or a Galaxy Tab S4 in a form-factor that fits in your pocket definitely sounds appealing. However, how well it will appeal to customers will likely come down to pricing. Considering that the Galaxy Note 9 already starts at $999 and costs as much as $1,249 for the 512GB model, we could easily see this Galaxy X/F starting at $1,500 or more. In fact, some sources have indicated that the device could retail for nearly $2,000.

Just a few years ago, paying that much for a smartphone seemed almost unthinkable. However, in a world where you can now purchase a 512GB iPhone Xs Max for $1,449, paying $1,999 or more for a foldable Samsung smartphone doesn't seem too far removed from reality.