I have very little reason, or honestly, none at all, to roll my phone like a window shade. And I’m pretty sure most average users feel the same way. Foldables have always seemed like party tricks as opposed to practicality. But whether we like it or not, they are here to stay and rollables are starting to follow.
At MWC 2024, Tecno showcased the Phantom Ultimate, a rollable concept phone that motorizes the expansion process. You press a quick button press or make a swipe gesture and the phone expands the screen horizontally. Thanks to a recent patent discovery, leaks have revealed Samsung’s plans for what could be its own first-ever vertical rollable smartphone.
Related: Samsung Could Make Interesting Chip Choices with 2025 Foldables
Samsung’s rollable phone is (almost) ready to reach new heights
Early illustrations of a new Samsung Galaxy smartphone essentially lock down the look and basic design of a potential vertical rollable device. Instead of opening sideways from the middle or stretching outward like you’re unfurling a map, this fresh design extends upward or downward, depending on how you hold the device.
From the front, the phone features a nearly edge-to-edge display with very thin side and top bezels, while the bottom bezel appears noticeably thicker and will most likely house the mechanical components needed for the vertical rolling mechanism. On the back is a dual-lens with flash camera setup that mirrors the style of the Galaxy Z Flip 6. It's placed horizontally on a strip across the top.
The frame is the part of the device that really gives away how the phone is bulkier than Samsung’s current flagship foldables. It's more than expected when you’re building a phone that can literally grow on demand.
Related: Samsung’s 7th Gen of Foldables Will Skip Straight to One UI 8
A grand idea that's still stuck on the drawing board
Interestingly, the image of Samsung's rollable phone concept doesn’t reveal the exact unfolded size of the device. You may want to manage your expectations for now since filing a patent is merely a strategic move to reserve the idea legally.
The brand may decide to develop it into a real product later. But like all patents, there's no guarantee it will hit the market exactly as shown or even at all.
It’s not the first time Samsung has attempted to rethink how we expand screens. Over the past few years, Samsung Display has shown off a series of experimental concepts that combine both folding and sliding technologies. At CES 2023, they introduced the Flex Hybrid, a prototype device that could fold on one side and slide outward on the other.
The idea was to maximize screen real estate dynamically and fold it for portability. They also showcased 17-inch slidable panels meant for future laptops and even large flexible displays for self-driving cars.
It's worth noting now that the more recent render of their rollable phone was created by DomoAI in collaboration with leakster @xleaks7. They are not official press images, but rather reconstructions based on Samsung’s design patent, which was granted by the US Patent and Trademark Office on April 15th. They also included a power button on the right side, which hints at metallic finishing, and is not part of the original illustration.
The goal of these renders is to provide a visual interpretation of the device’s likely appearance, using the information available from the patent drawings, which typically only show basic outlines without color or detailed surface finishes.
