Samsung Elec shows off new design for square-folding phone

SEOUL (Reuters) – Samsung Electronics (KS:) Co Ltd has unveiled a new design for a smartphone that folds into a square, racing ahead in folding devices after it launched its first model in September.

The South Korean tech giant teased https://youtu.be/AZDl_SP-w9E the new concept on Tuesday at the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 in the United States.

“The amazing thing with the foldable technology is that it can also become more compact like this,” said Sally Hyesoon Jeong, head of Framework R&D Group at Samsung’s mobile communications, showing the mock-up on a screen behind her.

“Incredible, right?” Jeong said, followed by applause from the floor.

The world’s largest smartphone maker is powering ahead with the launch of 5G phones and $2,000 foldable handsets as it battles rivals Apple Inc (NASDAQ:) and Huawei Technologies Co Ltd in an increasingly saturated market.

Its new design enables the device to fold in half horizontally.

“This brand new form factor we are now exploring not only easily fits in your pocket but it also changes the way you use the phone,” Jeong said.

China’s Huawei started taking orders last week in China for its eagerly awaited foldable smartphone, hoping to make up for weak overseas sales amid U.S. trade sanctions.

Samsung did not provide details about when the square-folding phone would be launched.

“While we can’t comment on future products, Samsung is committed to pioneering the foldable category, including investing in the development of new form factors,” Samsung said in a statement to Reuters.

Disclaimer: Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. All CFDs (stocks, indexes, futures) and Forex prices are not provided by exchanges but rather by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual market price, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Therefore Fusion Media doesn`t bear any responsibility for any trading losses you might incur as a result of using this data.

Fusion Media or anyone involved with Fusion Media will not accept any liability for loss or damage as a result of reliance on the information including data, quotes, charts and buy/sell signals contained within this website. Please be fully informed regarding the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, it is one of the riskiest investment forms possible.