TECHNOLOGY

Report: Samsung will release foldable phones early next year

Nicole Cobler
ncobler@statesman.com
Justin Denison, SVP of Mobile Product Development, talks about the Infinity Flex Display of a folding smartphone during the keynote address of the Samsung Developer Conference Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018, in San Francisco. Now that everyone who can afford a smartphone has one, people are holding off on buying new one and forking over $800 to $1,500 for something that isn't radically different from what they already are using. The lull in smartphone innovation has contributed to a year-long decline in smartphone sales that is challenging the industry to come up with a breakthrough that that will convince consumers that it's worth replacing their older models. One potential catalyst could be phones with flexible screens that can be folded in half without breaking so the devices can become more versatile tools for work and pleasure. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

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Get your new and improved flip phone in 2019

Samsung will release its foldable phone in the first half of 2019, Yonhap News reported, citing the company’s smartphone chief DJ Koh.

The electronics company unveiled the foldable-screen phone at a developer conference in San Francisco last week, but did not provide details on the name, price or release date, according to Bloomberg.

But Koh told reporters he would launch the phone in the first half of 2019 “no matter what,” Yonhap reported Sunday.

The foldable phone is expected to launch in March, along with a fifth-generation network-powered Galaxy S10, Yonhap reported, citing industry sources. 5G is the next generation of wireless communication.

 The Suwon, South Korea-based electronics company employs roughly 3,000 people in Austin.

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