Company insiders have revealed another setback to Samsung's Project Valley Program, which oversees the production for the tech giant's next generation Foldable Phones. Galaxy X has been rumored to reach new heights and analysts project that the mass production of the flexible 6th-gen OLED panels needed for the handset would start at the third quarter of this year.
A recently filed patent by Samsung reveals how the bendable phone would look like -- an elongated slab that has an intriguing automatic hinge that looks similar to Microsoft's Surface Book. The patent, as noted by Phone Arena, "was more detailed than anything they've seen from Samsung, concluding that Galaxy X might be nearing the end of its development stages."
However, rumors, regarding its release in spring this year along with its flagship device, the Galaxy S8 smartphone has been downplayed by a Korean publication that has reconfirmed that the launch for the Galaxy X is still in question after the company is having second thoughts on releasing the phone. An anonymous tip from a supply chain speculated that "following the Galaxy Note 7 mishaps, Samsung Electronics has taken a cautious approach on unveiling its new products - in terms of hardware."
Considering the cost of making the Project Valley Program and also the cost of the whole commercialization to be feasible, company insiders have revealed that "Samsung is not yet sure whether consumers would spend their money on expensive foldable devices." Putting the cost in perspective, one can imagine how much these devices would be worth and Samsung is toying around with the idea of a releasing a a foldable tablet instead.
Rumors indicate that the new OLED conveyor belts will be primed to make flexible 7-inch panels, taking note of the fact that foldable tablets are more cost efficient and easier to make. All in all, it seems that Samsung has taken back steps regarding the release of the Galaxy X Foldable Phone.
According to Digital Trends, Samsung's confidence has totally been regressed regarding its release of the Galaxy X and has shifted it focus on the release of the Galaxy S8. It seems that the Project Valley Program is still in a state of flux and has been delayed to give way to a more improved S8 smartphone.
