SAMSUNG Samsung aims to launch first foldable phone, says Galaxy S10 won't be 5G

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Several other companies are working on similar devices

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Bottom line: Now that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9 has been unveiled, the company is looking toward its next handsets: the Galaxy S10 and foldable Galaxy X. Despite many firms working on similar devices, Samsung wants to be the first to get a bendable phone to market.

Speaking to journalists at the Note 9’s Unpacked event in New York, Samsung mobile president DJ Koh said it was "focusing on developing innovations that will be genuinely accepted and liked by consumers." With everyone from Huawei to Microsoft to Apple reportedly working on a foldable phone, Koh emphasized that Samsung doesn't want to "lose the 'world’s-first' title."

Rumors surrounding Samsung’s foldable Galaxy X handset have been around for years, but the last 12 months have seen suggestions that it is finally edging closer to a release. June brought reports that it would launch next year and carry a $2,000 price tag. This was followed a month later by claims of a 6000mAh battery and a possible CES 2019 unveiling.

As per ZDNet, Koh said the Galaxy X’s reveal wasn’t far away and that the firm has overcome the many design issues presented by the foldable device. He also hinted that it could become part of a series, much like the S and Note lines.

“We wouldn't have started [the project] if it was a going to be a one-time thing," Koh said.

Concept images of what a foldable phone/tablet hybrid would look like

Concept image of what a single-pane foldable phone would look like

Another area where Samsung is competing against rival firms is in the race to release the first 5G-capable smartphone. South Korea is expected to launch its 5G networks in March, and Koh said Samsung is working with the nation’s carriers to release the first 5G phone, though it won’t be the Galaxy S10—Koh added that a “separate” device would have this honor. Whether it will be the foldable Galaxy X, the Note 10, or a completely different handset remains to be seen.

Koh also addressed reports that the Galaxy S and Note series would be merging as a result of disappointing sales. "For the immediate future, there won't be a change in launching the S series in the first half and Note series in the second half of the year," he said.