Note 7 failure may have scared Samsung away from flexible smartphone

Samsung has been showing off its flexible screen technology for a couple of years now at various trade shows and according to reports from earlier this year, Samsung's plans may have been further along than we thought, with potential plans to launch the first flexible smartphone in 2017. However, with so much negativity surrounding Samsung right now, the company is apparently now being ‘cautious' about its plans for such a device and is questioning whether it should release a flexible display smartphone at all.

Accorording to a report from the Korea Herald, which cites anonymous sources familiar with the matter, the Samsung Galaxy X (otherwise known as Project Valley) may be put on hold, despite the fact that Samsung has the ability to begin mass producing the device next year, albeit in low numbers.

Image Credit: Wikipedia

According to one of the sources cited in the report, this is partially down to the recent Galaxy Note 7 failure, which has also seen the Galaxy S8 flagship pushed back by a few months. A second source also claims that Samsung executives are questioning whether or not the risk is worth it, as if quality concerns arise from customers, then Samsung will have a hard time selling this costly device.

Instead of going ahead with a Galaxy X, Samsung may introduce a foldable tablet instead, which would apparently be simpler to pull off, reducing costs and financial risk.

KitGuru Says: Flexible display technology would certainly bring innovation back to Samsung's lineup of smartphones. However, with the company currently in damage control mode following the Note 7, it's easy to see why it may veer away from doing anything too risky in 2017. Hopefully we see the Galaxy X at some point though, as it seems like a truly interesting device.

Become a Patron!