Why your next mobile phone might fold, bend, and turn into a tablet

Big changes are coming to smartphones this year and they’re not all about 5G. The largest maker of smartphones is primed to launch its first handset with a flexible screen.

The computer in your pocket is set to get a major makeover this year, starting as early as next week.

The largest maker of smartphones is primed to launch its first handset with a flexible screen, which bends and folds over to become a makeshift tablet that you can slip back into a pocket when you’re done.

But experts say Samsung won’t be alone in changing the smartphone as we know it, with competitors including Huawei and even Apple tipped to turn phones into something bigger and different, perhaps with faster, 5G connections.

The South Korean tech giant is expected to reveal the Galaxy F in San Francisco next Thursday, showing off a smartphone with an Infinity Flex Display that can be opened like a book to show off a display large enough to comfortably read a newspaper or watch TV.

Samsung Electronics president DJ Koh, who previewed an early version of the innovation last September, said the flexible display would create “the foundation for a new kind of mobile experience”.

Samsung mobile product development vice-president Justin Denison shows off the company's phone with Infinity Flex screen.

And Telsyte managing director Foad Fadaghi said phone makers were wise to try something new as Australian buyers were now holding on to their handsets for three years or more, burned by soaring prices that had broken the $2000 barrier.

“Given the challenges manufacturers are experiencing, many are looking for the next big thing in smartphones,” he said.

“They are placing bets on different types of screen technology, and we’ll just have to see whether consumers are interested.”

Telstra consumer technology executive Kevin Teoh said many phone makers were expected to follow Samsung’s lead this year, with launches expected as soon as next month.

“There is a race by the key global players to bring this type of technology to market to show off its design, engineering, and manufacturing expertise,” he said.

“And, ultimately, the customer wins as they will have even more choices to fit their complex needs.”

Experts say Samsung won’t be alone in changing the smartphone as we know it.

Huawei chief executive Richard Yu has confirmed the company is working on “foldable phones, foldable 5G phones,” with a launch expected imminently, and lesser known Chinese firms are also experimenting with the technology.

Royale, for example, showed off its unfinished FlexiPai device at the Consumer Electronics Show last month, with a 7.8-inch screen that bends and flexes in both directions.

Other companies rumoured to be investing in flexible smartphone screens include LG, which has already shown a flexible TV, Motorola, which is rumoured to be working on an update to its RAZR brand, and Apple, which has filed a patent for a magnetic hinge that could allow an iPhone screen to be doubled over on itself.

Samsung mobile communications president DJ Koh.

While the new phone designs might seem wacky, Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association chief executive Chris Althaus said it was worth noting that phones weren’t always black, touchscreen rectangles.

“It’s a really interesting moment in time,” Mr Althaus said.

“We’ve gotten so used to the candy-bar smartphone as being the norm. Bendable and foldable screens and whole bunch of variations could change the game.”

But Mr Fadaghi warned Australian consumers were demanding, and could be sceptical of any smartphone that didn’t improve on what they already owned.

“If the handsets are bulkier, weigh more, or use more battery the bet could backfire,” he said.

“Buyers will be looking for improvements in features across the board.”

Originally published as Why your next mobile phone might fold, bend, and turn into a tablet