Samsung may be preparing to once again push multi-form phones forward, with reports indicating the company may release rolling screen models in 2027.
Samsung has been at the forefront of the foldable phone revolution, being one of the first companies to release such a device, with the Galaxy Fold in September 2019. Over the years, the company has continued to evolve and refine the form factor, cementing its lead in the market.
Interestingly, Samsung first showed off a rollable concept in 2022, but no company has released a rollable screen phone to date. According to Talk Android, Samsung may once again upend the phone market, with its first rollable possibly slated for 2027.
Foldable phones, while gaining in popularity, still have major disadvantages. The crease in between the two halves of the screen is one of the biggest disadvantages, despite significant progress toward eliminating it. To make matters worse, even though the crease is barely visible on newer phones, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series and the all-new iPhone Duo, the more a phone is folded and unfolded, the more visible the crease becomes over time. The crease also tends to be a failure point in many foldables, with most cracks or damage to screens emanating from the crease area. A rollable screen could conceivably avoid many of these issues by avoiding a hard fold in favor of a more gradual roll.
Talk Android also cites unnamed industry sources that say Samsung may be cutting Galaxy A production by more than 10% in 2027, despite it being the company’s most popular model. If so, that rumor could combine with the rollable rumors to indicate a fundamental shift in Samsung’s mobile strategy. Given the rising cost of the memory used in phones, budget phones like the Galaxy A often don’t have the margins to be as profitable as high-end alternatives. A rollable phone could provide a significant upgrade option for users who want to jump to a multi-form phone but are leery of a foldable model.
Introducing a rollable phone could also help Samsung stay ahead of Apple. Until now, Samsung has had bragging rights over Apple in the innovation department, consistently offering customers something that Apple didn’t. Now that Apple has released a foldable of its own, Samsung may see a rollable phone as the best way to maintain its innovation lead.