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posted by martyb on Wednesday November 07 2018, @09:44PM   Printer-friendly
from the know-when-to-hold-'em,-know-when-to-fold-'em dept.

Google says Android will natively support 'foldables' to limit fragmentation

Google is officially announcing support for a category of Android devices it's decided to call "Foldables." Speaking today at the Android Developer Summit, VP of engineering Dave Burke said that Google is "enhancing Android to take advantage of this new form factor with as little work as necessary." But as of right now, those enhancements are mostly just guidance for developers to start using already-existing features that are built into Android.

If you haven't heard, devices with folding displays are about to become a thing. Today is the day when Samsung will stop teasing and start showing its phone with a folding display at its developer conference, which is happening at the same time as Google's summit. Google tells me that it's working closely with Samsung on how Android will develop foldables. But Google's focus is on making sure that it becomes a platform-level thing for Android that any OEM can use.

Samsung to Launch Foldable Phone in 2019

Samsung used its developer conference in San Francisco Wednesday to officially announce that it will launch a foldable smartphone some time in 2019. The phone is using the company's own new Infinity Flex display, which allows it to be folded and unfolded repeatedly without wear and tear.

"When it's open, it's a tablet, offering a big-screen experience," said Samsung vice president of mobile marketing Justin Denison. "When it's closed, it's a phone that fits neatly inside your pocket."

Denison showed off a phone featuring the new display technology on stage, which featured a 7.3-inch display when unfolded. However, the device itself was camouflaged to hide key design aspects. The company also didn't offer any branding for the new phone, and Denison didn't want to commit to a firm launch date, instead just saying that the company would begin mass production "in the coming months."

Also at Android Police.

Previously: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone


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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by bob_super on Wednesday November 07 2018, @11:06PM

    by bob_super (1357) on Wednesday November 07 2018, @11:06PM (#759200)

    You misread. I don't want a screen that folds in half.
    I want a screen that could fold to about 45 degrees, such that it mostly flexes a few degrees to match my not-flat pants pockets, or to resist a bad incident without shattering.

    Starting Score:    1  point
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