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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


Original Submission

Related Stories

Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone 15 comments

Royole's bendy-screen FlexPai phone unveiled in China

A little-known California-based company has laid claim to creating the "world's first foldable phone".

Royole Corporation - a specialist in manufacturing flexible displays - unveiled the FlexPai handset at an event in Beijing. When opened, the device presents a single display measuring 7.8in (19.8cm) - bigger than many tablets. But when folded up, it presents three separate smaller screens - on the front, rear and spine of the device.

The six-year-old company said it would hold three "flash sales" to consumers in China on 1 November to offer the first product run.

[...] The launch has caught many industry watchers by surprise. It was widely believed Samsung or Huawei would be the first to sell such a device to the public.

[...] Another company-watcher added that he doubted the FlexPai would ever be produced in large numbers. "Royole has carried out several publicity stunts over the years to showcase its flexible OLED [organic light-emitting diode] displays," said Dr Guillaume Chansin from Irimitech Consulting. "The FlexPai is probably another stunt. Royole is building its first OLED factory and it is now trying to compete directly with other display manufacturers such as Samsung and LG."

Samsung has been talking about this kind of thing for years. But talk is cheap.

Also at The Verge and BGR.

See also: The World's First Foldable Screen Phone Is Not Fully Baked

Related: Flexible and Printable Battery that Will Revolutionize Wearables
Underwriters Laboratories Certifies "Unbreakable" and Flexible Samsung OLED Display
Nubia's Wearable Smartphone is a Preview of our Flexible OLED Future


Original Submission

More on Royole's Foldable Smartphone, the FlexPai 8 comments

A closer look at Royole's foldable display

The FlexPai's anticipated December release seemingly came out of nowhere. Like competitors, Royole had shown off its proprietary folding technology as part of a standalone demos, but it hadn't teased the arrival of a smartphone until the device was ready to ship. It's a far cry, certainly, from the not ready for prime time prototype Samsung marched out on stage last month.

At an event in Shenzhen, CEO Bill Liu told TechCrunch that the company was built around the desire to bring the technology to market. "We started from the flexible displays and flexible sensors," he explained. "We started the company with a focus on the flexible displays and sensors. And then along the way, we realized this could be a huge application for the technology."

[...] It's a difficult problem and Royole solved it with in-house technologies. No one can take that away from the company. I can't say my initial apprehensions were ultimately dissuaded, however. The FlexPai mostly works as desired, but the execution isn't what ultimately the kind of premium product one would expect, given the ultra-premium price tag (around $1,300 American).

Liu happily dropped the phone a couple of times on stage, in an attempt to put to rest any durability question. While the display ultimately didn't crack or scratch, the flexible material looks almost like cellophane and sports crinkles that catch the light — the clarity also leaves something to be desire.

As far as portability, it's true that you can fold it up and stuff it in your pocket, though it's pretty chunky when you do so. Ultimately, these are first generation products — and likely a result of a company pushing to be first to market, knowing full well that companies like Samsung were breathing down its neck.

Don't be an early adopter.

Previously: Royole Beats Samsung and Others in Race to Create the First Foldable Smartphone
Google Will Support Foldable Devices; Samsung Announces 2019 Foldable Phone


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 0, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 07 2018, @09:57PM

    by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday November 07 2018, @09:57PM (#759168)

    Nice try, Trump traitors.

  • (Score: 2) by DannyB on Wednesday November 07 2018, @10:44PM

    by DannyB (5839) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday November 07 2018, @10:44PM (#759191) Journal

    How many times can you fold a phone in half?

    You can only fold paper supposedly 7 or 8 times.

    I swear to Google that if you fold paper 103 times it is thicker than the observable universe. What about a foldable phone?

    Let's ask Mr. Owl, he knows everything!

    --
    People today are educated enough to repeat what they are taught but not to question what they are taught.
  • (Score: 2) by MostCynical on Wednesday November 07 2018, @11:03PM (1 child)

    by MostCynical (2589) on Wednesday November 07 2018, @11:03PM (#759196) Journal

    Apple started it. [theverge.com]

    --
    "I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
    • (Score: 3, Touché) by zocalo on Wednesday November 07 2018, @11:13PM

      by zocalo (302) on Wednesday November 07 2018, @11:13PM (#759206)
      Pfft! This is Apple we're talking about, if anything breaks then clearly the user must have been folding it wrong.
      --
      UNIX? They're not even circumcised! Savages!
  • (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.

  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Thursday November 08 2018, @02:18AM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Thursday November 08 2018, @02:18AM (#759269) Journal
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