Now that the Samsung Galaxy S8 is already official and currently hitting the shelves around the world, eyes are starting to focus on the South Korean conglomerate’s upcoming offerings such as the Note 8 and its foldable phone referred to by many as the Galaxy X. When talking about their possible release schedule, the latest rumors are suggesting that the Galaxy X could be launched ahead of the controversial Note 7 successor.
Well, actually, the current talk of the tech town is that Samsung may only be preparing to unveil the prototype form of the Galaxy X and it could happen later this year. It’s not surprising as Android Central noted that foldable phones might not see their official market release until the year 2019.
“Because the bezel-free display currently sells well,” Samsung Display’s lead engineer Kim Tae-Woong said, as quoted by The Korea Herald , “we still have enough time to develop foldable display . The technology is expected to be mature around 2019.”
Local Korean website The Investor shared that this possible preliminary iteration of the Galaxy X purported for a looming debut could feature a “dual-screen smartphone” and “can be folded open 180 degrees.” The publication further described the Samsung Galaxy X as having a “pair of organic light-emitting diode display panels that are connected with a hinge in the middle.”
Supporting reports of the Galaxy X prototypes’ possible release this year, the Korean giant has already ordered the components necessary for the manufacturing of the 2000 to 3000 units. The Galaxy X is part of the company’s Project Valley. The Investor’s noted the following further adding that the Galaxy maker is still studying its release in the mass-market.
“Samsung and its display-making arm Samsung Display have been speeding up related research and development work to roll out a limited batch of Galaxy X in the latter half of this year.”
Since the scale of its market launch is still uncertain, Android Central pointed out that if ever Samsung will put it on sale, it is most likely that it could only have an “ extremely limited (likely Korea-only) release” like the Samsung Galaxy Round that debuted in 2013.
For those looking for a more specific release timeframe for the Galaxy X, Trusted Reviews cited a tweet from a leaker with Twitter handle @mmddj_china, which said that the foldable phone could be set for a Q3 launch . The tipster claims to be a member of the Samsung Galaxy Club in China.
And Samsung GALAXY X in Q3. ?
— ??_Current (@MMDDJ_) March 29, 2017
In a separate tweet, the Chinese leaker also shared that the Galaxy Note 8, another highly anticipated mobile device from Samsung, is scheduled for a Q4 2017 release. Samsung treading away from its usual release pattern for its Note model (August of every year) isn’t far from happening since the tech company also delayed its Galaxy S8’s launch for a bit and unveiled it during a dedicated launch event.
Samsung GALAXY Note 8 in Q4.:)
— ??_Current (@MMDDJ_) March 29, 2017
An alleged leaked photo of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 alongside an S-Pen was posted by Slashleaks . Showing great resemblance to the S8, the photo shows a phone with curved Edge display on both sides and with no physical Home button.
A concept image for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 that is also based on the Galaxy S8’s design and specs has also made its rounds online recently. Created and posted by Benjamin Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) on his Twitter account, the Note 8 is rendered to feature a 6.4-inch 4K Infinity Display with 18:9 ratio, rear snapper with dual camera setup, in-screen fingerprint scanner, stereo speakers, and a battery with 4000 mAH capacity.
When it comes to the Note 8’s under-the-hood specs , rumors are suggesting that it could be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (certain markets will likely get an Exynos chipset) paired with a 6GB of RAM, Know Your Mobile reported.
Here’s another concept rendering for the Samsung Galaxy Note 8, courtesy of TechConfigurations’ YouTube channel.
[Featured Image by Drew Angerer/Getty Images]
