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A Galaxy X Prototype Might Debut With The Note 8 This Year, But It Probably Won’t Be Available Until 2019

By Simon Alvarez
Published on: 09:41 PST, Apr 30, 2017

The Galaxy X is arguably Samsung’s most cryptic smartphone to date. Always rumored but never confirmed, the transformable, bendable mobile device is yet to see an official announcement. With leaks and speculations alleging that the revolutionary hybrid smartphone would finally see an official unveiling this year, a timeline for the Galaxy X’s release could finally be inferred. If rumors prove accurate, a Galaxy X prototype might indeed show itself later this year, though production models might be available as late as 2019.

Leaks and speculations about the Samsung Galaxy X are abounding, with rumors stating that the upcoming device would most likely become the South Korean tech giant’s third flagship series. Though very little is known about the smartphone as of date, speculations suggest that the Galaxy X would feature robust internals such as Qualcomm’s latest processor, up to 6GB of RAM and an impressive 4K display. While Samsung has not confirmed these rumored specs, they do make sense considering the device’s unique transformable concept.

The story of the Galaxy X started way back in 2011, when Samsung unveiled a prototype foldable smartphone, according to a TechRadar report. The prototype the South Korean tech giant showed off then was quite unsightly, with a rather awkward design that completely kills the ergonomics supposedly afforded by a foldable smartphone. Despite its shortcomings, however, the device attracted the attention of tech fans worldwide.

By 2012, Samsung released a concept video showcasing a fully bendable and fully transparent hybrid mobile device, capable of transforming from a smartphone into a full-fledged tablet. Inasmuch as the concept got even more tech aficionados interested, however, a smartphone bearing the concept’s design was never released.

Three years after, rumors about a mobile device with the codename Project Valley emerged, with speculations stating that it would be Samsung’s first fully foldable smartphone. The device was initially rumored to have two displays, though leaks and rumors eventually suggested that the upcoming hybrid would fold in and out as it transformed from a smartphone into a tablet. Project Valley was eventually revealed to be the Galaxy X in 2016, and rumors about the device have not stopped emerging since.

Possible designs of the Galaxy X have appeared in the form of concepts and leaks from patents that Samsung has filed in the past. From what could be determined so far, the Galaxy X could be two things — a bendable smartphone that features a clamshell design or a mobile device that folds out as a tablet. Regardless of what the Galaxy X would turn out to be, however, there is a good chance that the hybrid would indeed herald yet another revolution in the smartphone industry.

The release date of the Galaxy X, however, is an entirely different matter. Recent rumors about the Galaxy X’s debut have pointed to a possible 2017 release date, with some speculations stating that the device would most likely be launched together with the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung’s flagship phablet for 2017. If recent reports are any indication, however, this timeline might only be partly accurate.

A PC Advisor report, citing Samsung Display Engineer Kim Tae-wrong, stated that the Galaxy X’s technology would not be ready for mass production this year. Instead, the highly-anticipated device might end up seeing a release sometime in 2018, or even as late as 2019, due to the technology needed to mass-produce the mobile device.

While this launch window is much later than expected, there is still a pretty good chance that the Galaxy X would make an appearance this year. Instead of a device that is ready for mass-production, however, Samsung might simply reveal a Galaxy X prototype during the Galaxy Note 8 launch later this year.

Samsung has revealed numerous prototypes of foldable devices over the past few years. Thus, if the South Korean tech giant does debut a working Galaxy X prototype in the Note 8 launch, it would not be out of character for Samsung at all. If any, it would serve to fuel the interest of the public in the upcoming device even more.

[Featured Image byMichael Sohn/AP Images]

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