Galaxy X: Samsung’s Foldable Device Could Be Eclipsed By Xiaomi and Oppo’s Upcoming Flexible Smartphones

Despite the fact that the device appears to have been in development for years, Samsung’s Galaxy X smartphone is still not on the market. Latest reports and rumors point to the idea that the South Korean tech giant is set to release the Galaxy X sometime next year. Unfortunately for Samsung, such a release date might be a bit too late.

With the single-display smartphone design having matured over the years, the market for flexible devices is ripe for the picking. Over the years, rumors were abounding that Samsung is working on a smartphone that would take advantage of the company’s flexible display technology, which would allow the creation of a device that can fold in and out on itself, creating a segment that has the portability of a smartphone and the working area of a tablet, according to NDTV. This device is rumored to be the Galaxy X.

Samsung proudly showed off a concept video of a foldable device in the past, and the mobile market has been eagerly waiting for it ever since. Over the years, however, and regardless of rumors and leaks about the device or patents that appear to correspond directly to the smartphone, the Galaxy X has been elusive. Fast forward to the present, and the Galaxy X is still not in the market, with Samsung now rumored to launch the device as the Galaxy F, a gaming-focused device, sometime next year — and this is still tentative.

Unfortunately for Samsung, the mobile industry is a very competitive market, and rivals are just waiting for their chance to strike. Rumors are already abounding that South Korean rival LG is coming up with its own foldable smartphone. More recently, reports have emerged stating that Chinese manufacturers Xiaomi and Oppo are now taking on the task of bringing a flexible smartphone to the market soon. Unlike Samsung, which appears to be taking its sweet time in releasing its hybrid device, Oppo and Xiaomi are reportedly already working with suppliers to acquire components for their hybrid smartphones, according to South Korean publication ETNews.

Here is #OPPO 's take on flooding smart phone with flexible screen pic.twitter.com/GErX6BUoLv

— duggtech@gmail.com (@TechNavvi) July 10, 2018

Xiaomi and Oppo are companies that move fast. Xiaomi, after all, is not dubbed as the “Apple of China” without good reason. Oppo, on the other hand, is one of the sister brands of Vivo and OnePlus, two emerging smartphone brands that are slowly blurring the lines between the midrange mobile market and flagship phone industry. Both Xiaomi and Oppo are known to release their latest devices quickly, and if Samsung is not careful, its Galaxy X device, which has been literally years in the making, might end up entering the market with a whimper instead of a bang.