Galaxy X: Samsung’s Foldable Phone Could Be Dead On Arrival Due To Rival Huawei’s Foldable Device
As the smartphone industry prepares to enter another era, things seem to be pointing to Samsung leading the charge with its yet-to-be-released and long-rumored foldable Galaxy X device. Widely speculated for years, the notoriously elusive hybrid smartphone appears to have been delayed time and time again. This time, however, Samsung’s decision to hold off on the device might prove to be a huge mistake.
Earlier this year, rumors emerged suggesting that Samsung showed off working prototypes of the foldable handsets in a closed-door meeting with the company’s partners. Not long after the closed-door meeting, however, comments from Samsung CEO DJ Koh appear to suggest that the Galaxy X has been moved to a 2019 release date, as noted in a Know Your Mobile report.
Thus, for all intents and purposes, the Samsung Galaxy X seems to have been delayed yet again. For the nth time.
Unfortunately for Samsung, rivals are quickly catching up on the emerging trend. Last year, ZTE released what could only be described as a rough concept for a foldable device — the Axon M. As noted in a previous Inquisitr report, even LG seems to be getting on the foldable smartphone bandwagon, as revealed by a series of polished patents for a hybrid smartphone. Of course, the looming threat of the equally long-rumored Surface Phone is just around the corner as well.
We can't wait to see the @SamsungMobileUS #GalaxyX "unfold." https://t.co/aPPutUweTJ
— Digital Trends (@DigitalTrends) January 31, 2018
Just recently, however, the biggest threat to the Galaxy X has emerged in the form of an upcoming smartphone from rival manufacturer Huawei. According to a report from ET News, Huawei is planning to release a foldable smartphone sometime in 2018, beating the Galaxy X to the market. Unlike ZTE’s Axon M, however, rumors are high that Huawei’s foldable smartphone would feature a more refined design and a novel UI. These, of course, do not bode well for the Galaxy X.
What’s more, the South Korean news website also noted that LG, Samsung’s biggest rival in the Asian country, is likely to be the chosen supplier for the displays that will be used in Huawei’s device. If Huawei does beat Samsung to the market with its own foldable smartphone and uses LG’s screens in the process, it would be a huge reality check for the Galaxy S9 maker. The smartphone market moves at an incredibly fast pace, after all, and players who fall to hubris are rarely, if not never, rewarded.
