Samsung could be working on the ultimate flip phone/tablet
The big problem with tablets and phablets alike is that their size is both a strength and a weakness. On one hand, a small tablet that works like a phone can do things that simply can’t be done on a 4 or even 5 inch screen, such as using a keyboard in landscape mode without completely covering the interface.
A smaller device, on the other hand, it’s more portable and fits easily into pockets, without the extra weight, while a bigger phone/tablet’s larger screen needs a lot more protection.
5.5 inches and bigger devices tend to break more easily than devices with a smaller footprint. Keeping these devices safe from accidental damage often requires heavy-duty covers than can add considerable weight, as well as bulk, due to the fact that most heavy duty covers are composed one internal silicon “jacket”, which wraps the back and the frame of the device, and an external rigid shell made of plastic, which adds an extra layer of protection.
By the same token, the screen still requires some level of protection, in the form of either a reinforced polymer glass, or similar scratch-resistant film.
With that in mind, rumor has it that Samsung may be working on a technology that allows larger screens to be folded, in a similar way as a laptop’s clam shell configuration.
Sources from China, claim in-depth knowledge of what is known as “Project Valley”, the code name under which the new device has been allegedly undergoing testing. The same sources reveal that the device could turn out to be a future iteration of the Galaxy Note smartphone, or a hybrid between a 10.1 inch tablet like the Galaxy Tab 2, and the 5.7 Galaxy Note.
This device could hit the market in two different configurations next year, around January, and feature an entry level version powered Snapdragon 620 processor, and a more powerful version powered by a Snapdragon 820 chip. Both versions are expected to ship with 3GB of RAM, microSD card slot, and non-removable battery.
A device like the one Samsung is rumored to be working on, could cause disruption in the industry, for both smartphones and tablet manufacturers, like Apple and Microsoft. Apple in particular could be already in the loop about what Samsung is about to unveil, which explains why the Cupertino tech giant is focusing on making devices with larger touchscreens, like the iPad Pro, as well as this unusual focus on “desktop class performance” in an iOS device, as of the latest keynote in San Francisco.
Some have argued that the iPad Pro is a testing platform for Apple’s future plans of building ARM-based laptops, and if that were the case, Samsung’s concept could eventually lead to foldable touchscreen devices and virtual keyboards to be the next big thing in consumer computing, enabling devices to be portable enough to be used everywhere, without sacrificing screen size.