It’s Sunday morning, a brief lull before the deluge kicks into full effect tomorrow with Samsung, Sony, and LG hosting their CES 2024 press conferences. But don’t worry, we’ve got a sneak peek of the sneak peek for you.
According to Samsung, tomorrow they will unveil a “new generation of products that can be folded inward and outward,” including “monitor-sized” folding and sliding OLEDs. Their latest venture, cleverly called the “In&Out Flip,” is their take on the popular flip phone form factor. But don’t confuse it with a certain fast food chain or a 1997 Kevin Kline film.
While more details will be revealed at tomorrow’s press conference, it seems like this technology is still in the proof of concept stage. These kinds of devices can often end up as evolutionary dead ends, but Samsung was the one to ignite the foldable craze a few years back, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
“In&Out Flip is a technology that can provide a new alternative for consumers who prefer bar-shaped smartphones due to the thickness of foldable products,” Samsung stated in a press release. “When folded outwards, both the front and back of the product can be used as a screen, creating a new user experience.”
This technology aims to eliminate the need for separate external displays on current foldable devices. By doing so, it can reduce the product’s profile and enhance the user experience.
But let’s talk about the testing. Samsung went to extreme lengths, subjecting their device to temperatures ranging from -4 degrees up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. They even dunked the screens in water, rubbed sand on them, and bounced basketballs on their surface, which honestly sounds like a pretty good time.
But wait, there’s more. At CES this week, Samsung is also showcasing a rollable display on the Rollable Flex, and a hybrid version that combines it with a sliding display. And that’s not all – there’s also an unnamed earbud case with a built-in display. While there’s no word on when or if these products will hit the market, it’s unlikely we’ll see them at the upcoming Galaxy S24 event.
