Beyond the Galaxy Z Fold: Samsung’s future phone concepts that roll, slide and expand

Over the years, phone makers have introduced handsets that stretch, bend, and fold. But in a secret room at Samsung Display’s headquarters in South Korea — one that had never been open to the press before — I got a first-hand look at the company’s vision for the future of smartphones.

Along one wall was an array of concept screens that could eventually find their way into future mobile devices. I wasn’t allowed to touch the prototypes, but they were mounted on machines that curved, folded, and rolled the screens repeatedly, showing their range of motion.

Watch this: I went into Samsung’s secret display lab and saw its wildest phone concepts

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Consumer tech shows like CES and Mobile World Congress have become stages for companies to showcase their most ambitious innovations, many of which never see the light of day. Still, they show how manufacturers are exploring ways to make our devices more intuitive and engaging. Samsung is one of the biggest players in the foldable phone market, having launched the clamshell-style Flip, the book-style Fold, and even the Galaxy Z TriFold phone-tablet hybrid. The company is expected to unveil the Galaxy Z 8 series next week during its Galaxy Unpacked event.

During my visit to Samsung’s global headquarters in June, I got a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the company tests its latest mobile screensplus an exclusive sneak peek at what might come next. Samsung hasn’t shared specs for its concept displays, but here’s what I saw during my visit – and what it could mean for your future phone.

One concept, called Flex S, opens and closes in a Z shape (not to be confused with the Galaxy Z TriFold, which forms a C shape and folds like a brochure). The Flex S opens to a tablet-sized screen, which could be ideal for watching movies. That’s what I liked about the TriFold, which I reviewed while recovering from strep throat. Lying in bed, I appreciated having a larger screen for streaming that I could simply fold away when I was done.

See also: From extreme heat to half a million bends: a rare glimpse into Samsung’s display lab

Another prototype, called Out Folding, resembles an inverted book-style foldable. Instead of placing the larger screen on the inside, as Samsung does with the Galaxy Z Fold 7, the design places both screens on the outside and unfolds into a wider, mini-tablet-like layout, similar to some early foldables such as the 2019 Huawei Mate

This is a configuration that I am a little more wary of for several reasons. First, it can be difficult to avoid scratching or cracking the wraparound external display. And second, I’m not sure I really need a touchscreen on the back of my phone. But I have to admit, it still looks pretty cool.

The Flex Slideable does what its name suggests. It can expand to a wider screen, which could be useful for gaming or watching videos.

My first thought when I saw this concept was, “LG is rolling in its grave right now.” (Pun intended.) The company showed off a rollable smartphone at CES 2021, but the product was canceled after the company closed its mobile division a few months later. In 2023, Motorola also unveiled a rollable smartphone concept with a screen that extends upward, and its parent company, Lenovo, showed off laptop concepts at this year’s CES that extend both horizontally and vertically. We will have to see if Samsung’s ideas come out of the laboratory.

Finally, Samsung combined elements of its other concepts to create what it dubbed the Flex Hybrid. This model can open and expand with a roll-up screen. This allows for a more compact design while ensuring no damage to the screen.

A foldable device with a rollable component provides additional screen space without adding as much bulk. One of the Galaxy Z TriFold’s biggest drawbacks is that it feels thick when its three display panels are folded. This approach could eliminate the need for an additional foldable panel, instead using a screen that unfolds when you need more space and stows away when you don’t.

Alongside these concepts, a few others caught my eye – literally, in the case of a device with a dazzling peak brightness of 5,000 nits. For reference, the Galaxy S26 Ultra can reach a peak brightness of 2,600 nits. There was plenty to look at indoors, but this level of luminance might make it easier to view your screen in bright sunlight.

And finally, I saw a prototype mobile screen with edges so thin they were almost invisible. To emphasize how narrow the 0.6mm bezels around the screen were, Samsung placed the phone-sized concept device on top of a tablet’s screen. The two screens combined to form a single image of colorful cathedral windows. From a distance, it was hard to tell that there was even a phone in the middle of the tablet; the image seemed seamless, uninterrupted by the thick borders of a phone.

An extended screen extending from one end of the phone to the other may seem more immersive, but I also wonder how difficult it might be to hold the device without accidentally tapping something on the screen.

As with all concepts, it is unclear if or when Samsung will integrate these display technologies into its future mobile devices. But seeing these concepts offered a rare and fascinating glimpse into where smartphones could be headed.

Senior Technology Journalist

Abrar’s interests include phones, streaming, autonomous vehicles, internet trends, entertainment, pop culture and digital accessibility. In addition to her current role, she has worked on CNET’s video, culture and news teams. She earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Even though Illinois is her home, she now loves San Francisco – steep hills and all. See full bio