SAMSUNG TARGETS 2028 FOR ITS FIRST ROLLABLE

Samsung plans to launch its first smartphone with a rollable display in the first half of 2028. The device would use a rollable OLED panel from Samsung Display, though no final decision has been made, according to a report from Korea's Money Today.

The phone, which market research firm Omdia has reportedly labelled the Z Slide, would pack a 10-inch rollable screen at 16:9 and 440.6 ppi. That size makes it a pocketable tablet when unrolled, and a thick but manageable phone when closed. A successor is already being discussed for 2030.

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Samsung Electronics is leading the internal development while working closely with its display subsidiary, Samsung Display. Both companies answer to the same parent Samsung Group, so supply chain coordination is less of a problem than it would be for a handset maker that has to source panels from an external supplier.

WHY 2028 AND NOT EARLIER

Samsung has shown rollable concepts for years. At CES 2023, it demonstrated the Rollable Flex, a display that can stretch to more than five times its original size, and the Flex Hybrid, a panel that combines folding and sliding actions. The company also has a long stack of expandable smartphone patents. But concepts and patents are cheap. Moving a rollable mechanism into a device that survives drops, pocket dust, and daily wear is not.

The 2028 timeline suggests Samsung thinks the engineering is now achievable at scale, but it also leaves room for delays. The first-generation product will be expensive and probably limited in volume. That matches the Z Fold and Z Flip launch patterns, which debuted as prestige devices with a steep price before the market accepted foldables as a mainstream category.

THE SAMSUNG FOLDABLE EDGE

Samsung dominates the foldable phone market. The Z Fold and Z Flip lines are the best-selling foldables globally, and Samsung was the first major manufacturer to ship a tri-folding phone. That experience with hinge design, laminated display stacks, and software adaptation for dynamic screen sizes transfers directly to rollables.

The core physics is similar. A foldable bends along a fixed crease. A rollable slides a portion of the panel into a cylindrical housing, meaning the display curvature is continuous rather than localised. The result is no crease, which has been a persistent complaint on foldables. The trade-off is greater complexity in the rolling mechanism and a thicker device when closed.

THE GHOST OF LG'S PAST

LG was very close to launching a rollable phone in 2021. It showed working prototypes, teased the device, and then shut down its entire mobile phone division before the phone ever reached store shelves. The LG Rollable never saw the light of day.

MARKET TIMING

A 10-inch screen on a rollable puts the device into tablet territory without requiring a separate device. A 10-inch rollable would be a meaningful upgrade in real estate, especially for multitasking, media, and document work. If Samsung can deliver that without a crease and with solid durability, it could shift the high-end phone conversation away from how many folds a phone has and toward how much screen it can hide.

WHAT RUMOURS STILL LEAVE VAGUE

The report cites Omdia on the display specs, but Samsung has not confirmed the name, the screen size, or the aspect ratio. Money Today says no final decision has been made, which is typical for products several years out. The device could appear with a smaller screen, a different aspect ratio, or under an entirely different brand.

The 2028 target is aggressive but plausible. The real tests will be whether Samsung can keep the rollable mechanism from adding too much thickness, whether the software can handle the dynamic resolution and aspect ratio transitions cleanly, and whether the price lands within striking distance of the Z Fold line. A rollable that costs significantly more than an already expensive foldable will struggle.

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The successor planned for 2030 suggests Samsung sees this as a two-generation play, not a one-off experiment. That is how foldables started too, and look where they are now.