Samsung's rollable phone is coming — and Lee Jae-yong was spotted holding one

Samsung Electronics is pushing ahead with the commercialization of a rollable phone. Following the earlier unveiling of its tri-fold phone, the company has now signaled the arrival of a rollable model as well — a move expected to intensify competition among device makers over next-generation form factors.

At a Galaxy Unpacked 2026 product briefing held Thursday at Old Billingsgate in London, Moon Sung-hoon, Samsung Electronics' Mobile Experience (MX) division hardware chief and executive vice president, said the company is preparing to commercialize a rollable phone when asked about its progress. "It will take a long time, but we are getting ready to bring it to market," he said.

A rollable phone differs from a foldable in that part of the screen rolls inside the device and extends outward when needed, rather than folding. The format expands the display to roughly 1.5 times its standard size.

LG Electronics was the first company in the world to unveil a rollable phone, but the product never reached consumers after LG exited the smartphone business. At its 2024 annual shareholder meeting, Roh Tae-moon, president of Samsung Electronics' Device eXperience (DX) division, confirmed the company was conducting research on rollable and slidable phones.

On launch plans for such devices, Roh said the company places the highest priority on product completeness and consumer value. "We are continuing advanced development so that we can commercialize these devices at the point when sufficient content and services are available and the ecosystem has matured," he said.

The race to develop rollable phones is intensifying overseas as well. Huawei, the Chinese company that beat Samsung to market with a dual-fold foldable phone, is investing heavily in rollable phone development. Oppo has also unveiled a rollable prototype and is racing to be first to launch one commercially.

Industry watchers also identify rollable phones as the next major form factor, expecting strong consumer appetite for the format. After LG Electronics unveiled its rollable phone, consumers responded warmly — calling it "too good to disappear" and saying it was "better than a thick foldable."

Still, Samsung's rollable phone is not expected anytime soon. Moon himself acknowledged it "will take a long time."

Samsung has already filed trademarks for names including "Galaxy Z Roll" and "Galaxy Z Slide," and Samsung Display showcased a slidable phone concept at MWC26 in Barcelona earlier this year. Even so, Moon's remarks suggest that bringing rollable phone technology to market remains a formidable challenge.