Samsung may be gearing up to take smartphone design beyond foldables. A fresh rumor suggests the company is developing a handset with a vertically rollable display, giving users the flexibility to alternate between two screen proportions depending on what they're doing. As rival brands experiment with wider screens, Samsung's approach could deliver the advantages of both a compact and an elongated form factor in a single device.
The claim comes from reliable leaker Ice Universe, who states that the mysterious device will allow its screen to expand from a standard 16:9 aspect ratio to a cinematic 21:9, transforming from a wide display into a notably taller one on demand.
According to the tipster, the phone will rely on a sliding mechanism that pushes the display upward. There is a trade-off, though — the mechanism is expected to occupy a significant amount of internal space, which could make fitting an adequately sized battery the device's biggest engineering hurdle.
This isn't the first time such a device has been mentioned. A report from June indicated that Samsung plans to introduce its debut rollable smartphone sometime in the first half of 2028, potentially carrying the Galaxy Z Slide branding. Interestingly, the company has also secured a trademark for the Galaxy Z Roll name, suggesting it is weighing multiple naming possibilities.
Further evidence of Samsung's ambitions surfaced earlier this year when a company patent revealed exploration of a smartphone equipped with a display that rolls out from the side.
Samsung isn't alone in this race — vivo is also reportedly working on a smartphone with a vertically rolling screen.
Motorola has already given the public a glimpse of the concept, unveiling its Rizr rollable phone at MWC 2023, an event where we had the opportunity to try the device firsthand.
