Samsung said to consider phones with bendable screens for next year

SEOUL — Samsung Electronics Co is considering introducing two new smartphone models that will feature bendable screens, including a version that folds in half like a cosmetic compact, said people familiar with the matter.

The devices using organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) could be unveiled as soon as early next year, the people said, asking not to be identified because the matter is private. That would likely give it a head start on new Apple iPhones.

The second Samsung model will have a five-inch screen when used as a handset, which unfurls into a display that is as large as eight inches, similar to a tablet, the people said.

Samsung, the biggest supplier of OLED panels for mobile products, has pioneered the development of new screen formats with its multi-sided Edge smartphones. Using advanced display technology may help the company recapture customers from Apple and boost earnings that have slumped for the past two years.

Codenamed Project Valley, Samsung could unveil one or both of the devices as soon as February next year, when Mobile World Congress takes place in Barcelona, one of the people said. That timing would give Samsung a head-start on Apple’s iPhone using OLED screens that may be released later next year, the person said.

The company may also name the next version of its Note device as the Note 7, skipping a number, to bring it in line with its flagship Galaxy S smartphone range, one of the people said. Samsung does not plan to market the new bendable-screen models under the Galaxy S name, the person said.

Samsung declined to comment in an e-mailed statement.

After using OLED on its premium devices, Samsung is counting on the technology to win supply orders. The displays are thinner, have brighter colours and are less draining on the battery than those in most current phones.

While the South Korea-based company has previously released slick videos featuring foldable concept phones, it has never made such a device commercially. Moxi Group, a Chinese company based in Chongqing, has shown off a bendable phone with black and white screens.

Samsung Vice Chairman Lee Jae Yong is accelerating a push beyond phones as growth in the market slows. The company has held talks to supply OLEDs to Apple, people familiar with the matter have said. Samsung was one of the biggest makers of chips and displays for Apple until the companies started suing each other in 2011 for alleged patent infringements. BLOOMBERG