So far, Samsung's foldable phone has been nicknamed "Galaxy F" and "Galaxy X." We have no idea what it'll be called, but we'll find out soon enough. We'll just call it "Galaxy X" for now.
Not only has Samsung's head of mobile, DJ Koh, suggested that we should expect an unveiling at the company November event, but Samsung's Mobile Facebook account has updated its profile image to a Samsung logo that's folded over. The timing of Samsung's profile image update isn't likely to be a coincidence.
When the screen is folded in half "like a wallet," there's a smaller display screen on the front and cameras on the back, according to the Wall Street Journal.
It's also suggested that the Galaxy X will have a third display on the outside, according to The Bell. That's potentially for quick access so you don't have to unfold the phone for casual tasks, like checking a notification.
Samsung's patents and prototypes show a device that either opens and closes from side to side like a book, or horizontally like a notepad. Either way, the fold will make it possible to incorporate bigger display options. It might also give users the option to split the screen into two panels that show different things or show one big picture, similar to what Samsung accomplished with its 48-inch ultrawide computer monitor - but that's still speculation.
According to SamMobile, the Galaxy X will give a "snap" tactile feel when it reaches its full unfolded state, much like the Motorola Razr fliphone did.
One of the biggest rumours surrounding the Galaxy S10 is an in-display fingerprint sensor that's hidden underneath the display. It doesn't seem that this specific feature will make it to the Galaxy X due to technological constraints, according to SamMobile.
Samsung already customises the Android operating system for its traditional smartphones, so it comes to no surprise that Samsung is creating a special version of Android that's designed around a folding smartphone, according to SamMobile.
Having a two-in-one device that serves as both a phone and a tablet is a pretty good reason for the Galaxy F to exist. It means you wouldn't necessarily need a tablet if you use one.
But Koh is apparently concerned that users may still not see the benefits of a phone/tablet hybrid device. "If the unfolded experience is the same as the tablet, why would [users] buy it?" Koh told CNBC during the IFA event in Berlin.
In response to his own question, Koh told CNBC that Samsung will add features and innovations "so when the end customer uses it, [they think] 'wow, this is the reason Samsung made it'."
Depending on the material of the outside layer, a smartphone that folds on itself could serve as its own screen protector, but the fold might create new issues in terms of durability, as indicated by Samsung exec DongJin Koh earlier this year
"We want to have a good reaction from customers once the phone is out in the market. But there are still durability issues that we need to address," he told reporters at a press briefing at CES in January. It's possible that pushing two screens against each other makes for a harsher impact on collision.
An additional concern with the amount of screen space is that multiple screens - meaning the ones on the outside and the inside - are more likely to make the battery overheat.
Most smartphone manufacturers have spent years making devices slimmer, and a foldable smartphone could be like adding a layer to a thin phone or stacking two thin phones on top of each other.
The ZTE Axon M, marketed as the first foldable smartphone, is made of two displays attached by a mechanical hinge - but it's almost 1.5x thicker than Samsung's Galaxy S9.
And if the size of the display is comparable to a tablet's, then we can assume the device will be closer in weight to a tablet, too. SamMobile reported that it'll weigh 200 grams, which is slightly heavier than some of the heavier smartphones out there that weigh in around 180 to 190 grams.
