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Samsung Galaxy X release date, specs rumors: Images surface as closer look to Samsung's future foldable smartphone

Samsung is speculated to release their foldable smartphones by 2017. | Reuters/Dado Ruvic

Recent reports have revealed clear renders suggesting that it might be showing possible designs of the planned foldable smartphone by the South Korean electronics firm, Samsung.

The Dutch website Galaxy Club recently revealed the said renders showing what the Galaxy X, codenamed Project Valley, will probably look like. In the photos, the Galaxy X will possibly feature an elongated display and with a specific kind of hinges at the middle of its bodywork allowing it to fold. Once folded, the special hinges seem to be stretched as can also be seen in the photos released through the Galaxy Club report.

However, it is also important to note that the news about a foldable smartphone from Samsung is not a new item. Earlier this year, Samsung has already recognized their patent originally filed in December 2013 called "Foldable display apparatus and method of manufacturing the same."

In the patent filed, it was described, "The foldable display apparatus includes a substrate including a metal thin film and an insulating layer provided on the metal thin film, an organic light-emitting unit formed on the substrate and emitting light in a direction away from the substrate, and a thin film encapsulating layer for encapsulating the organic light-emitting unit."

Except what its built will look like as shown and described in the patent, there are not much details available about the specifications. There have been rumors that suggest the Galaxy X will feature an active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display with a 4K resolution or 2,160 x 3,840 plus a powerful dual-lens camera. But these still need official confirmation.

An earlier report by Bloomberg last July mentioned that, according to unnamed sources, Samsung would introduce at least two new foldable smartphones both having OLED displays.

In the same report, Bloomberg quoted analyst Lee Seung-woo, who speculates that these phones will probably be unveiled next year. He said, "This product could be a game-changer if Samsung successfully comes up with a user interface suitable for bendable screens. Next year is a probable scenario. Their biggest obstacle was related to making transparent plastics and making them durable, which seems resolved by now."