Samsung planning foldable smartphone for 2016?

Forget curved displays, Samsung is reportedly developing a fully-foldable smartphone that could be released by as early as 2016, reports Business Korea (via Digital Trends).

The site quotes a source as saying consumers may have access to foldable devices by next year, quoting an unnamed source from Samsung Display as saying: "The industry believes that the commercialisation of foldable smartphones will be possible in 2016."

"When flexible display technology is being used in e-books and laptops, which are substituted for publications, the concept of tiny portable PCs and e-books will be realised in reality," an official added.

As mentioned by Digital Trends, however, while flexible screens for smartphones may evolve to this point very soon, there are still many other components such as batteries and processors to consider.

Last year, it was reported that Imprint Energy had secured $6 million in funding to develop wafer-thin, flexible battery technology for use in such devices. This would come in the form of a chargeable, printable Zinc battery that could be bent, folded and punctured without breaking.

But there is no time frame for the technology, and no way of knowing for sure when it may make it to market.

An LG spokesperson told the site: "The development of display technology that creates a virtual space on glass is already completed, and even a promotional prototype is available. However, it will take time until the product becomes commercialised due to mass production according to demand and stable supply."

The report also mentions transparent displays, which LG and Samsung are reported to be simultaneously working on along with the bendable smartphones.