LG's Foldable Phone Set Up to Headline CES 2019

LG wants to make a flashy announcement during CES 2019.

In a tweet, insider Evan Blass stated the South Korean company will introduce a foldable phone during the annual trade show. Additional details are unknown, but CES takes place in early January. That’s not a very long wait for more information.

The flexible OLED panel made an appearance in a patent filing earlier this year. LG’s paperwork included a smartphone that unfolds into a tablet. Basically, the layout resembled a traditional book. There’s a split down the middle, but its OLED panel sits atop a hinge for a clean look. Still, LG has stayed quiet about its plans.

As for the competition, Samsung’s also developing a foldable phone. It should be announced during the Samsung Developer Conference in early November, but a release date might not come for several months. LG’s biggest competitor, also based in South Korea, wants to show off its groundbreaking technology and generate some hype.

The same questions about a foldable phone remain, though. Companies like LG and Samsung are putting in significant resources, but there’s no clear idea on how consumers feel about it. Foldable phones could come and go with little interest.

All things considered, it feels like flexible OLED panels are the trend for 2019. Let’s hope hardware manufacturers are able to prove they carry some value for users who demand a lot out of their mobile devices.