flexible smartphone samsung

Samsung had plenty to show off during its official CES presentation, but behind the scenes the South Korean smartphone-maker may have unveiled something even more impressive than a 12.2-inch tablet. According to a new report from Korean site ETNews, the company held a closed-door event over the weekend in Las Vegas, just after the conclusion of CES 2014, where it revealed the "world's first foldable display."

The futuristic display — an example of which is pictured above, though that wasn't captured during the meeting — reportedly measures 5.68 inches across and features a working touchscreen. The new technology folds like paper and is almost as thin, though Samsung doesn't expect to release its first bendable smartphone until late 2015. Before then, the company will apparently release a new display that can be rolled up but won't actually fold.

"To commercialize a foldable display, we need to ensure enough restoring force to prevent any functional and performance-related problems when the display is folded and opened thousands of times," an unnamed source told ETNews. "The showcased product is only a prototype. However, it is a great achievement that a foldable display has been realized."

This isn't the first time Samsung has reportedly showed off its foldable display prototypes. Last year, the company allegedly unveiled a few new concept devices at a closed-door Analyst Day event, including a clamshell-style smartphone and a tablet that folds up into a wallet-sized device. Unfortunately we likely won't see either prototype hit the market for a few more years, with Samsung focusing on sharper 4K displays in the short term.