Samsung CEO Gee-sung Choi (71) let the cat out of the bag after a good 50 minutes at the keynote speech at this year’s Intel innovation event: “Foldable is gone,” explains the South Korean. In his hand he holds a tablet that can be pulled from 13 inches to 17 inches by its frame. The statement is remarkable, as it is Samsung itself that has made Fold technology popular in recent years. What is known so far about the Slidable prototype.
The demonstration at the Intel conference always creates a certain “wow” effect and applause from the audience when Choi opens the display and it gets bigger and bigger. Next to him is Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger (61) and says: “I saw this prototype for the first time on a trip to South Korea and the potential for a platform was immediately clear to me.”
However, the concept of rollable displays is not entirely new. Manufacturers such as Oppo or LG had already presented similar ideas for smartphones in the past, but never made extendable screens ready for the market. Samsung’s presentation, on the other hand, focuses on PC screens. Especially for so-called convertibles, which can be tablet and laptop at the same time, the concept promises the greatest potential added value.
Whether slidables will actually be the next big thing or just remain a technical gimmick is currently in the stars. Optimists hope to be able to hold Samsung’s Slidables in their hands at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas in early January to convince themselves of the new technology.
