If you thought the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ was cool, the Korean tech titan will reportedly launch its first foldable smartphone early next year.
According to Chinese micro-blogging site Weibo, the wallet-like device—internally known as "Project Valley"—is currently undergoing testing.
Two possible hardware configurations are being trialed: one with a Snapdragon 620 processor, the other with a Snapdragon 820 processor. Each is equipped with 3GB of memory, a microSD card slot, and non-removable battery.
SamMobile first reported on Project Valley (or Project V) in June, when the smartphone was still in "extremely early stages of development."
A week later, a new patent surfaced, hinting at a dual-display handset that could open and close via a hinge (picture the Nintendo 3DS portable console). And while that might sound like a flip phone, videos of a prototype device show a more sophisticated device with touch screen inside and outside the phone.
Samsung initially teased a billfold-esque smartphone during a late-2013 analyst event, where it highlighted plans for fully foldable screens by 2016. It also showed off the flexible Youm display technology during CES 2013.
Samsung did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.
Citing an anonymous tipster in China, SamMobile this week suggested that Samsung is heavily invested in testing the Snapdragon 820.
And while the reported foldable smartphone is not the next-generation Galaxy S7, it is possible, SamMobile said, that Samsung's future S7 could launch with two variants—a Snapdragon 820 SoC or an Exynos 8890 processor.
There may be some competition in the foldable market, though: Polyera last month introduced the Wove Band—a flexible display that can lay flat or wrap around a wrist, like a 1980s slap bracelet. Expected to launch in mid-2016, free developer units will be available to pre-order this month.
LG, meanwhile, announced a rollable 18-inch OLED panel with a high-def 1,200-by-810 resolution in July 2014. The flexible panel can be curled up to a radius of 3 centimeters without affecting its function.
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