Samsung Could Launch OLED Foldable Laptop in 2023

Samsung is reportedly finalizing the development of its first OLED foldable laptop and may launch it in 2023. According to details revealed in the Korean giant's production plans, Samsung is ready with the design and may even supply the tech to other companies. Notably, HP is also working on a foldable OLED display laptop made by LG, while Lenovo and Asus have already introduced their models with a similar design. Apple is also reportedly working on a foldable Mac.

Samsung Electronics Readying Foldable Laptop Display

Samsung Electronics has reportedly made significant progress in developing a foldable display laptop. The laptop is expected to have a 17.3-inch foldable OLED display made by Samsung Display, making it the largest display in this space when unfolded.

Samsung could be delaying the design reveal due to the lull in the demand for new laptops lately. Foldable laptops tend to be high-priced and part of a new category altogether.

Foldable laptops are picking up momentum, however, but the tipping point is yet to come. The recently released Asus Zenbook 17 Fold, priced at $3,500, is available only in limited quantities. According to reports, Asus has ordered only 10,000 units of the foldable panel from the Chinese display company. Similarly, HP too is expected to release its foldable laptop in limited quantities.

Not Too Many Takers For Foldable Laptops

A point to note in the case of Samsung is that the display for the upcoming foldable OLED laptop will be made by its subsidiary. While it won't be offered for free, Samsung Electronics could procure the panels at a small subsidy, making it more affordable than the competition.

The upcoming Samsung foldable laptop will have the largest screen when folded at 13.3 inches. Asus Zenbook Fold reaches 12.6 inches, while HP's upcoming foldable notebook will offer an 11-inch screen.

The performance offered by the laptops has also been put under question. At best, the foldable laptops run on the power-efficient lineup of Intel chipsets. There's no thermal room for one of the high-performance CPUs and no space for a discrete GPU with active cooling. As a result, the performance of these laptops is limited at best, even though the convenience and versatility are top-notch and cuttin-edge.

Samsung Display is the largest producer of OLED displays. The company is projected to make around 8.5 million displays in 2023, surpassing the target for this year by 2.5 million units.