Samsung believes smartphones will become obsolete in 5 years

The introduction of flexible screens to the telecom industry is expected to have a great impact in the coming years, yet it may not be linked to folding phones for too long. It is no secret that Samsung and the top Chinese OEMs are currently experiencing problems with the launch of the first foldable phones. Samsung’s CEO himself admitted that the Galaxy Fold launch was “embarrassing” as more testing should have been conducted on the inward-folding design before launch in order to iron out all the major flaws. Yet Samsung is not really limiting itself to folding phones. Samsung’s head of the design team Kang Yun-Je thinks that folding phones are just the stepping-stone for the future of smart devices, which may not even include smartphones in 5 years.

Flexible screens are arguably the more important part of the equation. Yun-Je explains that “smartphone design has hit a limit, that’s why we designed a folding phone. But we’re also focusing on other devices that are beginning to make a wider impact on the market, like smart earphones and smartwatches. In five years or so, people will not even realize they are wearing screens. It will be seamless.” Samsung’s CEO is also suggesting that the Internet of Things, 5G, and A.I. should be instrumental in the development of smart devices.

A similar view is shared by A.I. software firm Kona co-founder Diego Cibils, who believes “the smartphone was a great device for what I think is a transitional period between the desktop computing paradigm and the ‘freedom computing’ paradigm.”

A recent video put together by Samsung Display shows several interesting applications for future smart devices. From coffee cups and night-stand watches to smartwatches that interact with screens integrated in walls, vehicles, clothing and even kitchenware, the flexible displays appear to be the quintessential tech. Samsung’s CEO believes that foldable phones will only last “a couple of years,” and as 5G and A.I. become available for most of the world, smart devices will emerge as the norm.