Samsung showed investors prototypes of a range of foldable mobile devices it was testing at an Analyst Day in Seoul, after filling a patent for the technology in October.
Attendees of Wednesday's event were not permitted to take any photos inside the venue along with reporters being banned from the conference. According to a spokesman for Samsung Display Co., the designs are concept versions lacking the components needed to make a smartphone work.
"The first one they showed us was the size of a [Galaxy] S3 smartphone which can be folded in half from top to bottom," said Daiwa Securities analyst Jae H. Lee. "There was also one in the size of a lengthy wallet which can be unfolded on both sides into the size of a tablet computer.
Jefferies LLC analyst Sundeep Bajikar felt that such devices "would further expand Samsung's competitive advantage in premium smartphones." Though device maker recently announced the Galaxy Round - a smartphone with a curved display - foldable displays would not see the light of day until 2015. As of now, the biggest obstacle for foldable tech is creating a plastic display high resistant to heat, elastic enough to bend at sharp angles and offering glass-like visibility.
Also reported during Samsung's Analyst Day was the confirmation that the Galaxy S5 would feature a 16-megpixel camera using the firm's Isocell technology. The tech is designed for mobile devices to have higher-quality images and capture photos clearer.
On the business-front, the world's biggest smartphone maker told potential investors it would double its dividend, consider a listing of its stock in the United States through American depositary receipts, and increase spending on acquisitions.
The company's goal is to lift stock price as shares slumped this summer. Samsung hopes to total $211 billion this year in annual revenue and $400 billion in 2020. Currently, the company is sitting on a surplus of $50 billion in cash. Over the years, Samsung has purchased medical device maker Medison and digital music provider mSpot.
