In October 2020 Patently Apple posted a report regarding a project backed by Intel, Samsung and Microsoft called 'Horseshoe Bend Project.' The project is focused on delivering large foldable tablets that would create a hybrid tablet-notebook. The project was delayed until 2023 for reasons unknown. However, industry sources now predict that foldable hybrid tablet-notebooks will be coming to market in late 2023 from Samsung, HP and others.

In a new report by Gizmochina, "Samsung Electronics seems to have made significant progress in the development of a foldable display laptop. The new laptop will have a 17.3-inch panel produced by Samsung Display. The laptop will have its largest screen diagonal when closed. There are suggestions that the delay in the release of these new laptop models may not be unconnected with a significant lull in notebook demand globally. The pricing of these foldable laptops is also a critical factor in consideration for the models.

The recently released Asus ZenBook 17 Fold has a foldable screen produced by BOE and it retails for $3,500. The premium pricing means that the laptop is targeting the noveau-rich segment of the market. Only 10,000 units of the panel were reportedly ordered from BOE. It is also speculated that the upcoming HP foldable laptop will also be available in a limited quantity.

Samsung Electronics will be introducing a hybrid device using displays from their subsidiary Samsung Display whereas Ausus and HP hybrids will be using displays from BOE and LG respectively.

Gizmochina further reported on Friday that "Samsung’s upcoming foldable hybrid laptop will have a 17.3-inch panel with the largest remaining screen space of 13.3 inches diagonal when folded.

The HP model will offer an 11-inch remaining screen real estate, while the Asus ZenBook foldable has 12.6 inches. Another impressive foldable is the ThinkPad X1 Fold Gen 2 with a 16.3-inch OLED panel and 12 inches of diagonal space when folded."  

Consider that Samsung is part of the Horseshoe Bend Project, we're likely to see Microsoft and other Wintel players enter this new hybrid device market between 2023 and 2024.

On November 4th,  Patently Apple posted a report titled "A new Supply Chain Rumor describes Apple working on a Foldable Device with an estimated 20-Inch Display." We followed up with a report on December 7th titled "A new Supply Chain Rumor describes Apple working on a Foldable Device with an estimated 20-Inch Display." That will larger than the 17.3-inch display for the 2023 display from Samsung. The wait will be worth it if you're hoping for a portable all-in-one device.

It would appear that 2023 is the year that the tech industry has decided to shake up the mobile sector with a new hybrid foldable tablet-notebook device supported by at least four known players (Lenovo, Samsung, HP and Asus) to begin with, though for Lenovo, it'll be their third-generation hybrid at that poinnt in time. As we get closer to Q4 2023, other major players are bound to make similar announcements, with Apple reportedly aiming for 2024.

Today, the Lenovo Fold X Fold costs US$2,500. Its foldable system provides a foldable display that could be used in landscape or portrait mode, making more like a portable all-in-one computer

Considering that Samsung Display wants to capture the bulk of the displays for this new device category, prices are expected to fall so as to make these devices appealing to a broader range of consumers.