In September 2022, Patently Apple posted a report titled "Samsung Presented their First Demo of a Future Tablet with an Expandable Display Form Factor at Intel's Innovation 2022 Event." Below is a video of the first slidable tablet from Samsung.

We're now learning that from ETNews that Samsung Display is working with Lenovo to develop a device with a slidable display. The tablet being developed will offer a standard 13-inch screen that could be stretched out to 17 inches when pulled.

Slidable is a method of keeping one side of the display rolled up like a scroll and then increasing the screen when needed. The expression ‘slidable’ is used to mean that the hidden screen appears naturally as if it were sliding.

An insider official familiar with the matter stated that “We have decided on commercialization and are in the process of making mass-produced panels," adding that “I understand that the final finished product is being planned to be released by Lenovo at the end of this year or early next year.”

Judging by the display structure and screen size, the final product is expected to have a form factor that could be both a tablet and/or a laptop/hybrid-laptop.

You can use it as a 13-inch tablet, but when you want to see a larger screen or work on documents, you can increase it to 17 inches and use it like a laptop.

It is planned to implement a pen function, and Samsung Display and Lenovo are understood to be preparing an active pen input method.

The era of commercialization of slidable devices in the mobile field such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops is imminent. Most of the products released so far are foldable devices that fold and unfold the screen, and it appears that the development of slidable devices is now being promoted to enhance portability while implementing a larger screen.

Samsung Display is developing a slidable display as its next product, following the foldable one. In 2022, the company applied for two trademarks, 'Slidable Flex Solo' and 'Slidable Flex Duet', depending on whether it stretches on one side or both sides. The two trademarks advanced to the application notice stage last March.

This isn't a new concept from Samsung, as our Patently Mobile blog covered Samsung on slidable tablets going back to 2015 (others 01, 02, 03) and phones going back to at least 2018 (and 2022).

It should be noted that Apple also has several patents on record regarding a possible future slidable display based device (01, 02 and 03 +). While Apple won't be a trailblazer in respect to slidable displays for iPads, we know that their patents are in place should they decide to go that route if the category proves successful.  

Kudos to both Samsung and Lenovo for at least attempting to bring new form factor ideas to market so as to break up the monotony of incremental tablet upgrades.