On Monday (Jan. 6th) Patently Apple posted a report titled "Samsung to introduce Prototypes of Smartphones and Tablets with both Extendable and Foldable Displays at CES." Below are a few videos of the new large foldable tablet along with a rollable display for a tablet and a double fold (also known as a tri-fold) smartphone in development.

Samsung Foldable Hybrid Tablet-notebook

This is one form factor we can hope to see coming from Apple a little down the road. Though Apple is likely to offer iPadOS instead of macOS that will aggrevated a large segment of the Apple community. On the flipside, Microsoft and their partners will be able to offer Window 11 and truly get a tablet-notebook hybrid.

Samsung Tablet with Slidable Flex Duet Display

You could view a video of Samsung's double/tri fold smartphone in development here. The limited view of the device would suggest that it's nowhere near ready to introduce into the market this year.

Rollable Display for Smartphones and Tablets Patent

Beyond CES 2025, the World IP Office officially published a patent application from Samsung on January 9, 2025 that relates to future devices (smartphones and tablets) with different styles of rollable display methodologies.

Samsung notes in general that electronic devices have become increasingly slim and have been developed in a variety of ways to enhance design-side aspects while at the same time differentiating functional-elements. Electronic devices deviate from a uniform rectangular shape and are gradually changed into various shapes. The electronic device may include a deformable display (e.g. a rollable display or a foldable display) so that the portable may be conveniently carried and a dialog-surface display may be used at the same time. In a process of deforming (e.g. reducing or expanding) a display, an electronic device including a structure for preventing or reducing display of damage-or screen quality has been developed.

For full details, review Samsung's patent application WO2025009826 which is a deeply technical patent.  Samsung lists 7 engineers credited for the invention as noted below:  

• 유창하 YU, Changha
• 강우석 KANG, Woosuk
• 권오헌 KWON, Ohheon
• 박규복 PARK, Gyubok
• 서민철 SEO, Mincheol
• 이상목 LEE, Sangmok
• 천재봉 CHUN, Jaebong

Like with most patents, the inventors don't want their invention to be limited to specific types of devices. Beyond the focus of the patent being for smartphones and tablets, the inventors also list the following devices that a rollable display may be applied to:  a computer device, a portable multi-media device, a portable medical device, a camera, a wearable device, or a home appliance.