Check out our review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 phablet.
The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 has only just been announced, but Samsung is already planning a special edition of the device, at least according to the latest rumor. Published by the Korean site Chosun.com and quoting sources inside the industry, Samsung will apparently announce a Note 3 with a flexible screen before the end of October. It sounds like the phone will be a special limited edition of the Note 3, and the report states the announcement will be, “domestic.” In other words, the flexible Note 3 may only be released in South Korea, at least early on in its life.
A flexible screen was one of the many features rumored for inclusion on the standard Note 3, but one which obviously didn’t come true. However, the rumor was based on fact, as it’s well-known Samsung is hard at work developing flexible screen tech, and has demonstrated prototypes – such as the weirdly named Youm – in the past. Could it now be at the stage where it wants to test the waters with a limited run?
We’ve also heard about a similar tactic related to the Galaxy Gear smartwatch, revealed alongside the Galaxy Note 3 last month, where the device about to be put on sale may be followed up by a more refined, cheaper version in the near future. Similarly, Samsung was also rumored to reveal a cheaper edition of the Note 3 with an LCD display replacing the Super AMOLED panel, and a less capable camera. Let’s face it, Samsung loves to come up with many different versions of its hardware already, so it’s tough to dismiss this type of rumor entirely.
So just how different would a flexible screen Galaxy Note 3 be to the one with which we’re already familiar? Chances are, it won’t be any different visually, as nothing else in the phone will be flexible. Instead, the screen will be almost unbreakable and impervious to scratches. Samsung has recently used sapphire glass, which has similar properties, to cover the small screen on the Galaxy Gear.
At the moment this is just a rumor, but as it’s not totally outlandish there’s a chance it’ll turn into something more. Just don’t be surprised if the resulting phone is not sold outside of Samsung’s home country for a while.
