Samsung Could Be Developing a Vertical Sliding Smartphone With an Expandable Display
Samsung could be exploring a new smartphone design featuring a vertically sliding display that expands for a larger viewing experience. Here's what the latest leak reveals about its design, technology and potential Galaxy Z Roll launch.
It seems Samsung might be gearing up to experiment with yet another innovative smartphone design form, one that involves a vertically extending screen that will give more screen real estate while keeping the smartphone compact. A fresh leak has revealed that the tech powerhouse from South Korea is apparently working on a smartphone that will be capable of switching between the standard 16:9 aspect ratio and 21:9 one depending on whether the screen is extended or not. Unlike rollable phones that are usually developed by many manufacturers, Samsung's supposed design will involve vertical extension of its screen.
Samsung has been responsible for popularizing foldable smartphones and was the first to introduce its flagship Galaxy Z Fold in 2019. In the subsequent years, the company has been experimenting with various screens and designs. Now, it seems Samsung is ready to go beyond conventional foldable smartphones.
The most recent news has been brought to us by the famous tipster, Ice Universe, who released the concept renderings of this alleged Samsung sliding phone. The pictures give us an idea of a smartphone with a screen that extends up to give more room for display when necessary. Nonetheless, it must be noted that the existence of this device was not officially announced by Samsung, and, hence, this information should not be considered reliable.
It is interesting that this is not the first time Samsung has tried to develop a vertically expandable smartphone display. The company revealed its Mobile Slidable concept at MWC 2026, where the company showed a screen which could stretch from 5.1 inches to 6.7 inches, while changing its ratio from 16:9 to 22:9 at the same time. Although the concept gave an impression about the capabilities of the technology, the mechanism itself was not motorized yet.
Another Samsung patent unveiled in October has further fueled rumors regarding the Korean company’s interest in sliding-screen phones. The patent reveals a device with two parts of the housing that can be moved against one another via a flexible screen between them. It is necessary to note that although the principle seems similar to that featured in the most recent leaks, there is no guarantee that anything revealed in patents will ever become an actual product. The aspect ratio values of 16:9 and 21:9 may have been guessed based on the leaked renderings of the device.
Samsung has been testing various expandable screen solutions for a number of years. Its previous concepts included a Flex Hybrid phone that combined folding and sliding solutions, and the Rollable Flex prototype showcasing an extreme expansion of OLED screen past its initial size. However, those were only technology demonstrations created by Samsung Display and not commercial Galaxy smartphones.
In case Samsung succeeds in making it reality, the vertical sliding screen could provide an interesting alternative to the foldable phones on the market. People would be able to use the phone in a rather small size for day-to-day activities and expand the screen whenever they need more of it. The conventional screen format should work fine for calls and messages as well as other operations with a regular smartphone.
But it will definitely take some effort for Samsung to incorporate such a feature in its smartphone. Firstly, it will mean adding extra components into the phone, like motors, rails, and a flexible screen. Such components could occupy the space inside that could have been useful to install the larger battery and other equipment. In addition, there is an issue of durability, which will be critical for the sliding mechanism.
But Samsung is not the only manufacturer to experiment with this segment. Before it, Motorola and OPPO also showcased their ideas of foldable devices that would open up on the sides to offer a larger screen. Nevertheless, rollable smartphones have failed to become commercially available products until now. As you can see, creating a stunning concept is only a part of the task that a manufacturer faces; it also needs to work on making it viable and affordable.
In turn, according to some leaks coming from South Korea, Samsung is considering launching its first rollable smartphone in the first half of 2028. The model is expected to be launched under the Galaxy Z Roll brand. However, the product name and the release date have not been confirmed by Samsung itself. Moreover, it is not clear if the vertically sliding phone revealed in the latest Ice Universe leak is the same product.
There is currently no information on when, how much, or when it will be available in India about the Samsung smartphone with the purported vertical sliding screen. It is possible that Samsung is still experimenting with various types of screens to determine the appropriate one for a commercial gadget. For those who wish to buy Samsung's high-end smartphones, it might be better to get a Galaxy Z Fold model instead of a gadget that is still in the experimental stage.
If Samsung decides to adopt the new technology in its Galaxy phone series, then it will mark another fascinating phase in the development of smartphone screens after the emergence of foldable models.
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