ET News details that Samsung’s Electronics and Display section are currently in the final stage of development of a foldable smartphone so that they can start producing prototypes by the third quarter of this year. 

The company intends on producing thousands of prototypes in Q3 of this year to verify their quality. Samsung will then be testing these prototypes for quality and performance issues and also send them to its major network customers in order to get their feedback on it.

If everything goes according to the plan and Samsung deems that there is enough market demand for a foldable smartphone, it will start the mass producing them from 2018.

Samsung reportedly also showed off its foldable smartphone to a small group of its customers behind close doors at MWC 2017.

The Korean company wants to launch its foldable smartphone as a premium product and is focusing on its design to make it look luxurious and elegant.

Samsung is not the only company working on foldable smartphones. Many Chinese OEMs who primarily manufacture displays are also working on their own folding smartphone, and they are currently involved in a race to become the first to the market to launch the ‘world’s first foldable smartphone.’

If a report from earlier this year is to be believed, it is possible that Samsung will demo its foldable smartphone when it launches the Galaxy Note 8 later this year.

While a foldable smartphone will make a great technology breakthrough, it remains to be seen how it will improve our daily smartphone use.