Consumers may soon see a full-touch foldable smartphone from three mobile giants Samsung, LG and Nokia this 2017. According to recent reports, the said companies are already working on the concept.

Patent For Nokia Foldable Smartphone Spotted

Nokia's interest in foldable displays can be traced back to 2005 when the company applied patents for the idea. Fast forward to 2013, the corporation was granted a patent for a "Foldable Device." The same one was filed and approved in September 2016, Tech Times reported.

The patent describes the Nokia foldable device to use a fold-out technology. "The display assembly is configured to be moved outward in the space defined by the housing parts in response to an opening movement of the housing parts," the abstract reads.

Samsung Foldable Smartphone Coming Out Q3 2017?

A source of The Korea Herald revealed that more than 100,000 units of "fold-out devices" are being planned to be released in the third quarter of 2017. The source also claimed that Samsung has already achieved fold-in technology that made it easier to move on to a fold-out phone.

The Samsung foldable smartphone will be able to fold out into a 7-inch tablet. When folded, the panels face outward rather than inward, which the company noted to be inconvenient for users. However, nothing is set yet in stone.

LG Also Working On Foldable Smartphones?

According to one of the sources of the publication, LG Electronics is also planning to release more than 100,000 foldable devices in Q4 2017. The same source said that the company's technology is currently more advanced than Samsung as a result of working on the concept two to three years ago.

As of now, there is no concrete information yet on when a foldable device will come out. It is important to note that patents and concept may take years or even decades to come into reality. Fans are advised to wait for any official announcement from Nokia, Samsung or LG.