Sony to take on Samsung, Apple, others: Working on foldable phone that can be launched next year

Yes, foldable smartphones are indeed the next big thing! Not just a few, all the major smartphone manufacturers have lined up in the queue to offer the latest tech to their customers and Sony is the latest one to jump on the bandwagon. After Samsung, Huawei and Apple, it has been reported that Sony is also reportedly working on a foldable phone. The development has been confirmed by device leaker Max J `@Samsung_News` who tweeted that Sony is working on a foldable smartphone that will come with features like a 3220mAh battery, LG-supplied display, a 10x zoom camera and a Snapdragon SM7250 processor.

However, Max J didn't specify if the phone featured a 10x optical or hybrid zoom. In addition, Max J says that the retail version of the foldable phone might include a Snapdragon 855 chipset and a Qualcomm X50 modem that is capable of connecting to a 5G network. Unlike the Galaxy Fold or Mate X, the tweet notes that Sony`s foldable will use a Nautilus design. Following his original tweet, the leaker also mentioned that Sony could launch the device in December or early 2020. 

Sony is working on a competitor to the Galaxy Fold and Mate X.

The current prototypes feature:
3220mAh
SM7250 SoC
LG Display
Nautilus Design
10x Zoom Camera

The retail models may feature:
Snapdragon 855 Soc
Qualcomm X50 Modem

(Video via. @slashgear https://t.co/zZvRjt80Un) pic.twitter.com/mVyqRm1fxd

— Max J. (@Samsung_News_) July 6, 2019

Samsung was the first brand to unveil its foldable smartphone at an unpacked event in February this year. The phone was expected to be launched this year but has been delayed multiple times due to a fault reported during the testing period. The company is still hopeful that the smartphone would arrive in 2019 itself. 

Meanwhile, Apple is working on a new 5G-enabled iPad with a foldable display. The product would apparently feature MacBook sized screens, which isn`t too much of a stretch given that the iPad Pro already tops out in a 12.9-inch size. However, it is easy to imagine how an iPad mini-sized product that could unfold to 13 or 15-inch screen would be compelling.