Samsung announces it will release a foldable smartphone in 2019

Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Samsung announced Wednesday it will launch a foldable smartphone in 2019.

The news broke Wednesday during the tech company's developer conference in San Francisco.

D.J. Koh, Samsung's head of mobile has been hinting about this this type of phone for years, and told CNET.com in October "When we deliver a foldable phone, it has to be really meaningful to our customer."

The phone will use Samsung's new Infinity Flex display, which allows it to be folded repeatedly and still avoid wear and tear. It will also include a 7.3-inch tablet display.

"When it's open, it's a tablet, offering a big-screen experience," said Justin Denison, vice president of mobile marketing at Samsung, Variety reported. "When it's closed, it's a phone that fits neatly inside your pocket."

Google also announced at the conference its Android will now be compatible with foldable devices, which other companies along with Samsung will likely begin developing.

"Just when you thought you'd seen everything in phones, we're about to see a whole new form factor idea from Android device-makers. Foldables. They take advantage of new flexible display technology - the screen can literally bend and fold," said Dave Burke, vice president of engineering at Google, CNBC reported. "You can think of the device as both a phone and a tablet. When folded, it looks like phone, fitting in your pocket or purse."