A report has emerged that Samsung is developing a slidable smartphone whose screen can be stretched upward. The claim comes from Ice Universe, a leaker known for information about Samsung products, who posted it on X on November 11, 2026. According to the post, the screen's aspect ratio can change from 16:9 when retracted to 21:9 when extended. Unlike conventional rollable designs that expand the screen sideways, the idea is a device you carry as a compact phone and switch to a taller screen only when you need it.
As foldable smartphones become more common, manufacturers are still searching for the next form factor. Foldables can store a large screen compactly, but issues remain, including display creases, body thickness, and hinge durability. Slidable designs, by contrast, store part of a flexible display inside the body and pull it out when needed to enlarge the display area. This may offer a way to combine portability and a large screen differently from foldables.
However, this information is not an official Samsung announcement, and no product has been confirmed. A patent application published by Samsung describes the specific structure of a sliding mechanism, and Samsung Display showed a similar prototype in March 2026. But the prototype's screen ratio ranges from 16:9 to 22:9, which differs from the leak. It is necessary to distinguish between patent applications, exhibited prototypes, and rumors about commercial products.
A Smartphone Whose Screen Stretches From 16:9 to 21:9
According to Ice Universe's November 11 post, the device Samsung is reportedly developing can change its aspect ratio from 16:9 to 21:9 by sliding the screen vertically. When retracted, the device has a shape that is short relative to its width; pulling out the top turns the screen into a tall one closer to a typical smartphone. While conventional sideways-expanding rollables aimed at a display area close to a small tablet, this concept extends the display vertically without greatly changing the width.
Many current smartphones use relatively tall displays, such as 19.5:9 or 20:9. By comparison, 16:9 is shorter relative to its width, giving a compact shape when retracted. Extending to 21:9 increases the area available for viewing long web pages and documents, or for split-screen multitasking stacked top and bottom. Turning the device sideways may also make it useful for displaying widescreen video.
Comparing these ratios as height divided by width, 16:9 is about 1.78 and 21:9 is about 2.33. If the screen width stays the same, the display height would increase by about 31%. However, this is a geometric comparison derived from aspect ratios; the actual display area and screen dimensions of a real product have not been confirmed.
データを表で見る
| 画面の縦横比 (比率) | |
|---|---|
| 16:9（噂の収納時） | 1.78 |
| 21:9（噂の伸長時） | 2.33 |
| 22:9（MWC試作機の伸長時） | 2.44 |
Ice Universe also pointed out that the biggest challenge in commercializing this structure would be battery capacity. A sliding mechanism needs guide rails, moving parts, and space for the flexible display stored inside. If a motorized design is used, room must also be secured for the motor and drive mechanism. That could reduce the volume available for the battery.
Furthermore, because the extended screen has a larger display area, power consumption may rise depending on content and brightness. A motorized sliding mechanism would also consume power when extending and retracting. A key question is whether a compact body can hold a battery large enough to deliver practical runtime even with the screen fully extended.
As for timing, outlets such as SamMobile have reported that Samsung's rollable smartphone could appear in the first half of 2028. However, that is based on separate information reported earlier, and it is unclear whether it refers to the same product as this vertically sliding model. The name "Galaxy Z Roll" has also been mentioned as a candidate, but Samsung has not officially announced a product name, price, release date, sales regions, or final specifications.
What Samsung's Patent Application Shows About the Sliding Mechanism
There is also a patent application showing that Samsung is indeed researching related technology for vertically sliding smartphones. "US 2026/0333595 A1," published by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on October 22, 2026, concerns the structure of an electronic device with a flexible display. Filed by Samsung Electronics on January 23, 2026, the published specification describes in detail a mechanism in which housings move as the screen extends and retracts.
The structure consists of a first housing and a second housing that moves relative to it between a retracted position and an extended position. The flexible display spans both housings, and multiple elongated support bars support the back of the screen. The support bars move along guide rails inside the body, keeping the display in the proper position even where it bends.
What the patent emphasizes is not merely a mechanism for pulling out the screen but a structure for preventing the bent display from lifting. When a flexible display is bent inside the body, it generates a restoring force that tries to return it to its original flat shape. If the support bars are lifted by this force, the flatness of the screen could be compromised, causing unevenness on the display surface.
Samsung proposes providing inclined surfaces in the grooves of the guide rails to address this problem. As the support bars pass through the curved section, the incline in the groove applies force to the bars, pressing them in a direction that counteracts the display's restoring force. This aims to suppress lifting of the support structure while the screen extends and retracts and to maintain the flatness of the display surface. The specification also describes configuration examples in which an actuator such as a motor is placed inside the housing.
These descriptions confirm that Samsung is studying not only the screen's extension mechanism but also the panel's restoring force and the movement of support components in concrete terms. However, a patent application does not guarantee the development or release of a commercial product. The "A1" at the end of the publication number denotes a published application and does not mean a patent has been granted. Even when a company files to secure rights to a technical idea, that structure will not necessarily be adopted in an actual product.
The published specification also does not mention the specific aspect ratios of 16:9 and 21:9 given in the leak. It likewise says nothing about a product name, release date, or mass-production plans. Patent drawings are meant to explain a technical mechanism, not to show the appearance or specifications of a finished product.
Caution is also needed regarding the reliability of the image Ice Universe shared. Android Authority's report noted unnatural differences around areas such as the earpiece in the image and suggested it may have been created with an AI image generator. The possibility that the aspect ratio was inferred from the image cannot be ruled out. However, it has not been confirmed that the image is AI-generated, and the source of the aspect ratio information is unknown. A published patent and a concept image of unknown origin should be treated separately as evidence.
At MWC 2026, a Prototype That Extends From 5.1 to 6.7 Inches
More direct evidence that a vertically sliding display is actually in development is Samsung Display's exhibit. The company exhibited at MWC 2026, held March 2–5, 2026 in Barcelona, Spain, where it showed next-generation OLED technology. Samsung Display is the Samsung Group's display manufacturer and plays a different role from Samsung Electronics' mobile division (Samsung MX), which makes finished smartphones. Therefore, Samsung Display's prototype exhibit cannot be taken as a decision by Samsung MX to commercialize a product.
At the MWC 2026 venue, a concept device named "Samsung OLED Mobile Slidable" was displayed. According to Android Authority's on-site report, the prototype used a structure in which pulling out the top of the body extends the screen vertically. The exhibit was clearly labeled "Under Development" and positioned as a technology demonstration before commercialization.
The spec sheet at the booth listed the retracted screen size as 5.1 inches with a 16:9 aspect ratio. Fully extended, it becomes 6.7 inches at 22:9, with a resolution of 1,080 × 2,640 pixels and a pixel density of 426 ppi. The retracted 16:9 matches Ice Universe's claim, but the extended ratio is 22:9, not 21:9. Because of this difference, it cannot be concluded that the exhibited device and the rumored device share the same design.
The related information, including both, is summarized below.
| Source | Timing / Status | What can be confirmed | What remains unconfirmed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Universe's post | November 11, 2026; unconfirmed information | Claims development of a smartphone that extends vertically from 16:9 to 21:9; also points out battery capacity challenges | Official development announcement from Samsung, confirmed specs, whether it will be commercialized |
| Samsung's US patent application | Filed January 23, 2026; published October 22 | Movable housings, flexible display, support bars, and guide rails with inclined grooves | The 16:9 and 21:9 screen ratios, adoption in a mass-produced product, release plans |
| Samsung Display's MWC 2026 exhibit | March 2026; prototype under development | OLED that extends from 5.1 inches (16:9) to 6.7 inches (22:9); resolution 1,080 × 2,640, 426 ppi | Commercialization, motorized drive mechanism, battery performance, durability |
| Report on a first-half 2028 release | June 2026; unconfirmed release outlook | Report that Samsung is considering commercializing a rollable smartphone | Relationship to this vertical slider, official release timing, product name, price |
The exhibited device has also not been shown to work as a finished product. The sliding motion demonstrated at MWC was manual, and automatic motorized extension and retraction was not demonstrated. In addition, the screen was not lit in the demonstration of the extension mechanism, so it was not possible to see the display staying on while extending and retracting, or the OS adapting to the changing screen size. What was exhibited was mainly a prototype showing the flexible OLED and its extension mechanism.
As a result, much remains unknown about the functions and reliability expected of a typical smartphone. The display's durability under repeated extension, the structure for keeping out dust and moisture, power consumption if motorized, battery life, and how apps control their display as the screen ratio changes cannot be evaluated from this exhibit alone.
Both Samsung's patent application and the MWC prototype use a structure that extends and retracts the screen vertically. This shows that similar technology is being developed within the Samsung Group. However, it is not clear whether the exhibited device and the patent application belong to the same development project. Moreover, the leak and the exhibited device differ in their maximum extended screen ratio, so there is currently insufficient basis to tie them to a single commercial product.
Challenges Remaining Before Slidable Phones Become Practical
Commercializing a slidable smartphone requires solving mechanical challenges that differ from those of foldables. In foldables, the display's bending is concentrated around the hinge, whereas in a slidable design part of the panel moves through the interior of the body with every extension and retraction. Friction between the panel and support parts, maintaining the bend radius, guide rail wear, and ingress of foreign matter therefore become important design issues. In particular, the design must keep the load on repeatedly bent sections low while keeping the display surface flat when extended.
The advantage of a vertical slider is that it can enlarge the display area only when needed, without folding the screen in the middle as foldables do. If the screen can be extended vertically while keeping its width nearly unchanged, it may combine ease of one-handed use with a large display area. However, how thickness and weight when retracted, and the shift in center of gravity when extended, affect usability will need to be verified on actual devices.
Battery capacity also looks likely to be a major constraint. Inside a smartphone, space must be secured for the display's storage in addition to the processor, cameras, communication circuitry, and cooling components. A motorized sliding mechanism would also require a motor and drive parts. Whether a battery of sufficient capacity can be fitted into the limited volume, and whether it can handle the increased power consumption when extended, will determine practicality.
At present, however, no specific measurements of battery capacity or power consumption have been published. How much volume the extension mechanism occupies, and how much power is consumed when the screen is expanded, are also unknown. Insufficient battery capacity is a reasonably expected challenge, but how severe a constraint it becomes will depend on future product design.
On the manufacturing side, durability and quality control will also matter. A sliding mechanism must withstand everyday opening and closing and must also be strong enough to keep working normally after drop impacts. It is also necessary that display quality not degrade because of wear on the panel's bending section or the guide rails. Ease of repair, such as a structure that allows the display or drive mechanism to be replaced in the event of failure, is another consideration for commercialization.
The outlook that Samsung will launch a rollable smartphone in the first half of 2028 should also be treated cautiously for now. That timing is a commercialization forecast reported earlier and does not directly support the release of the device that stretches from 16:9 to 21:9. Samsung Display's prototype will not necessarily become a Samsung MX product as is, and multiple different design proposals may be under parallel consideration.
This leak once again suggests that Samsung may be considering a vertical slider as a form factor for next-generation smartphones. The published patent and exhibited prototype confirm that related mechanical technology is being developed, but the 16:9-to-21:9 screen specification and the timing of any commercial release remain unknown. Going forward, attention will focus on verification with a working prototype that has display functionality, and on whether Samsung MX officially announces commercialization. Until specifics such as dimensions, weight, battery capacity, durability, and price are shown, it is appropriate to regard the vertical slider as a technology still in the research and development stage.