Samsung’s slidable phone is still a rumor, but its dimensions might be starting to take shape

The concept of rollable phones — or phones with displays that roll out to expand into a bigger size when you need it — isn’t exactly new. For almost a decade, we’ve seen countless rumors and even working prototypes with rolling screens. Given their prowess in display manufacturing, brands such as Samsung and LG have usually been at the top of these rumors, and they don’t seem to die down. In fact, we‘ve seen reasonably convincing reports suggesting Samsung could launch a commercial version of the phone in 2028, and a new rumor adds to what we already know.

In a recent post on X, trusted leaker Ice Universe claims Samsung is working on a phone with a sliding display. While that itself is not novel, the leaker also claims the display expands from a 16:9 aspect ratio to 21:9. In simpler terms, the phone could exist in an (almost) wide-screen format similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 8 and stretch out into one similar to the Flip 8, when unfolded, or the Fold 8 Ultra’s display.

This could accommodate the needs for various content types or basically replicate the same space-saving effect the Flip has when it’s folded, especially as Samsung may be planning to cull the series. This is also the first time we’ve heard of Samsung’s rollable phone expanding vertically instead of phones that expand sideways. So we wonder whether the right way to describe this phone is to call it “slideable” rather than “rollable.”

Samsung showed a similar concept at MWC 2026, but the prototype didn’t work at the time, and the sliding mechanism wasn’t mechanized. It’s likely that the final product — if it truly arrives in the coming years — would feature a mechanically operated sliding mechanism, not one that must be opened and retracted manually.

The leaker also shared images of the concept, both in the standard and the expanded state. There’s a good chance these concepts are AI-generated, especially looking at the inconsistencies around the earpiece in both images.

What these images could be based on instead is a recent patent filed by Samsung with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The US patent application number 2026/0333595 A1, filed in January and approved by the USPTO on October 22, shows an electronic device with two housings, one of which moves between “a retracted position and an extended position relative to the first housing portion.” The patent application also describes a flexible display that joins the housing pieces.

Aside from the similar-looking concepts for the design, there’s a small possibility that Ice Universe’s claims about the aspect ratios are rather assumptions based on these renders, even though we can’t say that with confidence.

Ice Universe also addresses the challenges of housing a battery in the phone. While the rolling display could increase power requirements when expanded to a larger size, the sliding mechanism itself could also consume power to operate. Not only that, but the mechanism would also take up physical space inside the phone’s body. So, it remains to be seen how Samsung works around that ordeal.

We’ll include more details once we hear more about the project from official or unofficial sources.