Samsung Galaxy Z Roll Could Stretch Upward From Compact to Taller Screen

Reliable tipster Ice Universe shared on X that Samsung’s mobile division has begun developing a phone whose display can roll outward and upward, shifting its proportions from a 16:9 ratio when retracted to a 21:9 ratio when fully extended. The panel would slide out from the body along side rails rather than fold open on a hinge, and the same post indicates the screen can stop at intermediate lengths instead of always traveling the full distance. Concept images accompanying the claim show a relatively short device in its closed state that becomes noticeably taller once the upper section has moved outward.

People would select the shorter style for daily use and standard phone videos or streams, and then simply extend the panel when they needed more space for a movie, a long document, or a web page. When folded up, the phone remains a somewhat normal size, allowing you to simply place it in your pocket. Ice Universe pointed out that all the moving parts and bobs required for the screen to fold out would take up a considerable amount of internal space, leaving you with less place for the battery and raising some major issues about how long the item will last with the huge screen up.

Samsung has already trademarked the term Galaxy Z Roll, and in June, there were rumblings out of Korea that the device may be released in the first half of 2028, with the Galaxy Z Slide serving as an alternative. It was also stated at the time that the mobile division was treating this as a real product rather than a display toy that people played with at trade shows.

A US patent application filed in late October describes a phone as two independent bits connected by a flexible screen, with one bit able to slide out from a folded to stretched state, which appears to be similar to the vertical expansion concept we’ve heard about.

Various earlier attempts at rollable phones, such as LG’s canceled one, never made it to market, and Samsung isn’t admitting to anything or telling us what this device would be like just yet. However, the idea of a button or motor to fold the screen, have different screen sizes, and avoid having a big phone all the time is quite practical. On the other hand, battery space is an issue, and we’re looking at at least a two-year delay before this unique device arrives in 2028.