Having heard today that Samsung may release a new device in 2028 under the provisional name Galaxy Z Roll, I went looking for more information and came across YouTube videos that are anywhere from one month to four years old. They all show, on the one hand, that Samsung has been working on this revolutionary rolling-display technology for quite some time and, on the other, suggest that the idea of not just folding but actually rolling a smartphone display could become market-ready in about two years time.
There is one catch, though: from what I’ve seen, the phone won’t literally roll up. Instead, the display will expand—or be pulled out—smoothly along rails at the top and bottom. That will probably make the device less vulnerable than even more futuristic concepts, some of which look like rubber-banded banknotes when they’re not in use. I’ve seen those as well—and perhaps they also exist inside Samsung’s research labs.
Developers might well be able to move faster were it not for commercial considerations. Samsung will understandably want to give the current Galaxy Z Fold lineup enough time before introducing the next major leap in smartphone design. So we’ll just have to be patient. But here’s the exciting part: the Galaxy Z Roll will reportedly include holographic technology that hasn’t yet appeared in any commercial smartphone, making the experience potentially more immersive than anything Samsung has released so far.
The company also won’t want to take any unnecessary risks. As far as the user experience is concerned, flexible displays that continue playing videos while being extended—in real time—will probably take a little getting used to because they are less hardened. Even so, these soft screens are expected to support stylus pens, so users shouldn’t have to sacrifice any essential functionality.
All in all, if you’re already a fan of Samsung’s foldable phones, you’ll probably love the Galaxy Z Roll. Pretty exciting? Certainly…
https://youtu.be/ghxNiCKyF44?si=gZ8CXIwvT894WY1K
https://youtube.com/shorts/fH9zsTSUzOk?si=JXWo_YscImdghRmk
Thorsten Koch
hightechPRIME.com (currently on hiatus)
29 June 2026
