Samsung’s Rumoured Rollable Galaxy Z Slide Could Expand Upwards to Change Its Screen Shape

Samsung may be exploring a smartphone that changes its proportions without folding. According to a new claim from tipster Ice Universe, the company is developing a vertically rollable display that would extend upwards, allowing users to switch between two screen aspect ratios.

The alleged design would move between 16:9 and 21:9 proportions, offering a choice between a shorter screen and a taller format. Rather than committing to a single display shape, the device could adjust its dimensions to suit different viewing preferences.

Samsung has not confirmed the device, and the reported specifications remain unverified.

A Sliding Display Instead of a Folding Screen

According to Ice Universe’s claim, the phone would use a sliding mechanism to extend the display vertically. This would distinguish it from a side-expanding design intended to make a handset wider.

The proposal centres on flexibility: one device could offer two screen proportions without requiring users to choose between separate form factors. However, the report does not establish the display’s physical dimensions, how the mechanism would operate or whether users could stop it at intermediate positions.

Those unanswered questions leave the concept’s practical advantages difficult to assess. For now, the leak describes a possible design direction rather than a finished product.

Battery Space Could Be the Biggest Compromise

Ice Universe identifies battery capacity as a potential obstacle. The sliding mechanism would reportedly occupy a substantial amount of internal space, leaving less room for the battery.

That could become a defining engineering challenge. Samsung would need to accommodate both the expandable display hardware and the components expected in a modern smartphone without making an unacceptable compromise on battery capacity.

No battery specification has been disclosed, so the warning should not be interpreted as evidence of poor endurance. It instead highlights a possible trade-off that the company would need to address if the design reaches production.

Earlier Report Pointed to Galaxy Z Slide 2028 Launch

The latest rumour follows a June report suggesting Samsung was targeting the first half of 2028 for its first rollable-screen smartphone. That report said Samsung Display was discussing the supply of rollable panels with Samsung Electronics.

Galaxy Z Slide was mentioned as a possible product name. Samsung has also previously trademarked Z Roll, providing another potential branding option. Neither name confirms what the finished device would be called, and the trademark alone does not establish a launch plan.

It also remains unclear whether the vertically expanding phone described in the latest rumour is the same project discussed in June. The two reports should not be treated as confirmation of a single device or a fixed release schedule.

Samsung Has Also Explored Side-Expanding Designs

A Samsung patent reported earlier this year described a different approach: a rollable smartphone that expands sideways and includes a movable rear camera module. The camera assembly would shift as the screen extended, with sensors monitoring changes in the device’s configuration.

That concept differs from the vertically extending design now attributed to Ice Universe. Together, the reports suggest Samsung is examining more than one way to build an expandable smartphone, rather than necessarily working towards a single settled form factor.

A patent, however, is evidence of an explored concept—not proof that the hardware will become a commercial product.

Vivo Has Filed a Similar Vertical-Rolling Concept

Samsung is not the only manufacturer associated with an upward-expanding display. A vivo patent reported in March described a smartphone whose screen becomes taller rather than wider when extended.

The filing points to interest in vertical rollable designs, but it does not confirm that vivo is preparing a retail device. As with Samsung’s patent activity, the distinction between protecting an idea and committing to production remains important.

An Adaptable Screen, With Major Questions Still Open

The appeal of Samsung’s rumoured design lies in its ability to offer different screen proportions within one handset. The challenge is making that flexibility useful enough to justify the space occupied by the mechanism.

For now, the vertical expansion system, proposed aspect ratios and battery concerns all remain part of an unconfirmed report. Earlier coverage provides a possible 2028 timeframe for Samsung’s rollable ambitions, but there is no confirmed connection between that schedule and this particular design.