Back in late August, a tipster on X claimed that a 17-inch foldable tablet is in development, with multiple versions and test devices being worked on, but didn't say which company is making it. Now, the same tipster has followed up with a short but telling addition, revealing that "Samsung has already started."
According to the original post, the device becomes an 8-inch tablet when folded and expands to 17 inches when unfolded. That's all we've got for now, as the tipster says they can't share any more details yet.
How exactly the 8-inch folded state would work is anyone's guess at this point. It could have a 17-inch screen that folds outwards, with only half of it active when closed, or a 17-inch inner screen paired with an 8-inch cover display, like a supersized Galaxy Z Fold. The former would leave the main screen exposed, while the latter would surely make it even more expensive.
This isn't the first time Samsung has been rumored to be working on a foldable tablet - a so-called Galaxy Z Tab was tipped back in 2023, and nothing came of it. Obviously, Samsung Display can make big foldable panels, as it's shown off plenty of prototypes at trade shows over the years, but whether Samsung's mobile division thinks there's a market for such a device is a different question entirely.
Then again, the foldable market looks a bit different now that Apple has finally joined in with the iPhone Duo, so Samsung may be keen to show off just how far it can push the form factor. There's no word on timing yet, so we wouldn't assume it's coming anytime soon.
