The foldable phone that transforms into a tablet

Each week, we spotlight a cool innovation recommended by some of the industry's top tech writers. This week's pick is a folding smartphone.

Samsung's new foldable phone is on its way to mass production, said Shara Tibken at CNET. The phone, which uses a technology called the Infinity Flex Display, becomes a tablet when fully opened. The screen technology lets you "open and close the device over and over without any degradation." The unfolded tablet has a 7.3-inch screen with a 4.2:3 aspect ratio. Folded into a phone, it's 4.6 inches, with a skinny 21:9 display.

Samsung says it represents "an entirely new mobile platform" that lets users "browse, watch, and multitask like never before." Whether it sells remains to be seen. It might be "a magnet for gadget lovers," but if it feels "bulky and hard to use," it may be dismissed as a gimmick.

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