Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone images hint at secret camera and 'perfect' screen

Renders give idea of what to expect several weeks before the smartphone's release date

With less than three weeks until Samsung is expected to unveil its Galaxy X foldable phone, a new set of rendered images have given the clearest idea yet of what the next-generation smartphone may look like.

Based on previous leaks, together with Samsung's official announcements about the phone, the images by Dutch publication LetsGoDigital reveal what to potentially expect on 20 February.

When unfolded into a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy X does not appear to feature a front-facing camera, suggesting the South Korean firm has either decided to forego the technology or hide it within the phone's hardware.

The lack of a camera at the front of the foldable smartphone allows it to be a truly full-screen device, with barely a hint of a bezel.

If true, this could mean that Samsung has figured out a way to hide the camera beneath the screen, or has decided to hide the camera in a pop-up compartment behind the screen.

Samsung is already reportedly planning a pop-up camera with its Galaxy S90, according to a prolific leaker who goes by the name Ice Universe.

The feature will allow the screen to be "perfect," the tipster said earlier this month, as it negates the need for a notch or hole-punch design to fit in front-facing technologies.

It would not be the first time a smartphone maker has included a hidden camera, with Chinese manufacturer Oppo introducing the feature on its Find X smartphone in 2018.

A render of the Samsung Galaxy X foldable phone (LetsGoDigital)

The latest rumours also hint that the next-generation phone will be thinner than previously expected.

Samsung teased the Galaxy X device at an event in November, though few details were given about what the phone will look like or how it will perform.

Samsung's senior vice president of Mobile Product Marketing Justin Denison showed off the handset in the dark, describing it as the "foundation of the smartphone of tomorrow."

Samsung released a teaser video of what the Galaxy X foldable phone might look like (Samsung)

Samsung also appeared to accidentally reveal the folding phone in a video released through its Samsung Vietnam YouTube channel.

Several other smartphone makers are planning similarly bendy phones, with both Xiaomi and Huawei preparing to launch their own phone-tablet crossovers.

One Chinese startup has already beaten the tech giants to the punch, officially unveiling the Royole FlexPai foldable smartphone at an event last year.