Forget the Galaxy S9, Samsung is planning a foldable Galaxy X phone to launch in December

Hours after confirmed the smartphone, rumours of its next-generation phone surfaced online.

The so-called Galaxy X will purportedly boast a 7.3-inch flexible OLED display.

Sources say the Samsung Galaxy X display will fold inwards like a book, halving the physical footprint of the 7.3-inch phablet.

When the screen is folded down, Galaxy X owners will be able to use the device as a phone, while unfolded it will function more like a tablet.

According to industry sources speaking to ETNews, Samsung plans to begin manufacturing its new folding OLED panels in September, ready to fire-up the Galaxy X production line in November.

The radical new flagship phone will launch in December, the sources say.

Those intrigued by the promise of a flexible Galaxy smartphone should probably start saving very soon.

Flexible OLED technology is still in its infancy, and as a result, the all-new Galaxy handset is likely to be more expensive than both Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and upcoming Samsung Galaxy S9.

Since the top-end Galaxy Note 8 is priced at around £869, the Galaxy X could easily be more expensive than even the iPhone X’s eye-watering £999 price tag.

When asked about the rumoured flexible Galaxy smartphone, Samsung’s mobile chief Koh Dong-Jin told the Korea Herald that “there are still durability issues that we need to address”.

Pressed about a potential release date for the all-new handset, Koh Dong-Jin said “it is difficult to talk about the date of the launch now.

“We want to unveil the products properly but now seems a bit early.”

The news comes as .

Dubbed Rose Pink, the new variant has been available in other parts of the world for a few months now, but is finally on-sale in the UK.

The South Korean technology firm says the new colour is “Inspired by nature, the Rose Pink colour itself is simultaneously sophisticated and modern, adding to the overall aesthetics of the device and intensifying the depth of its design.”