Samsung might introduce its long-rumoured foldable smartphone sometime early next year, according to The Wall Street Journal.

This device, which has been dubbed Galaxy X in the past, will reportedly feature a 7-inch display that bends in half. The folded device would take a wallet shape but will still have a display visible on the outside. Due to the two displays, Samsung would need to include a large battery. And all this tech would drive up the cost of the phone to more than $1,500/£1,150. Previously, we've heard estimates as high as $2,000.

• Upcoming phones: The future smartphones of 2018
• Samsung Galaxy S10: What we know so far

Now, this report isn't anything too new. The current belief is that Samsung will begin mass production of the Galaxy X in November this year, before officially unveiling it at MWC 2019. The company is apparently most interested in being the "world's first" to market with a foldable phone, and sales of the device are less important. It would also market the device to a niche crowd, maybe even gamers.

But here's the thing: Other companies, like ZTE, have already introduced folding phones. The ZTE Axon M, available in the US through AT&T, features two displays. And although it looks impressive, it hasn't exactly made a huge splash. Maybe Samsung's offering will be different.