Oh to be an early adopter. The price of investing in innovative technologies is never cheap - and usually results in outmoded, outdated formats within a short space of time.

That could be the case with the foldable phone craze about to start. Early adopters looking towards Samsung's Galaxy F, Galaxy X or whatever the company decides to call it will likely have to pay a fair penny for the privilege of bending their devices in half.

Industry analysts have told Korea's Yonhap News Agency that the phone could cost around 2 million won (around £1,368). That's a darn sight more than the top of the line Samsung Galaxy Note 9 - itself listed for £899 SIM-free.

Yes, the Galaxy F bends in the middle - turning a 7.4-inch tablet into a 4.6-inch handset, but the cost might outweigh the usefulness.

It's not even expected to support 5G.

Whether foldable phone technology takes off in 2019 and on will really depend on how it is pitched and what extra functionality is attached.

At the present, though, we think that it is more likely the firm's next flagship handset - the Samsung Galaxy S10, with its rumoured full-screen display - will be the one more readily adopted. Even if that breaks the £1,000 barrier.