Samsung is allegedly developing a foldable tablet that shrinks from 17 to 8 inches

Samsung may be entering a new foldable phase. This year, the company expanded its lineup with the passport-style Galaxy Z Fold 8. However, recent rumors suggest Samsung may be developing a few more foldable devices, including a 17-inch tablet that can fold into a smaller 8-inch tablet.

It's an unconfirmed rumor (via @kro_roe), so take everything with a proverbial pinch of salt. But for what it's worth, Samsung has allegedly started developing this mysterious 17-inch foldable tablet after testing multiple versions.

In theory, Samsung MX's foldable-display supplier, Samsung Display, can manufacture large foldable screens. Samsung Display has demoed large prototypes and proofs of concept at tech conventions countless times before.

A few years ago, the company showcased several concept renders featuring a 17-inch Galaxy Book foldable laptop. Nothing came of it yet.

According to the new rumor, the alleged 17-inch foldable tablet can fold into a smaller 8-inch tablet. As others have pointed out (via Android Headlines), this could mean one of two things:

Neither scenario sounds very plausible. Either way, Samsung Display's manufacturing capabilities are just one part of the puzzle. Whether Samsung's mobile division thinks large-screen foldables could be viable consumer devices is a whole other matter.

Recent rumors suggest Samsung may even be working on an additional passport-style foldable similar to the Fold 8 for next year. However, the Fold series has already proven itself, so these rumors of an additional Fold model seem far more likely.

On the other hand, the foldable market has indeed changed now that Apple finally joined the fight, and Samsung may view this as an opportunity to expand its portfolio and showcase just how versatile foldable display technology can be.

No rumored release timelines for Samsung's alleged 17-inch foldable hybrid exist at the moment. We'll keep you posted if the story develops.