New reports are emerging about upcoming consumer devices from Samsung Electronic Co. Ltd. ahead of the expected release of the Galaxy Note 9 in August.

In addition to the new Note, the phone giant said to be preparing to launch a smart speaker and a foldable phone early next year.

Reports that Samsung was preparing to bring to market a Bixby-powered smart speaker first emerged in December, when it was reported that a launch was planned in the first half of 2018. But that has yet to happen.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the Bixby smart speaker will be revealed at the Note 9 launch event with a price tag of about $300. The report claimed that Samsung will differentiate its entry into the market by offering a “bowl-shaped” speaker with a stand at the bottom and lights at the top, as opposed to the cylindrical models favored by Apple Inc., Google LLC and Amazon.com Inc.

Samsung is said to be planning to pitch the speaker along similar lines to Apple’s HomePod in that it will market it as a high-end music player with smart speaker features.

The return of a perennial favorite on the rumor mill — a Samsung foldable phone which some have dubbed the Galaxy X — comes from the same Journal report, which said the device, codenamed “Winner,” will be revealed early next year. The phone is said to have a foldable seven-inch screen larger than other high-end phones such as the iPhone X and Pixel 2 XL, but with a radical departure in form factor.

Samsung has been playing with the idea of foldable displays since 2009, when it unveiled its first one at the annual Consumer Electronics Show, but it has yet to bring a phone using the technology to market. In October it was reported that Samsung was attempting to launch a foldable phone in 2018 under the Note brand, but by January, the development of the device had reportedly been delayed.

Although the technology exists, producing it at scale and at a reasonable price point has been a struggle from the start. Samsung may have managed to overcome the manufacturing issues, but cost remains an issue, with the Journal claiming the phone is likely to retail for about $1,500.

Samsung may not be alone in bringing a foldable smartphone to market. Apple has been long rumored to be developing a similar device. Reports also suggest Oppo Electronics Corp. and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. are developing their own versions.

Photo: Samuel M. Livingston/Flickr