Samsung will likely begin the production of its first foldable smartphone later this year, according to DigiTimes, citing sources from Taiwan's handset supply chain.

ET News reported that the company is allegedly ready to unveil the foldable unit at a closed door event with select audience at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2017 to be held in Barcelona later this month. The private preview will be used to predict not only the market demand but also to get some feedback from the participants.

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The report further revealed that both Samsung Electronics and Samsung Display will be introducing in-foldable and out-foldable products. In fact, they have allegedly finished making "videos of new prototypes and others."

Moreover, the South Korean company will also reportedly produce a clam-type smartphone with a flexible AMOLED display in the fourth quarter of 2017. However, it will allegedly not start mass producing the foldable units until the second half next year to deal with some technical issues.

Patents of these foldable smartphones have already been applied to the US Patent and Trademark Office late last year. But Samsung is not the only one to apply for such patents as smartphone firms Apple, LG, and Microsoft also have similar patent applications.

Reports about Samsung making its first foldable smartphone are not new, the company has been working hard to make unique forms. Previous rumors also suggested that Samsung will likely launch the "Galaxy X" unit this year. The Korean Herald earlier reported that the Galaxy X, which will reportedly fold out and expand into a 7-inch tablet, is slated to be announced in the third quarter this year at IFA in Berlin.

Although Samsung won't be announcing the Galaxy S8 at the MWC, it will put its Galaxy Tab S3 into the spotlight. The Galaxy Tab S3 has been certified by the FCC and Wi-Fi Alliance.