Samsung Electronics has introduced a mock-up of a new clamshell-style foldable phone.

The South Korean tech giant introduced the new concept phone during its annual developer conference in San Jose, California on Tuesday.

Samsung played a video in which the Galaxy Fold smartphone transforms from a phone that opens vertically like a book to one that opens horizontally with a clamshell form factor.

Jeong Hye-soon, head of Samsung's framework R&D group, said in a keynote speech at the conference that the Galaxy Fold is just the beginning and that the amazing thing with foldable technology is that it can become more compact. 

She added that the brand-new form factor that Samsung is now exploring will not only easily fit into pockets but will also change the way people take photos and videos. 

Tech news website The Verge said that the idea behind the concept is to take Samsung’s foldable smartphone technology and push it to become "more compact” and extend to new device form factors.