Samsung is developing a new foldable phone, suggests patent
Though Samsung may have its back against the wall with the beleaguered Galaxy Fold, the company is surely not giving up on its foldable dreams. According to a recent Samsung patent, the South Korean tech giant might be working on a new foldable phone with a completely different design from the Fold. Here are the finer details.
Everything we know about Samsung's new foldable phone
Unlike the Galaxy Fold, wherein the main screen folds in, Samsung's new foldable phone will feature a "fold-out" form factor with the main display on the outside - something similar to Huawei's Mate X. The patent highlights that the outer flexible display will extend across two cases which are joined by an all new sliding hinge system.
And, how will Samsung's new foldable phone work
The two cases, which house the flexible screen, will be connected by a link member and locking lever. When you open the phone, the second cover will slide along a rail groove, allowing the device to fold-out evenly. In this position, the locking unit will automatically rotate to fix itself to the first case to keep the display firm in the unfolded state.
Reportedly, Samsung has been working on this out-folding model
To recall, in March, Bloomberg reported that Samsung has been working on two different foldable phones with an aim to take an early lead in the new hardware category. One of the devices was said to be a vertically-folding phone with a clamshell-like design, while the other was an out-folding device - presumably the same model for which Samsung has now received the patent.
Prototype for the outward folding device is ready
According to sources familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that a prototype of the outward folding device is already ready and that it is way thinner than Galaxy Fold. The report noted that this particular device was originally considered to debut instead of Galaxy Fold, but now it will show up following the launch of the vertically-folding phone. However, the exact timeline remains unclear.
