As we wait for the Galaxy Fold to relaunch, Samsung is still experimenting with different bendy form factors for futuristic devices.
Recent reports indicate that the manufacturer has filed a patent with the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) for a new flexible display device that folds in not one, but two different locations on the handset. The device is being referred to as the “Z-Fold,” and the render experts at Lets Go Digital have drafted up images of how the device might look if brought to life.
The device would fold down on one side and up on the other side, giving it a Z-shape pattern. Users could potentially be able to use, what could be called the Samsung Galaxy Z, in several different setups. The device could be completely folded, which would allow users to access to the front-most panel as a single screen. The device could have one panel folded back, allowing two panels to work as a smaller tablet. Or, the device could be completely folded out into a large tablet set up.
While renders of the device look intriguing, pundits have noted that there is absolutely no guarantee that such a device would ever come to market. Added folds in such a device could potentially lead to more points of failure, not unlike what has happened to the original Galaxy Fold. Samsung’s first foldable device was supposed to release in late-April. The manufacturer has delayed the product’s launch for several months following display malfunctions on several review models given out to the media. The device is expected to now hit the market in September.
There are reports that Samsung has plans to release more foldable devices; however, those designs may not include multiple folds. One device may have an outward fold, similar to the Huawei’s Mate X smartphone. Another device may fold on its horizontal axis, making it more like a clamshell phone. Samsung may be aiming to showcase completely new Galaxy Fold models for Mobile World Congress in February 2020.
