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Category: Samsung foldable phone

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  • Bad news: the Samsung G Fold might not release globally

    The long-rumored Samsung tri-fold phone, sometimes dubbed the Samsung G Fold, is highly anticipated. It would mark one of the first true competitors to the Huawei Mate XT, and it’s rumored to release sometime in July. Unfortunately, a new find suggests it might only be available in China and Korea.

    Smartprix found two model numbers listed in the GSMA database. Each number and letter used in the model number denotes something different, and the first number — SM-F968N — suggests it’s a Korean listing. The “N” is used to mark Korean-focused products. The second model number is SM-F9680, where the 0 is used for the Chinese market. The story also notes that both are listed with the official number Q7M, which lines up with an internal number used for the tri-fold several weeks ago.

    No other model numbers have been found so far. That suggests that Samsung doesn’t plan to release the Samsung G Fold outside of those two countries, at least initially. It’s possible the device will make its way to a global audience later in the year, but for now, the best we can do is guess. The ongoing trade war between the United States and multiple other markets has created no small amount of uncertainty, and it has been suggested Samsung is taking a more cautious approach in its release plans.

    The Huawei Mate XT.
    Huawei

    However, that wouldn’t account for a lack of listings for European and Australian markets. Considering that Samsung teased its multi-fold device at its January Galaxy Unpacked event, a decision to hold a significantly more limited release seems like an odd choice.

    The exact specs for the Samsung G Fold are still unknown, but leaks suggest the company only plans to produce around 200,000 devices. It’s also said to have a 200MP main camera alongside a 12MP ultra-wide and a 10MP telephoto lens, all paired with a 10MP front camera. We also expect it to have a price somewhere north of $2,000.

  • Samsung’s foldable phone plans are more ambitious than we realized

    Samsung is no stranger to foldable phones, with devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 7 just around the corner. Now a newly discovered patent suggests Samsung’s plans for foldables go beyond what we initially expected. A post at SamMobile points to a display that folds not two, not three, but four times via three separate hinges. This would allow it to expand to a massive size, perhaps as large as most tablets.

    It’s hard to state anything definitively from just a patent, but the included diagram gives us an idea of what the final product might look like. From initial impressions, it would be on the bulkier side of things. The central hinge is the largest of the three, and the outer panels would fold inward twice — once onto themselves, and again onto the two inner halves to an end result roughly the dimensions of a modern phone, although several times thicker.

    Samsung’s foldable phone plans are more ambitious than we realized
    Image used with permission by copyright holder

    An additional diagram shows the final result. While it might be a matter of scale in the blueprint, there’s no doubt this device would likely be thicker than any phone in Samsung’s existing lineup.

    Samsung’s foldable phone plans are more ambitious than we realized
    Image used with permission by copyright holder

    It isn’t clear how the screen configuration for this device would work. Unfolded, it would result in a tablet-style display, but it raises the question: would there be inner displays if the device was only half-folded? Additional displays — not to mention the engineering required for a phone like this — makes us hesitant to guess at any sort of potential price point, but it would likely be a premium phone.

    Note that all of this is speculation. Samsung has made no official statements regarding the existence of such a device nor any indication of plans to pursue it, but the patent is an interesting development in what feels like a foldable arms race.

    If Samsung does release a product like this, it would be one of the first of its kind — and could eliminate the tablet market entirely if done correctly. It has a wide range of potential for productivity-focused applications, with different apps running on different sides of the display, as well as for streaming content.