Samsung Galaxy Fold is yet to go on sale but the company may be planning to unveil its second foldable device early next year. There are indications that the luxury phone is one that folds down into a compact-sized square.
According to people familiar with the product’s development, the device comes with a 6.7-inch inner display that comes down to a pocketable square when it’s folded inward like a clamshell. The company is said to have got plans to make the device affordable. It is also expected to have a thinner build than this year’s Galaxy Fold. One key advantage that the 6.7-inch foldable phone for next year will have over the Fold is that its shape when open will be basically that of a smartphone: so it will run Android phone apps in their native state. The Galaxy Fold opens to a squarer aspect ratio and larger screen, and so it demands that apps be customized or adapted to best make use of its full dimensions.
Samsung is testing the use of Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) for the inner display of its next foldable, which would measure in at only 3% the thickness of the glass conventionally used to protect smartphone displays. At the same time, the company will want to ensure the durability of its foldable devices and avoid any repeat of the Galaxy Fold debacle.
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The foldable phone will also have a punch-hole design at the top of the inner display which will house the selfie camera. The source also hints that design is similar to that of the recently launched Galaxy Note 10. On the outside part, there will be a dual-camera setup which faces the rear when the phone is flipped open and faces the front when it is closed. The Korean tech giant is also said to be in collaboration with American designer Thom Browne for its upcoming foldable phone. This is in a bid to make its product appeal to a broader range of consumers including those more interested in fashion, status and luxury than a device’s tech specs.
One of the sources, however, hinted that the launch of the second foldable device may hinge on how well the Fold performs after its imminent launch.
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(source)
