Google Pixel Fold will use ultra-thin glass and it still expected to be released in 2021

Google seems to have improved the design of its first foldable Pixel phone. It is said that the company is working with Samsung to provide an ultra-thin glass (UTG) layer for a 7.6-inch foldable device that may be launched this year.

According to a new report, Google is just one of several mobile phone manufacturers seeking to obtain UTG orders from Samsung, which is currently the exclusive supplier of the glass. Xiaomi, Honor and OPPO are all considered to be developing foldable phones using UTG.

Samsung 2019 Galaxy Fold originally used a polyimide film, but the screen is prone to folding and creasing the display panel fracture, it’s subsequent (inner) folded smartphones i.e. 2020 Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold 2 both use UTG. The latter performed better under fatigue testing.

The report is consistent with the previous February recommendation that Samsung has been developing foldable OLED panels for OPPO, Xiaomi and Google. Last month, The Elec also reported that Samsung will produce foldable displays for Google and other suppliers in October, indicating that “Pixel Fold” will be released in the fourth quarter of this year.

Documents leaked in August 2020 indicate that Google plans to release a foldable pixel phone in the fourth quarter of 2021. Google confirmed in 2019 that it was developing technology that could be used in foldable devices, although at the time the company downplayed the prospect of actually launching foldable devices, saying it hadn’t seen clear use cases. However, the software developed by Google must run on all Android foldable devices, which gives it a clear advantage in the integration of foldable hardware and software.

Market research company Omdia predicts that foldable OLED sales will reach $2.1 billion this year, an increase of 203% over 2020. It is expected that most of the sales will be realized through the foldable panels produced by Samsung Display. Although Apple seems to have not made a clear decision on whether to launch a foldable smartphone, there have been rumors that Apple has requested samples of the foldable display from Samsung. Used for future iPhone testing.

Samsung has always been an important supplier to Apple, providing OLED screens for the iPhone. The South Korean company clearly intends to dominate the foldable display market as a UTG supplier, although the glass it uses in its current foldable phones is actually made by German manufacturer Schott, and Corning in the United States is also working to Become a UTG player.

As we all know, Apple has been researching foldable display technology for several years and has applied for a number of patents related to this technology, and there are rumors surrounding LG’s potential participation. Samsung’s participation and repeated hints of Apple’s orders provided a more specific suggestion that work on the foldable iPhone is quietly proceeding, and some rumors suggest that it will be released as early as 2023.

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