Samsung has put a considerable distance between itself and other manufacturers when it comes to foldable, the foldable devices where it is currently the undisputed market leader with its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip range arrived this year, respectively in the third and second generation.
For the next year, the intentions of the Korean company are not only to consolidate its position but also to increase the gap with respect to its direct competitors. As reported in the days by The Elec, Samsung plans to produce about 10 million new generation folding, including 2.9 million Z Fold 4 and 6.9 million Z Flip 4. In relation to its entire smartphone production, that would be an ambitious 20%.
The current form factors of the Fold and Flip, however, may not be the only ones we will see in 2022. Up to now, in fact, we have had evidence of other types of designs that Samsung would be testing. Among these, there would be a rollable with a panel that rolls up on a sliding body, similar to that LG device which, although arrived in a final phase of development, was put aside as a consequence of the abandonment of the smartphone sector by part of the company.
But in addition to the rollable, there could also be an additional form factor in the program. Already in 2019, Samsung filed a patent for a device similar to the Galaxy Fold but with a hinge positioned horizontally, rather than vertically. A solution that could be reminiscent of Microsoft’s Surface Duo which, however, has two screens side by side.
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Samsung’s patent, albeit with some differences, has in the meantime been approved and published by the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO), along with another variant always based on this design. Compared to the initial patent, the flexible screen does not have a “notch” but a dual camera.
Once opened, the device shows many similarities to the Galaxy Folds with the difference of a much larger visual surface. The variant involves the use of cameras under the display, a solution is already seen on the Galaxy Z Fold 3 . When closed, the external display is square in shape and there is another camera.
On the back, however, there is a photographic compartment developed vertically, with three sensors. Obviously, a patent does not imply that a similar product will actually arrive on the market, but it is still interesting to know that Samsung is still thinking about further development of its folding devices.