Samsung’s next foldable phone could really look like a Z

Samsung is said to be developing a new style of foldable phone, which this time really takes the shape of the letter Z. While Samsung had chosen this name for this series, no device has yet been released with this format.

A newly discovered patent reveals that Samsung is actively working on a foldable phone with three hinged sections, allowing the device to be bent in a “Z” shape. As can be seen from the patent below, the smartphone uses two different hinges, while the current Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip only use one.

This allows the main screen to fold twice rather than once. This design is interesting, because it would allow for example to do without an external screen, since part of the main screen would still be visible once the smartphone is folded. Samsung would therefore save money on this side, but the main screen will probably make the device more expensive than all current foldable smartphones.

Also read – Could the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 have a screen that folds both ways?

Samsung is preparing a brand new format for the Samsung Z Fold

It’s been a few years now since Samsung Display introduced screens that fold in three parts. At the beginning of the year, at CES 2023, Samsung again presented such a screen, and even a panel that could both stretch and bend.

This tri-fold Galaxy is unlikely to replace the current Galaxy Fold. It will probably bea third option in the Korean manufacturer’s line of folding smartphones. It now remains to be seen when Samsung might bring such a device to market. The company has yet to introduce any of the concepts we’ve seen in recent years on the market, and is sticking to its clamshell and book-style foldable phones for now.

The triple-folding design sounds interesting, but not sure if it’s useful for most people. It might be a useful tool for some professionals, but it might not be enough to compete with the upcoming foldable iPhone that Apple is preparing.