Lanh Nguyen / Android Authority
TL;DR
- Samsung is working on its first double-folding phone, which is expected to be released in 2025.
- When unfolded, this double-folding phone will have a display diagonal measuring up to 10 inches, similar to what you get on tablets.
- The double-folding phone is also expected to have an inward folding design, different from the in-out design of the HUAWEI Mate XT.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition is the best foldable Samsung has ever released. Even though only a few people can buy it, it’s a testament to the South Korean company’s ability to innovate in the foldable space. Samsung could jump on the innovation bandwagon once again next year as it seeks to launch its double-folding phone.
A report from ET News, citing unnamed industry sources, suggests that Samsung could release a double-folding smartphone next year, marking a new form factor innovation for the company. It has begun development work on the product, and its design and “release model” are said to be finalized by the end of this month.
As mentioned, this new foldable is said to have a double-folding screen, similar to what we see on the HUAWEI Mate XT. The form factor is erroneously often called a “tri-fold,” even though there are only two folding hinges.
Samsung’s double-folding phone is expected to be different from HUAWEI’s as it is expected to be an “infolding” design, though the report also mentions that the phone is being called a “multifolding” phone because it “folds more than twice.” This foldable is expected to have a screen size of around 9-10 inches when unfolded, making it closer in size to a tablet like the Galaxy Tab S9 than a conventional phone. When folded, it is expected to be similar to a regular smartphone.
Samsung’s entry into the double-folding market is being interpreted as a means to differentiate its product and discover new demand. All the while, competition in the foldable space keeps intensifying. There are now plenty of better competitors to the Galaxy Z Fold 6, to the point that only the South Korea-exclusive Galaxy Z Fold 6 Special Edition feels any special now. With Apple’s expected entry in the foldable space soon, the competition will only get hotter, so Samsung needs to start moving again to maintain its foldable lead.
With this double-folding foldable and the Special Edition foldable alongside the regular Fold and Flip, Samsung could have the world’s most diverse foldable smartphone lineup in the coming year.
