The Galaxy Fold recently went on sale, but at Samsung’s 2019 developers conference, the smartphone giant just released a teaser for its next foldable phone.
While Samsung didn’t reveal anything about its specs, price, or even a possible release date, Samsung’s next bendy gadget features a very different design than the Galaxy Fold. Instead of opening up like a book, this prototype opens up lengthwise, like an old-school flip phone but with a fancy new flexible display.
Attendees of #SDC19 got a sneak peek at a brand new form factor Samsung is exploring for the foldable category of devices. #SamsungEvent pic.twitter.com/rGtpvNj0SJ
— Samsung US Newsroom (@SamsungNewsUS) October 29, 2019
Furthermore, Samsung’s upcoming foldable also looks to be significantly smaller than the Galaxy Fold. And based on the animation, Samsung seems to be opting for portability rather than trying to fit the biggest possible screen in a handheld package. Interestingly, this new foldable looks to have a hole-punch selfie camera embedded in its flexible display, which would be a first for any bendable device.
However, there are still a lot of important questions we need to know about this device. Will it feature a flexible display made out of plastic, or has Samsung figured out a way to use flexible glass in the way that some Galaxy Fold 2 rumours have mentioned? Another important unknown is if Samsung will be able to give this device dust and water resistance—both are things that the Galaxy Fold lacks. And hopefully, this device will cost significantly less than the $2,999 Galaxy Fold, lest it risks being another innovative, but still very niche product.
That said, while this device is clearly part of Samsung’s foldable phone category, I’m not going to call this thing the Galaxy Fold 2 just quite yet. Up until now, Samsung has been very clear that it intends to make a wide range of foldable devices with varying designs, which means this device could be the first gadget in a brand new line.
Also, as someone who just spent a month using the Galaxy Fold, I really hope Samsung doesn’t give up on making a foldable that doubles as both a phone and tablet replacement, as the ability for the Fold to replace multiple devices is its biggest strength.
And if we look outside Samsung’s foldable ecosystem, with Motorola and TCL both working on their own bendy handsets, it’s clear we’ve just barely witnessed the beginning of a brand new segment.