If you thought the Galaxy Fold’s initial woes would stop Samsung from continuing to make bendy screens, you’d be wrong. At the Samsung Developer Conference today, the company teased a new device that folds more like the clamshell phones of olds.
It’s an intriguing form factor – one that’s already alleged to show up in the rumored Motorola RAZR phone next month. By folding vertically rather than horizontally, the device is able to maintain a more typical smartphone size and aspect ratio when open. This should make the device more familiar to use and provide a more comfortable aspect ratio for watching movies. But once folded, it takes up a smaller footprint.
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
It seems like it could provide a good compromise between the Galaxy Fold’s productivity and a traditional phone’s comfort and familiarity, though Samsung teased some new functionality too, such as folding the phone halfway to prop the camera up during a stream. Because the screen appears to be smaller than the normal Galaxy Fold’s, it could come at a lower price point too.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
Unfortunately, Samsung didn’t do much else beyond teasing. There’s no word on when we’ll hear more about the device, or even confirmation on whether it’ll ever come to fruition; Samsung says it’s ‘exploring’ new form factors. Still, considering the company was encouraging developers to make their apps ready for the new folding mechanism, I wouldn’t be surprised to see it pop up in the next year or two.
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.