Samsung teases a new take on foldable smartphones

Polycount

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In context: Although foldable phones went out of style many years ago, they've enjoyed a high-tech resurgence of sorts as of late. Phone makers like Samsung and Huawei have already released or plan to release their own flagship devices with folding screens. While these devices have been a bit hit or miss (see the Galaxy Fold debacle), that hasn't stopped the companies from continuing to experiment in this market.

Today, Samsung teased a brand new form factor for folding-screen smartphones, and it's quite interesting (not to mention ambitious). You can see the brief teaser in the video above.

In short, Samsung appears to have put a new spin on the traditional flip phone. Instead of two separate parts connected by a visible hinge, the above video demonstrates a vertically-folding smartphone concept, which is entirely made up of one part. The body of the phone itself appears to be flexible, at least toward the center.

As interesting as the phone looks, there's no guarantee that Samsung will turn this concept into a real smartphone. Even if they do, it might not look or function the same. It's also worth noting that this is not necessarily the only foldable form factor Samsung is considering -- indeed, the company says it plans to explore a "range" of ideas.

However, it's certainly a bold idea, and as Samsung briefly shows in the video, it could have some intriguing use cases. For example, perhaps you could fold the device in half and place it on a flat surface, allowing it to remain stable while you record a video or snap a photo.

We'll keep you updated if Samsung does do something with this idea, but we wouldn't expect to see any finalized products for at least a couple of years.

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I kind of like it but had a friend that brought something to my attention. With my two monitors sitting side by side I now no longer see that "dividing line" in the middle. Having a hinged phone over a folding phone seems to make a lot more sense, is cheaper, and more durable .......
 
I've always been a bit envious of the Galaxy Android folders available in Asia. I'm not sure I would pay a premium for a single contiguous folding display, but I'm certainly glad to see Samsung pushing the technology forward rather than abandoning it.
 
I kind of like it but had a friend that brought something to my attention. With my two monitors sitting side by side I now no longer see that "dividing line" in the middle. Having a hinged phone over a folding phone seems to make a lot more sense, is cheaper, and more durable .......
You're not alone. I think the industry is starting to come around to this idea - 2 separate screens separated by a hinge. Devices like Microsoft's Surface Neo and Duo are expected to be the better way to go.
 
So a Galaxy fold that folds vertically rather than horizontally. That's some amazing innovation by the B team.
 
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