Samsung has two new foldable phones on the market in the form of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 – but it would seem there are even more form factors on the way, according to Samsung exec Chung Yi.
Speaking at the the iMid 2024 conference (via PhoneArena), Yi said that “various form factor products, such as double-folding multi-foldables and rollables” are currently in development at Samsung.
While no timetable was put on the launch of these devices, considering Samsung has been pioneering the foldable phone form factor, it’s likely that it’s also going to be one of the first to market with these other designs too.
However, it would seem that Huawei will be the first to release a double-foldable (or triple-foldable, depending on whether you count the hinges or the screen panels): it has a handset that’s apparently coming out next month.
A long time coming
This news will actually be no surprise to seasoned Samsung followers, not least because the company has a strong history of trying innovations and ideas before they become adopted by the mainstream – foldable phones being one example.
We’ve already seen rollable displays demoed by Samsung Display, so we know the tech is in development. The question is how quickly it can be got ready for mass production at a price that isn’t going to be exorbitant.
Previous rumors have suggested we might see a rollable phone as early as 2025, and while that might seem a bit optimistic as we approach the last third of 2024, these displays have now been in the works for several years.
Meanwhile, some other phone makers are still yet to commit to the idea of foldables. While rumors of a folding iPhone continue to appear now and again, it doesn’t look as though Apple will move away from the standard phone form factor for a while yet.
