A few months after Huawei unveiled the Mate XT Ultimate Edition, the world’s first tri-fold smartphone, rumour has it that Samsung is working on a similar device.
According to a recent report by the South Korean publication ETNews citing industry sources, Samsung Electronics is working on a smartphone that folds twice, with plans to launch it sometime next year.
However, unlike the Huawei Mate XT Ultimate Edition, Samsung’s upcoming foldable device will fold inwards twice. Compared to Huawei’s outward folding mechanism, which leaves the phone vulnerable to drops and impacts, Samsung’s choice to opt for an inward folding mechanism might make the device more durable.
The report also states that the phone might be tagged as a ‘multifolding’ phone because it folds more than once. It goes on to say that the new foldable form factor will have a screen size of between 9 and 10 inches when unfolded, making it a viable alternative for those looking for a pocketable Samsung tablet.
According to the machine-translated version of the report, multiple sources who are familiar with the matter say that the company’s “partners have also started development projects.” If true, this might be Samsung’s way of differentiating and making a dent in the competition’s foldable phone offerings.
The publication also it expects big changes in Samsung’s upcoming foldable lineup, which is slated to launch in the second quarter of the year.
Rumour also has it that Samsung might not be considering a multi-fold device and instead experiment with a rollable phone concept with a 12.4-inch display, but we will have to wait and see if any of these concepts become a reality.
