A recent rumor suggests that Samsung will soon launch the world’s first triple smartphone, aiming to take on Chinese rival Huawei.
To provide a little backstory, last November notable industry insider Ross Young on X (the platform formerly known as Twitter) claimed that Huawei was working on a triple foldable phone. The launch was supposed to take place in late 2023, but for whatever reason (presumably development issues) it was postponed until this year. Now we have another insider known as Revegnus on Xstating that not only will Huawei’s device be released in the second quarter of 2024, but Samsung will release its hardware at an earlier date.
What’s kind of crazy is that the second quarter of a given year starts on April 1. This means that at the time of this writing, Samsung has about a month and a half to launch its triple foldable phone or it will miss its self-imposed deadline. . Revegnus goes on to say that “from Samsung’s perspective” the company cannot afford to miss out on the title of “world’s first.”
Experimental technology
Is Samsung capable of releasing a triple foldable phone? Maybe. The tech giant has experimented with the technology before. Back during CES 2022, they demonstrated several triple concept devices, most notably the Flex S. It is a multi-hinged smartphone that folds and unfolds into the shape of the letter “S”. This configuration also seems to be what Huawei uses for its hardware. Online reports from early February showing Huawei’s phone opening and closing in a similar “S” shape.
My next phone is definitely the Samsung Triple FoldImagine chart on this bad boi pic.twitter.com/IXIFenaivpNovember 30, 2021
It is not known exactly how such a display will work. Tom’s guide his report talks about a recently discovered Samsung patent that shows their phone will have “sensors in the hinges.” These components ensure that it is aware of the status of the display at all times, ensuring that the content only appears on screens “in active use”.
Analysis: It pays to be first
Returning to Tom’s Guide, they raise an interesting point about how triple mobile devices could have a major impact on the smartphone industry.
Huawei is a huge brand in much of the world. Releasing a three-folding first would give the company a huge leg up on the competition by creating an entirely new hardware standard that others will quickly copy. However, Huawei’s global reach is limited by the fact that the company does not have a sales ban in one of the world’s largest markets: the United States. Samsung, on the other hand, is not bound. So even if it fails to be “world’s first,” the tech giant could instead choose to be first in the US, effectively becoming the new standard.
No word on when the next Galaxy Unpacked event will be. Tradition dictates that the next one will be in the summer; sometime “between June and August,” well within the second quarter of 2024. Nothing is planned for late February or March. However, things can always change at the last minute. And on that note, make sure you take this information with a grain of salt, because even the best insiders are wrong sometimes.
Check out Ny Breaking’s list of the best foldable phones for 2024 if you feel like upgrading.