>
We would always expect smartphones to get better year on year, but if the latest rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 are to be believed, the foldable handset will bring a major improvement in terms of design.
That reports the South Korean outlet Naver (opens in new tab) (through SamMobile (opens in new tab)), Samsung is going to use a drop-shaped hinge in the Galaxy Z Fold 5, which means the device can be folded completely flat, with no gaps between the two halves of the screen.
Several handsets from Chinese manufacturers are already using this design approach for their foldable devices, but at the cost of full water resistance. However, Samsung is apparently going to add the new hinge shape while maintaining an IPX8 rating for the phone.
Even more sustainable
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 is a great foldable phone, and we wouldn’t say it has durability issues, but a waterdrop hinge means less pressure on the screen fold, and that should mean the reliability of the device goes up again.
We’ve seen steady improvements in foldable phone technology over the years, and these devices are now way ahead of where they were in the early days – and that makes them more appealing to consumers.
The report says Samsung has had a patent on a hinge of this type since 2016. It’s not clear exactly why it hasn’t been implemented sooner, but it could have something to do with perfecting the technology or making it cheap enough to implement.
Analysis: improved sustainability means more competitors
The first Galaxy Fold made its debut in 2019 and since then folding phone technology has improved significantly. Later in 2023, we’ll get the fifth incarnation of the device, alongside (most likely) the successor to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4.
As reliability and manufacturing processes improve, that will bring more phone manufacturers to market. At the moment, it’s really only Samsung and the Chinese tech companies that produce foldable products for consumers.
The next big foldable phone launch we see could be for the Google Pixel Fold: it could be here as early as May 2023. There are also rumors of a foldable iPhone, but we may be waiting until 2024 or 2025 for that particular device to appear. .
No matter what the other manufacturers do, Samsung will always be ahead of them, and it hopes that’s enough to give the Z Fold and the Z Flip series an edge in what will be an increasingly competitive market.