Samsung is doubling down on its efforts to make smartphones with a folding display a thing.
During Samsung’s annual developers conference this morning, the company unveiled a new folding phone concept that’s drastically different than the Galaxy Fold. Instead of folding from a regular-sized smartphone into a tablet, the new concept folds into a clamshell, kind of like a futuristic version of Motorola’s Razr phone.
Take a look:
Pioneering foldable technology, to open up innovative user experiences. #SDC19 #SamsungEvent Learn more: https://t.co/DiQbEBKh4H pic.twitter.com/NQ6mHXTLo2
— Samsung Mobile (@SamsungMobile) October 29, 2019
Samsung’s head of R&D, Hyesoon Jeong, explained that the goal is to use foldable screen technology to create more compact form factors. The company also hopes it will make your phone more useful too.
“This brand-new form factor that we’re now exploring will not only easily fit in your pocket, but it also changes the way you use your phone,” said Hyesoon Jeong at the event.
Details on when we can expect the clamshell foldable weren’t given during the conference. Instead, Samsung used the opportunity to talk about its One UI efforts on Android. Samsung will release One UI 2 with Android 10 support in the coming months with baked-in support for phones that fold into clamshells or fold out into tablet-sized devices.
After suffering an embarrassing launch with the Galaxy Fold, Samsung will hopefully wait until the folding clamshell is actually ready for the market before unveiling it. Other companies are working on similar ideas. Motorola is supposedly planning to launch an updated Razr phone with a folding display. Sharp teased its own clamshell phone this year too.
