Fold it and flip: Samsung plans a foldable smartphone that uses the classic ‘clamshell’ design
- South Korean firm, which halted Galaxy Fold’s launch because of screen faults, plans compact device with 6.7-inch screen that folds in middle like a flip phone, reports say
Samsung Electronics – the consumer electronics company which forms part of the Samsung multinational conglomerate – is working on a new foldable smartphone that uses its classic “clamshell” flip-up phone design, according to a news report.
The South Korean company is planning to offer a traditional smartphone design with a large screen – much like those that are used by many people today – which can be folded to become more compact when not in use.
The report, from the South Korean news outlet ET News, said Samsung’s compact foldable smartphone would have a 6.7-inch screen when unfolded and would fold down the middle of the screen, like a flip-up phone.
The new foldable smartphone will be about the size of the Samsung Galaxy S10 5G when unfolded.
There will also be a small, 1-inch display on the outside of the device to show basic information, such as notifications.
Foldable smartphones, such as Samsung's Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s Mate X, offer a somewhat opposite experience. They come with a more-or-less typical smartphone design that can be folded, like a book, to reveal a tablet-sized screen.
Samsung and its Galaxy Fold foldable smartphone have been mired with issues – widely reported in April – that have led to the delay of the phone’s release.