Galaxy Unpacked 2023: Samsung’s next Galaxy Fold phone could finally fold flat

Samsung has been the pioneer in the foldable smartphones segment ever since the first Galaxy Fold launched in 2019. Since then, Samsung has had a yearly iteration on the Galaxy Fold every summer. And every new model has consistently improved on the design and specifications. However, one aspect of all Galaxy Z Fold smartphone that still needs more work is the hinge.

Though the brand has come a long way from the dust-attracting hinge on the Galaxy Fold 1, it still sticks out a little and doesn’t let the phone fold perfectly flat. But that is set to change with the upcoming Samsung foldable devices, which will be unveiled at the Unpacked launch event later this week.

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Samsung India recently took to social media to share teasers around its two upcoming smartphones. The teasers show the phones in their folded form, and a big change visible in the videos is that the two halves of the display come together perfectly flat when folded, leaving a nice, slim, leveled avatar.

Why is flat-fold important?

One common issue with the entire series has been a gap in between the two halves of the foldable smartphones when folded. This gap is present on all the Galaxy Fold smartphones and is one of the reasons the devices cannot sit truly flat on a desk. The gap is also infamous for allowing dust and other potentially damaging particles to get inside the device when in a folded state.

Despite the hinge on foldable Galaxy smartphones getting more compact over the years, the teardrop design of the screen (which prevents a major crease on the internal display) is one of the reasons Samsung has not been able to close down the gap.

This has also led other manufacturers to take different approaches, like the Huawei Mate X sporting a foldable screen on the outside, and the Oppo X concept phone featuring a rollable display that comes undone like a scroll when opened.

What to expect from the new Samsung smartphones?

While it will be interesting to see how Samsung manages to fold its screen-halves flat without causing a visible crease on the inner display, it is also not the only major change coming to the hinge. Rumours suggest the new hinge will also be the first waterproof hinge in the series.

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It remains to be seen if the design can solve the Galaxy Fold’s dust woes. The latest in the series so far, the Galaxy Fold 4, still comes with an IPX8 rating, which means while it is resistant against water (to an extent), it features no protection against dust, which can still get into the hinge and ruin the phone over time. This remains a big concern in markets like India, where dust is a prevalent issue.

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip smartphones are expected to launch later this week during the Galaxy Unpacked 2023 launch event. Along with the phones, rumours also hint at announcements of new tablets and earbuds. The Galaxy Unpacked launch event is set to kick off at 4:30PM IST on July 26.