Samsung reportedly working on improvements for Galaxy Fold screen crease, two other devices

Ben Schoon | Mar 6 2019 - 7:11 am PT

Folding smartphones just hit the market in these past few weeks, and already it seems Samsung has more in the pipeline. According to a new report, Samsung is working on two other folding designs to debut after the Galaxy Fold goes on sale, as well as working on durability concerns for that first device.

Bloomberg reports this week that Samsung has two other folding smartphone designs coming to help “seize an early lead” in the new market. Samsung has not made a comment on the report, but apparently, the new designs won’t be the same as the Galaxy Fold.

Samsung’s new designs reportedly include one that folds outward to compete with the Huawei Mate X. As expected, the device will also be thinner than the Galaxy Fold and have no extra display. The report also mentions that Samsung may implement an in-display fingerprint sensor on that device.

Further, Samsung is also working on a device that folds vertically like an old flip phone. This device may have an outer display, but that apparently depends on how users react to the Galaxy Fold’s outer display. Notably, Lenovo is apparently working on a device that folds like this as well.

Bloomberg’s report also mentions that Samsung is working on some durability improvements for its Galaxy Fold. This includes eliminating the crease that appears after the device is folded around 10,000 times. The company may offer free screen replacements. Apparently, this durability issue is why the Galaxy Fold hasn’t been available for hands-on experiences yet.

The Galaxy Fold’s screen imperfection develops on a protective film covering the touch sensor bonded with the display underneath, the person said. That’s one reason why Samsung kept the phone inside a glass case at MWC in Barcelona last month, the person said.