Samsung is yet to release the original Samsung Galaxy Fold after the handset was delayed to address design faults. The original Fold is just entering the pre-order process now and is expected to hit shelves in September. Samsung has, however, been working on its successor for some time now; and three new design patents suggest that the device is close to being finalised.
Our friends at Letsgodigital have uncovered three patents which were applied for very recently- on the 14th august 2019. Some of the patents very closely resemble the current design of the Galaxy Fold, but others show a more matured look, with improvements which address the main weaknesses of the present Galaxy Fold.
This includes a much-reduced notch on the internal screen and a larger and more usable external screen. The current tiny external screen is one of the main turn-offs of the main Galaxy Fold.
In some designs, the notch is also now much more attractively located in the centre of the screen, rather than the top, right-hand corner.
The device is also a lot more square in appearance, resembling a small softcover, rather than a phone when closed. This results in an improved aspect ratio when the device is opened.
The design patent shows the handset to have 6 cameras in total: 3 at the back, 1 in the front, and 2 in the notch.
If Samsung was to release this device within the next 6-12 months, many earlier adopters of the Galaxy Fold may experience buyers remorse. In addition, while the design is improved, it’s still rather far from our dream design for a foldable handset. We suggest Samsung remains at the drawing board until they produce something even better.
Here are the full design patents:
- Design with the notch on the top left
- Design with the notch on the top right
- Design with the horizontal folding line
Source: letsgodigital