Samsung Display has been showing off its foldable display technology for years. The company always finds creative ways to demonstrate how device manufacturers could apply foldable display technology to various form factors, from rollable to dual-folding.
Nevertheless, as exciting as those things can be, they are just tech demos designed to put Samsung's display division in the spotlight rather than revealing any plans the mobile division might have.
In the real world, I don't believe those devices are feasible. By the looks of it, Samsung's mobile arm doesn't either. You should probably not hold your breath waiting for Samsung to create devices with rollable or outer foldable screens.
It may seem like a lack of courage on Samsung's part, but I think otherwise. I believe the company's mobile division is wise not to pursue other designs just yet.
I'm not against technology evolving and changing over time. But I don't think devices equipped with rollable or outer folding screens should exist. Not with the current technology, and not before the display tech makes a giant leap forward — which might not happen anytime soon or in the direction we think.
Outer foldable screens are a recipe for a bad time
We can all agree that the screen is vital to a smartphone, and we all know that foldable screens are not as easy to maintain and protect as regular non-foldable panels. They're also expensive to repair and replace, and it's never fun to deal with such issues.
That's one reason why Samsung designed its Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lineups the way it did and placed the foldable panel on the inside rather than the outside. It's been doing it since 2019, and the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 follow the same design principles — upgraded and refined year after year.
Granted, other manufacturers have tried different things. Huawei made a foldable phone with an outer panel, and LG created a rollable phone that never reached the market but was reportedly sold to employees before the LG mobile division shut down.
But just because it could be done doesn't mean it should be. I don't think Samsung should pursue rollable and Z-shaped foldable devices or any design that has a foldable panel on the outside.
And I don't think people should read too much into patent applications. Or what Samsung Display might showcase at tech events.
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The fact of the matter is that even the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip's cover screens can give you a feeling of unease when you use the inner display and realize you're holding the cover screen in your palm.
It can feel unnatural to handle even a rigid screen in that manner. Replace the rigid outer panel with a foldable one, and you can be sure that the feeling of mild anxiety will get a lot worse.
Samsung's focus on durability is at odds with outlandish form factors
Nowadays, durability and longevity are a major focus for Samsung's mobile division. An outer foldable or rollable screen goes against those core Samsung principles, so I don't think such a design will happen anytime soon, if ever.
The high likelihood that those types of bold foldable and rollable designs may never become a reality could disappoint some. I get it, especially if you got hyped over Samsung Display demos or patent reports and particularly if you want to see new and exciting developments year after year.
But I must say I feel relieved thinking that Samsung's mobile division isn't rushing head-first into unnecessary experimenting. Not when we all have a fairly good understanding of the risks of exposed foldable screens.
Is Samsung's approach to foldable phones boring? I think that's the wrong question to ask. Nobody would like Samsung to throw caution to the wind if it means we'd get unreliable and easy-to-break foldable devices.
Do the Galaxy Z Flip 6 and Z Fold 6 look too similar to their predecessors? Maybe. But maybe that's the way it should be.
