Samsung is rethinking the display engineering for the Galaxy Z Fold 5, allowing it to offer a foldable screen experience with a minimal crease visible across the display. The brand, despite pioneering the foldable phone trend, has struggled with multiple screen-related issues over the years. The first-gen Galaxy Fold had way too many fragility issues, while the subsequent iterations had a crease that is clearly visible to the naked eye, despite making positive strides toward the durability aspect.
The next foldable phone to roll off Samsung’s assembly lines will apparently get rid of the crease problem to a large extent. According to Korean blog Naver, Samsung is experimenting with a “waterdrop” or "droplet" style design for the display and the hinge areas. The idea here is that when the device is folded, the foldable panel forms a droplet-like structure and squeezes between the moving hinge parts attached to each half of the device. In doing so, Samsung’s engineers have reportedly managed to minimize the crease, which is currently both visible and easily noticeable when grazing the fingers across the screen.
Addressing Two Woes In One Go
Tipster Ice Universe also claims that the droplet hinge design has been locked for the Galaxy Fold 5, which is slated for release in the Fall. Samsung is internally calling it the “dumbbell” approach. So far, Samsung has had to make a hard choice between aesthetics and durability. Take for example the Galaxy Z Fold 4, which offers IPX8 dust and water resistance, but at the cost of a wedge design so that there is little to no gap underneath the foldable panel. As per the fresh leaks, Samsung has cracked the code for durability while also rethinking the hinge mechanism to reduce the crease.
Now, using a droplet hinge mechanism isn’t an alien concept. Xiaomi’s Mix Fold already relies on a droplet hinge mechanism that forms a small droplet shape nestled between two halves of the phone when it is closed shut. The larger the radius, the smaller the stress on the foldable panel, making the crease less discernible. Oppo relies on a slightly different design, but there is virtually no crease to be seen on its Find N series foldable phones. Samsung appears to be chasing the same moonshot, but the droplet hinge system could also herald another benefit.
So far, each Samsung foldable has had a visible gap between the two halves, forming a V-shaped slit. The likes of Xiaomi and Oppo offer a gap-less design on their folding phones. Even Motorola delivered a clean look on the Razr foldable with a neat display tucking trick. With a droplet hinge system coming to the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung can very well aim for a gap-less design and deliver the most refined hardware experience it has ever offered on a foldable phone.
Source: Naver, Ice Universe/Twitter