Samsung's next foldable smartphone will be a clamshell

29 October 2019
Remember flip phones? Samsung does.

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Rosa, 30 Oct 2019Says who? I don't need a brick in my pocket... this is the ... moreI don't think so and a design like that will fail! Believe me...

    • J
    • Jazz
    • m7d
    • 30 Oct 2019

    Yousef1, 30 Oct 2019That doesn't make sense and it will not be useful! We need ... moreWholeheartedly disagree. a 5.5-6" screen is perfect for me for a phone. The value add of a foldable for me will be one that makes the device even smaller in my pocket when I'm not using it. I have zero interest in a 20mm thick phone that can turn into a tablet.

      That is certainly more practical than the Galaxy Fold. I'm glad more OEMs are considering that design.

      The RAZR one is right around the corner, and I'm certainly interested to learn more about it.

        • R
        • Rosa
        • MA1
        • 30 Oct 2019

        Yousef1, 30 Oct 2019That doesn't make sense and it will not be useful! We need ... moreSays who? I don't need a brick in my pocket... this is the way to go!

          • ?
          • Anonymous
          • mJs
          • 30 Oct 2019

          YES! Finally a good design. May be that some want 8" phones. I dont even want 6,4" but IF, then make it foldable!

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • MkE
            • 30 Oct 2019

            Kudos for Lenovo / Motorola for beeing the first ones to unveil this concept!

              • L
              • Luxor
              • IWb
              • 30 Oct 2019

              *Eat popcorn
              Let's read all the hate comments. Oh, boy. This feels exactly like when Samsung launch the first Galaxy Note. Hahaha. We all know how it going to end up ;-)

                • F
                • FarFan
                • gqc
                • 30 Oct 2019

                Once joking about notch they became kings of notches and cutouts. This dots in the middle of the screen make me sick

                  This is a square folding-out into a rectangle.
                  It's smarter to have a rectangle folding-out to a square.

                  The hypothetical differences are:
                  A) Basically an Undersized Tablet (8:9, 3.9in, 66 x 74mm) or (11:9, 4.6in, 87 x 74mm)
                  Unfolding into an Oversized Phone (16:9, 5.9in, 132 x 74mm) or (21:9, 7.4in, 173 x 74mm).

                  B) Versus an Oversized Phone (16:9, 5.9in, 132 x 74mm) or (21:9, 7.4in, 173 x 74 mm)
                  Unfolding into Undersized Tablet (16:18, 7.8in, 132 x 148mm) or (21:18, 8.9in, 173 x 148mm)

                  Remember the limitations (thickness, width and length) of pocket sizes:
                  https://pudding.cool/2018/08/pockets/

                  On another note, this is an inward folding device. It protects the display.
                  It's smarter to have an outward folding device. Direct access to screen and softer hinge/crease angle.

                  This "Samsung Galaxy Fold 11" has the gimmick of inciting flip-phone nostalgia.
                  Whereas the "Huawei Mate X Fold" has the feature of a more practical form-factor.

                  PS: I think foldable designs are naturally going to be very fragile. They require a more advanced technology to make the body, but more importantly the screen durable. So without that technology, it's pointless to mass-produce foldable phones. And with that technology, it nullifies the drawback of an outward-folding design. So from a practicality standpoint, it's clear to me which one of these designs is actually the better engineered one.

                    • d
                    • dfv
                    • TSN
                    • 30 Oct 2019

                    bad form factor, i like a folded form factor of long, slim and thin kinda like a broad pencil NOT like a soap form.

                      • b
                      • b0d0
                      • 0Uf
                      • 30 Oct 2019

                      Best way to do a foldable!

                        That doesn't make sense and it will not be useful! We need foldable phone to get big display like a tablet! That's what make foldable phone useful not clamshell design!!

                          • ?
                          • Anonymous
                          • KiQ
                          • 30 Oct 2019

                          This I dont mind. will wait till more affordable makers get to it tho

                            • D
                            • AnonD-762416
                            • m2A
                            • 30 Oct 2019

                            Anonymous, 30 Oct 2019As someone who's been supporting the Fold since the beginni... moreThe problem with a phablet sized phone is that it can't get any bigger and still fit in a pocket. Folding it solves that, which is why this is a smart solution.

                              Let's imagine for a second, a foldable clamshell which has such screens on both front and back.

                              1-fold out, it's a clamshell, good for calls.

                              2-fold out, it's a tablet for multimedia consumption.

                              Awfully long shot though, with tons of R&D and skyrocketing prices if it did happen in next 5 years. But that seems to be the unbeatable USP of folding phones.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • uJD
                                • 30 Oct 2019

                                The issue is with the hinge of the phone, where the display folds.

                                Normal flip phones are designed to flip easily and multiple times without suffering any damage or issues.

                                If you have ever go for the Samsung Fold Experience, and get to hold and use the phone, you will discover the folding is very stiff. Requires 2 hands to fold open, and when closing, you can feel the magnet slam shut.. feeling something might break soon.

                                Its ok for Samsung Fold, because its main purpose is to transit from a mobile phone to a tablet.

                                But a flip phone need to be able to open with one hand IMO. (Fling backwards, and it opens, and fling inwards to close, with a style :).. and not stiff like a rock. If Samsung can do that, then fine.. if its like the fold.. its a crap.

                                  Anonymous, 30 Oct 2019As someone who's been supporting the Fold since the beginni... more100% true.... this clamshell is just useless and pointless



                                    • ?
                                    • Anonymous
                                    • Qch
                                    • 30 Oct 2019

                                    As someone who's been supporting the Fold since the beginning, this clamshell makes no sense. People were complaining about the cover screen on the Fold being too small (and it is), but this clamshell takes the cake. Unfolded, it's too big as a phone. Folded, it's useless. At least both configurations for the Fold each serve a purpose, but the clamshell dimensions satisfy none of the reasons why foldables are supposed to be a thing.

                                      • ?
                                      • Anonymous
                                      • LGL
                                      • 30 Oct 2019

                                      21x9isthedestination, 30 Oct 201921:9 seem very well for the smartphone design, it way longe... more21:9 is the most obvious aspect ratio for these clamshell phones (duh)

                                        I'm hoping the Motorola RAZR (2019) looks incredible once unveiled on November 15. Flip phones / clamshells renaissance in the next decade.