Folds in both directions.
At this year’s CES, Samsung Display showed off some striking display ideas, including one that can both bend and slide(Opens in a new tab) inside and outside.
An interesting innovation that somehow fell through the cracks (and has now been unearthed by The Verge(Opens in a new tab)) is a new version of Samsung Display’s Flex-In-N-Out display. It is a foldable screen with a new type of hinge that allows the user to fold it both inwards and outwards.
Samsung Display Korean Newsroom Says(Opens in a new tab) that the screen folds and unfolds 360 degrees, “maximizing user comfort”, with an aspect ratio that can be changed depending on what you’re viewing on the screen.
The Verge has a few more details about the hinge that makes this screen work. According to the point of sale, the hinge is different from that used in the first version(Opens in a new tab) of the Flex In-N-Out display introduced in 2021. It adopts a teardrop-shaped design that puts less pressure on the screen and significantly reduces the crease seen on Samsung’s previous foldable phones, such as the Galaxy Z Fold 4. It also folds flatter than currently available foldable phones from Samsung.
Notably, a recent report claims that Samsung will use this type of hinge in its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 5 device. This could mean that not only will this new foldable phone have a less noticeable crease, but it could also bend in both directions.
This takes us back to the very first foldable smartphone designs we’ve seen. In 2019, Samsung’s first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, had a screen that folds inwards. Huawei’s first model, the Huawei Mate X, which hit stores later that year, had a screen that folds outward, sparking debate over the best approach. In the end, we might just get the best of both worlds.
