Samsung to launch 3 kinds of foldable smartphones in 2021
According to UBI Research
Samsung Electronics will launch three kinds of foldable smartphone models next year, according to OLED research firm UBI Research.
Samsung Display was preparing three types of foldable OLED panels, the research firm said, which indicates three foldable smartphone models.
These will likely be the Galaxy Z Flip 2, Galaxy Z Fold 3 and a new Galaxy Z Fold Lite. All three models will use ultra-thin glass as cover windows.
Galaxy Z Flip 2 will have a 6.7-inch internal screen and a 3-inch external screen. The internal screen size is same as the first Galaxy Z Flip launched earlier this year. But the external screen size has increased from the 1.1-inch of the original Flip. There is no change to the hole-display design, UBI Research said.
Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have a 7-inch range internal screen and a 4-inch range external screen, the research firm predicts. The external screen is smaller than that of the Galaxy Z Fold 2’s 6.2 inches.
But Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have an under panel camera and offer stylus support. The screen will also have low-temperature polycrystalline oxide (LPTO) thin-film transistors (TFT) applied for better power-efficiency in the screen.
The new Galaxy Z Fold Lite will be the budget model of Galaxy Z Fold 3. This model will also have a 7-inch range internal screen and a 4-inch range external screen.
Galaxy Z Fold Lite will launch in the first quarter of 2021; Galaxy Z Flip 2 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 will launch in the third quarter of 2021, UBI Research said. All three phones will use the in-folding method.
To apply stylus to Galaxy Z Fold 3, Samsung Display was researching ultra-thin glasses with thickness of 60 or 100 micrometers. This is thicker than the glasses used for foldable smartphones this year that had thickness of 30 micrometers. 30 micrometers allows for the glass to be more flexible but cannot withstand the pressure from a pen point without leaving a mark.
60 micrometers or thicker glasses can withstand this pressure but is less flexible. Samsung Display is collaborating with LPKF of Germany to make the area of the screen that is folded more flexible.