Samsung recently gave us a glimpse of the different types of foldable panels that it is working on at the moment, one of which includes a double folding tablet concept. Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot of chatter about a foldable tablet as well, alongside a foldable phone that bends twice. Now, the folks over at LETGODIGITAL (in collaboration with @SarangSheth) have shared concept renders of a double-folding device based on a Samsung patent filed before WIPO that was published in April this year.
Schematic of the double-folding Samsung device in its patent application. (Image: WIPO)
The most notable aspect of the device, you might ask? Well, the asymmetrical approach to folding the screen backward along the vertical axis. And of course, the two hinges that roughly divide the screen real estate of the unfolded device into a ratio of 1:2:1 in its folded state. Looks familiar? Well, that’s because Xiaomi showcased a similar double folding smartphone a while ago, but it is yet to hit the shelves.
Image: LETSGODIGITAL x @SARANGSHETH
Now, what about the identity – phone or tablet? The form factor appears more suitable for a foldable tablet, one that transforms from a full-sized tab to a pocketable mini-tablet. The biggest advantage of this particular dual-hinge approach is that the folding halves of the device overlap only once, ensuring that the thickness is palatable. In the case of the ‘Z’ or ‘S’ folding design, thickness of the device becomes an issue.
The Samsung patent also envisions a cool way to dock the S Pen, which sits between the two folded portions of the device at the back. Also, this is a magnetic implementation, which means the stylus is not just nestled in the gap, but also magnetically attached on the side to make sure that it doesn’t fall off.
Image: LETSGODIGITAL x @SARANGSHETH
This implementation also eliminates the technical challenges associated with drilling a housing slot for a stylus, similar to the Galaxy Note series of phones. So, what is this device called? Galaxy Z Fold Tab or Galaxy Z Tab Fold? Well, we’ll leave that up to the product and marketing teams over at Samsung.
We recently reported about an upcoming double-folding tablet that will employ an upgraded version of the ultra-thin glass (UTG) solution that first appeared on the Galaxy Z Flip. Moreover, the ambitious double-folding Samsung tablet is expected to arrive with the next-gen S Pen in tow.
View Galaxy Tab S7+ at Samsung