In conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting being held in Gyeongju, South Korea, Samsung unveiled its long-rumoredTri-fold mobile phoneThe actual appearance of the prototype.
Samsung set up a special transparent LED screen display cabinet at the scene, which displayed the new tri-fold phone in the folded and fully unfolded states. According to the animation played on the screen, it was confirmed that the device adopted the previously rumored G-shaped inward folding structure, which is the only tri-fold phone currently in mass production on the market.Huawei Mate XTThe Z-folding scheme used is different.
G-shaped inward folding screen, 10-inch screen, hole-punch camera
Judging from the models on display, this prototype design of a three-fold phone has the following features:
• G-shaped inner fold:Both hinges fold inwards.
• About 10-inch internal screen:When fully unfolded, it reaches the size of a tablet.
• The crease is not obvious:Reports say the folding of the inner screen is well controlled.
• Hole-punch selfie camera:Similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it does not use under-screen camera technology.
Usage type: Only two modes: "Mobile" and "Tablet"
Combined with the animation previously exposed in the One UI 8 system, Samsung's G-shaped inward folding design, where the "outer screen" is located in the middle screen when fully unfolded, means that users mainly switch between two modes:
• Fully folded:Use a regular phone-sized external screen.
• Fully expanded:Use a tablet-sized internal screen of approximately 10 inches.
This is significantly different from the Huawei Mate XT's Z-shaped folding structure. The Mate XT's design utilizes one-third of the inner screen to double as part of the outer screen, allowing for three different usage modes: a regular phone (fully folded), a double-folding, square-shaped display (unfolded), and a tablet (fully unfolded). Samsung's G-shaped design is relatively simple, with only two main display modes: "fully open" or "fully closed."
Release and launch schedule: Targeting the APEC CEO Summit? Limited release in November?
Although this is only a prototype display, it is widely speculated that Samsung may choose to officially release this tri-fold phone during the APEC CEO Summit later this week.
As for the release schedule, rumors suggest that the device may be released in limited quantities in a few specific regions in November to test the market. Previous reports suggested Samsung might choose to release the phone in South Korea and China, but subsequent news suggests Samsung may choose to release it in more regions, potentially including Taiwan.
