Forget teasing, assumptions and leaks. Samsung’s executive wrote a blog post that prepares expectations for a slew of foldable devices that could “push the boundaries of what’s possible” and will launch during Samsung Unpacked on August 10.
In an editorial published late Wednesday (opens in new tab) titled “The Pivotal Moment for Foldable Smartphones Is Here,” Samsung president Dr. TM Roh says that after seeing 10 million foldable smartphones shipped last year ( or 9 million (opens in new tab), depending on who you ask), “we’re getting to the point where foldables are widespread.”
Now Samsung plans to help that spread with new foldable devices — it’s not naming them — that the company will unveil on August 10.
It’s safe to assume that Roh is talking about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4, or at least some iteration of those two foldable Android phone designs. But it’s also possible that Samsung will make a leap or two in terms of names, perhaps adding something like “Ultra” to one of them.
Big changes or big talk
There’s also the possibility, at least based on Roh’s language, that these new devices will push the envelope of foldable design as well. As Roch notes, “This year we’ve made progress in every detail and opened up the new experiences enabled by these behavior-changing devices.”
However, there’s also the chance that the Z Flip, a palm-sized foldable, and the Fold 4, a smartphone that folds out into a small tablet, may merge a bit, with the Z Flip talking up some of the Fold’s productivity features and the Fold 4 getting a bit more of the design of the Z Flip.
Roh wrote: “I can’t wait to show you the potential of our new Samsung Galaxy foldables as the ultimate tool for both productivity and self-expression. Now you can do more than you ever thought possible, all at once, on one device.”
As for what we can expect from a new Galaxy Fold 4, most rumors point to improved screens, more cameras and a redefined hinge. On the front of the Z Flip 4, the changes may be less extreme, although there may be a new camera below the screen.
Roh’s post certainly seems to promise more than that, but it could also be a bit of marketing hype to build excitement for what we suspected was coming all along.
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