Although folding smartphones are still not a mass phenomenon, the reality is that little by little they are gaining followers. One of the leading companies in this segment is samsung, which in addition to giving it the go-ahead with the failed Galaxy Fold (the first), showed at CES 2023 a prototype of a screen and hinge that folds both inwards and outwards. The concept has been dubbed Flex In & Out and allows the hinge to fold the device up to 360 degrees while creating a much less visible crease.
The prototype has been shown by The Verge, which has not provided any concrete information on whether it will be implemented in any product in the near future. The images show that the device that implements it can be folded to 360, so it can be completely closed or opened. This opens the door to protect the screen panel itself and to be able to “convert” the device into something more “traditional”, closer to the smartphones that most of us use, by using only half of the screen.
The prototype Flex In & Out It was photographed next to the Galaxy Z Fold, so it has been possible to verify that the thickness of the device that implements it will be the same or very similar. However, it also shows some movable mechanisms that allow the panel to be folded comfortably without stretching.
Flex In & Out (below) compared to the Galaxy Z Fold (above).
The prototype Flex In & Out is being developed by Samsung Display, a subsidiary of the South Korean giant focused, as its name indicates, on the development of screens. Apart from a greater folding angle without apparently making the panel suffer, we will see what other things it can contribute or improve when it begins to be implemented in devices marketed to the public, although speculation already points to the future Galaxy Z Fold5 as the main candidate.
