Samsung Shows Off its Next-Gen Foldable Screen Tech Ahead of New Galaxy Fold Debut

Although Samsung isn’t yet showing off its next-generation Galaxy foldable device — although the South Korean tech giant is teasing it on social media — the company is sharing new details about a crucial technology in any folding phone, its folding display.

“Built on seven generations of foldable innovation and engineering expertise, the redesigned display structure delivers a more refined viewing experience with reliable durability and reduced crease visibility,” Samsung explains in a news release.

“Made possible thanks to Samsung’s accumulated display know-how, Flex Titanium technology integrates two titanium-based components — a titanium-alloy film and a titanium plate — working together to balance slimness, flexibility, and strength within the foldable display structure.”

As Samsung shows, its next-generation folding display has five layers. At the very bottom is a thin titanium plate, covered by an even thinner titanium-alloy film. Then there’s the OLED panel, its ultra-thin glass cover, and then the protective layer featured on all modern folding screens.

Samsung

Smartphone manufacturers, including Samsung, are regularly balancing competing interests. On the one hand, companies want to make their new phones as powerful as possible, which means larger components, bigger batteries, and thicker camera systems. On the other hand, companies want to keep their phones thin and lightweight. These challenges are all the more significant with foldable phones, and companies have had varying success balancing thinness against performance.

Samsung’s new next-generation foldable display hopes to tick all the right boxes while delivering an improved overall display experience with a less visible crease and improved durability. These are both significant concerns with any foldable phone, as a highly visible crease is distracting, and these devices need to withstand thousands upon thousands of folding and unfolding motions without issue.

“Samsung’s strength in the foldable category comes from connecting user needs with technologies that deliver tangible benefits in everyday life,” says Sunghoon Moon, EVP and Senior Executive, Mobile R&D Office — H/W, Samsung Electronics. “For the next generation of Galaxy foldables, Samsung is building on years of expertise to bring display innovations into devices that enhance user experiences, anchored by exceptional viewing.”

No stranger to advanced display technologies, Samsung has been at the forefront of numerous display innovations, including AMOLED nearly 20 years ago and flexible panels.

Samsung’s latest teaser shows users won’t have to wait long to see Samsung’s next-generation foldable display, as the company is announcing something on July 22. Samsung says, “A new shape unfolds.” The eighth-generation Galaxy foldable smartphone is just around the corner.

The company says it has received a lot of feedback about its first seven generations of the Galaxy ZFold, including that customers want a bigger, more immersive viewing experience with a less visible crease, all without sacrificing thinness or durability.

“To meet these expectations, Samsung had to rethink how foldable displays are constructed by bringing together breakthroughs in technology, materials, and mechanical engineering. The result is the latest milestone in foldable display innovation: Flex Titanium technology,” Samsung says.

Titanium was the key ingredient, Samsung claims. The company says that titanium enabled a stronger, thinner display structure. However, titanium’s strength was also a challenge, as it can be hard to make flexible enough for a foldable screen. That’s where the titanium-alloy film comes in.

“Compared with polymer film, it provides 20 times greater mechanical stiffness. A precision rolling process makes the material exceptionally thin — measuring roughly one-third the thickness of an average human hair — enabling a slimmer display panel,” Samsung explains.

As for the display itself, Samsung is keeping its cards close to the vest. That said, Samsung promises it will be “ultra-vivid,” high-resolution, and use less power to operate.

Samsung will unveil its next-generation Galaxy foldable device on July 22 at 9 AM EDT.

Image creditsSamsung