When Samsung Electronics revealed its first prototype of a flexible display back in 2011, few people realized they were witnessing a glimpse into the mobile industry’s future. Now, a decade later, Samsung has shipped 4 times more foldable devices in 2021 than in 2020, exceeding the three-fold market growth that analysts expected.¹

Consumer enthusiasm for Samsung foldables is exemplified by the success of the Galaxy Z series. In the first month since launch, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 exceeded total accumulative sales of Samsung foldable devices in 2020.

With foldable smartphone shipments predicted to grow tenfold by 2023,² let’s take a look at the key moments, top innovations and important partnerships that have helped make foldable devices the next big thing.

Bringing Foldables to Consumers Around the World

Samsung may have first introduced the concept of foldable displays in 2011, but it would take over a decade to bring foldable devices to consumers around the world.

The next major milestone came in 2019, when Samsung finally brought its foldable vision to reality with the Galaxy Fold, its first foldable device. Soon after that came the Galaxy Z Flip. A sleek clamshell design – a throwback to flip phones of yore – made the Galaxy Z Flip an instant icon.

After a decade of progress and three generations of innovation, the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 brought enhanced durability and an improved user experience to foldables. Not only have they set a new standard in the industry, but they rekindled consumer interest in smartphones in general.

Innovations Behind the Technology

From creating new materials and methods to overcoming mechanical challenges, creating the foldable category required Samsung to reimagine the smartphone from the inside out.

From the onset, Samsung engineers understood that the key to creating a new category would be inventing a range of new technologies to ensure the devices would meet the expectations of global consumers.

The Infinity Flex Display and Samsung UTG, for example, enabled the world’s first folding glass display. While its screen may be a continuous piece of glass, a foldable’s body features two distinct components. This unique structure meant that in order to maintain a design slim enough for daily use, engineers would have to completely rethink the placement of internal components. That challenge included designing a new internal cooling system as well as a dual-battery system with technology that optimizes multiple power sources as one.

To ensure that the devices would be capable of withstanding hundreds of thousands of folds, a Hideaway Hinge mechanism was designed with Sweeper technology to help keep out dust and dirt particles. The hinge also added a new layer of functionality to Samsung foldables, allowing them to stand on their own, which makes them perfect for watching content, making video calls, or taking hands-free selfies.

Samsung’s dedication to creating new foldable innovations enabled it to achieve yet another major milestone in 2021 with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 – the first foldables to receive an IPX8 water resistance rating.

But the features that set Samsung foldables apart aren’t all hidden beneath the surface. With App Continuity – a responsive UI that delivers seamless transitions between folded and unfolded modes – and features like Multi-Active Window and Flex mode, Samsung foldables have unlocked new ways for us to work, play and express ourselves.

Driving Consumer Demand for Foldable Devices

This unprecedented push in innovation has sparked a surging demand for foldable devices, bringing more users to the Galaxy family than ever before. Compared to the Galaxy Note20, Samsung has seen a 150 percent³ increase in consumers who switched smartphone brands for the Galaxy Z Flip3, and a 140 percent increase compared to the Galaxy S21.

A simple explanation for this massive increase is that both Galaxy Z series devices offer distinct features that appeal to specific customer groups in ways that no other smartphones have before.

A buyer survey conducted by Samsung revealed that a stylish design, portability and an innovative folding form factor were the top drivers behind purchases of the Galaxy Z Flip3. The ability to use the cover screen without opening the device was another important factor for those who value privacy, as well as those who want to regulate their screen time to manage their mental health. Buyers of the Galaxy Z Fold3, meanwhile, reported being drawn to its large screen for viewing content, multitasking capabilities and productivity features, including the S Pen.⁴ At the end of the day, it’s clear that both devices are giving consumers more incentive than ever to switch to a foldable, even if it means changing brands or operating systems.

Pioneering the Foldable Future

As more consumers become aware of foldables’ incredible potential, interest in the category will continue to grow. With a variety of innovations set to make their way to consumers in the coming years, Samsung will continue to lead the foldable category with even more pioneering technology.

To achieve this goal, Samsung is heavily investing in R&D while openly collaborating with app developers and industry partners such as Google.

For years, Samsung and Google have been collaborating to make the foldable experience scalable by providing Android developers with the necessary framework and resources. In 2021, the companies announced guidelines for creating apps for large-screen and foldable devices, building on Google’s work to optimize its most popular apps – such as Gmail, YouTube, Duo and Maps – for foldable form factors. Going forward, Samsung will continue to work with partners and developers to develop technologies that will steer the future of the mobile industry.

In establishing an entirely new mobile category a decade ago, Samsung raised the bar for mobile innovation. As it looks toward the next decade and beyond, the company will continue to reinvent the mobile experience to change what’s possible as they unfold.

¹ According to figures from Counterpoint Research

² According to figures from Counterpoint Research

³ Samsung Big Data Center

⁴ Only Galaxy Z Fold3 main display has S Pen capability. Compatible only with the S Pen Fold Edition or S Pen Pro, sold separately.

Compact and portable when folded, the Galaxy Z Flip features an innovative freestop folding system that enables the device to stay open at a range of angles, giving you a never-before-seen mobile experience. From expressive video calls to dynamic selfies and videos, you can capture, connect, and share more with your phone, all hands-free. When fully opened, the Galaxy Z Flip’s Infinity Flex Display, which features Samsung Ultra Thin Glass (UTG), transforms seamlessly into an immersive multimedia hub so you can enjoy all the content you love with more space.

With its stunning prismatic finish, the Galaxy Z Flip is bold and playful in both its design and features. Check out the infographic below to learn more about the device.

Samsung began the task of designing the Galaxy Fold with the goal of making users’ mobile lives more convenient, taking into consideration how a new folding mechanism would accommodate people’s daily experiences. Read on for a closer look at how Samsung brought the Galaxy Fold to life.

Encountering New Form Factors

As the day-to-day lifestyles of consumers have become more diversified, so too have their needs, and the technology they use, of course, must keep up. The Galaxy Fold features an all-new form factor with its Infinity Flex Display, which provides the most natural holding experience yet for the user. The Galaxy Fold design team started with the very basics of ‘folding’ and what that action means in everyday life, studying how various things fold and unfold as well as what advantages each folding process offers. People in fact fold and unfold all manner of objects in their day-to-day lives, from their books to their wallets.

The design team worked closely with the engineering team in order to find the most convenient and aesthetically pleasing design for a folding device. The team constructed over 1,000 prototypes using a wide array of materials, including foam board and various fabrics, and eventually settled on an in-folding design.

Optimizing for the Foldable Experience

The Galaxy Fold features design elements that offer consumers a user experience that is as familiar as it is convenient. When incorporating the device’s proprietary new technologies, from the Infinity Flex Display to the hinge, Samsung developed a design that would ensure easy one-handed operation, as well as a comfortable and immersive full-screen experience.

Design elements of the Galaxy Fold ensure this seamless ease of use. The device’s large Infinity Flex Display, measuring 7.3 inches when unfolded, was designed to be the optimum size for carrying around when folded. The inward-folding hinge not only provides an intuitive and familiar folding sensation, but also helps protect the display. Additionally, with a total of six lenses across the device, users are able to take pictures no matter how they are holding the device.

The Galaxy Fold’s slim and ergonomic design provides users with a comfortable grip. The device’s size and ratio has been optimized for one or two-handed use, aligning with the unique capabilities of the Galaxy Fold, such as multitasking with Multi-Active Window. The front and back of the device, when folded (or, the entire back of the device when unfolded) have the same volume, shape and dimensions, with even distribution of weight across the left and right sides of the device so it feels balanced and natural to hold. Furthermore, the placement of the fingerprint scanner on the side of the Galaxy Fold is aligned with where the user’s thumb falls, so unlocking the phone is as intuitive as unfolding it.

Future-Proof Design, Eco-Friendly Packaging

Not only is the Galaxy Fold designed with a unique foldable usability, it has a premium appearance, too. Samsung refined its design precisely. In order to create a seamless look for the device’s cover from the display to the edge of the device itself, Samsung applied to sophisticated process to the front metal frame.

Finally, in line with the Galaxy Fold’s philosophy of providing users with a premium lifestyle experience, the design process does not stop at the device itself. As a finishing touch, the packaging that the Galaxy Fold comes in has been created using eco-friendly materials – the first Samsung product to have this applied to all packaging parts. In another first for a Samsung product, the box has a multi-layer design, so that the full-screen experience of the Galaxy Fold can begin from the moment the user opens the box.

Samsung looks forward to further innovating in the foldable space and seeing what the next trends in foldable designs will be.

SEOUL, Korea – September 5, 2019 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced the launch of the Galaxy Fold—a completely new category of mobile technology—available in Korea on September 6, followed by select countries including France, Germany, Singapore, U.K., U.S., and more, in Cosmos Black and Space Silver. With a 5G-ready option in select countries, consumers will be able to unfold the future on the fastest network speeds available.

Galaxy Fold was designed to inspire new experiences: When closed, you can access your essentials on the cover display comfortably with one hand, and when opened, you can explore new ways to multitask, watch videos, play games, and more, on its immersive 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display.[1]

During the past several months, Samsung has been refining the Galaxy Fold to ensure it delivers the best possible experience. Not only we improved the Galaxy Fold’s design and construction, but also took the time to rethink the entire consumer journey.

“The category-defining Galaxy Fold is a device that defies the barriers of traditional smartphone design. Now, we’re excited to release this pioneering mobile technology, and allow consumers to experience it for themselves,” said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. “Consumers have responded positively to larger screens, and the Galaxy Fold’s revolutionary form factor offers a bigger, more immersive screen without sacrificing portability. This is what we call innovation of new mobile experience in action.”

First-of-its-Kind User Experience

The Galaxy Fold combines users’ favorite smartphone and tablet features to deliver a new kind of mobile device and a first-of-its-kind user experience—from a new form factor and materials to its unique foldable UX, versatile camera and premium performance. Samsung worked alongside partners to create an entirely new UX that will change the way we use our mobile devices and takes full advantage of the foldable design with its cover and main displays. As a result, the device opens up new possibilities for users.

The Galaxy Fold transforms how you capture, share, and edit mobile content. When closed, you can shoot a quick video, and then simply open the device to watch it on a larger screen—with App Continuity, the video seamlessly transitions from the cover display to the main display.[2] With Multi-Active Window, you can run multiple apps at once in real-time and effectively multitask: Edit footage, browse through the photo gallery for still shots, and read emails from friends and co-workers, all at the same time.[3]

With a 5G-ready option, Galaxy Fold users in select markets can take full advantage of their carriers’ fastest speeds. The Galaxy Fold 5G harnesses the full power of next-generation connectivity for streaming and downloading high-resolution videos and other content, as well as graphics-heavy games, at super-charged speeds.[4] By allowing us to do more with the 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display, the Galaxy Fold is changing the way we consume content and multitask.[5]

Every Galaxy Fold comes with exclusive access to specialized customer care services – including one-on-one access to Samsung experts, and a 24/7 support hub online or over the phone. Samsung will elaborate on plans in each market to ensure every aspect of the Galaxy Fold experience is as extraordinary as the device itself.

For more information about Galaxy Fold, please visit news.samsung.com/galaxy, www.samsungmobilepress.com or www.samsung.com/global/galaxy/galaxy-fold.

Galaxy Fold Product Specifications

*All specifications and descriptions provided herein may be different from the actual specifications and descriptions of the product. Samsung reserves the right to make changes to this page and the contents herein, including without limitation, functionality, features, specifications, GUI, images, videos, benefits, design, pricing, components, performance, availability, capabilities, and any other product information, without notice.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems, and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news, please visit the Samsung Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com.

[1] Screen measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners and the upper cutout. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and the upper cutout.

[2] Certain third party applications may not support app continuity.

[3] Certain third party applications may not support Multi-Active Window.

[4] Requires optimal 5G network connection. Actual speed may vary depending on country, carrier, and user environment.

[5] Screen measured diagonally as a full rectangle without accounting for the rounded corners and the upper cutout. Actual viewable area is less due to the rounded corners and the upper cutout.

The Galaxy Fold has a 4.6-inch cover display and, when unfolded, the device reveals the world’s first 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display, offering endless multitasking possibilities. The Galaxy Fold is also equipped with six versatile cameras from cover to cover, allowing you to snap a photo whenever, wherever and offering you flexibility in function, as well as form. With a next-generation AP chipset and 12GB of RAM, the Galaxy Fold can achieve powerful performance.

Take a look at the infographic below for more details about how the Galaxy Fold goes beyond the limitations of a traditional smartphone.

Updated on September 5, 2019

Part smartphone, part tablet, Samsung’s category-defying Galaxy Fold offers users an entirely new kind of mobile experience, featuring fun and innovative ways to multitask, watch videos, play games, and more.

Samsung subjected the device to several rounds of extensive tests in its state-of-the-art reliability labs to make sure that the Galaxy Fold is ready to come to market.

Naturally, given the smartphone’s design, a Folding Test was a pivotal part of the Galaxy Fold’s durability assessment. This test, which examines whether the Galaxy Fold can outlast 200,000 folds and unfolds (or around five years of use, if used 100 times a day), takes a full week to complete. While the extent of the test may seem like overkill to some, Samsung viewed it as vital to ensuring the durability of device’s hinged design and Infinity Flex Display.

Watch how Samsung ensures that the Galaxy Fold will be up to the task with each and every fold and unfold.

by Hark-sang Kim

In light of modest global sales recently, some observers say that smartphone innovation has hit a bottleneck, as new devices bear more iterative upgrades instead of groundbreaking features. Others even predict that the smartphone era may be coming to an end soon.

But with mobile technologies like 5G, AI, and AR maturing rapidly, users will be able to do even more with their smartphones soon. Instead of losing relevance, the next wave of technological innovation will make the smartphone more central to our lives than ever before. Whether it’s leveraging increased connectivity or harnessing next-generation mobile intelligence, a larger display will be key to accessing future smartphone experiences.

Despite current trends, we are still living in a world where the size of the smartphone display can only be as large as the device itself. At Samsung, we began to ask ourselves how we can overcome this limitation and expand the possibilities of what users can accomplish on the go.

The Shape of Things to Come

Smartphone displays can’t get any larger without compromising portability – this was the orthodoxy for a long time.

Instead of accepting the status quo, resolving the contradiction between screen size and portability and developing a new form factor became the central focus of our innovation efforts.

The recent unveiling of the Infinity Flex Display at SDC 2018 signaled the start of this new chapter. But building a foldable device was no mean feat. After the prototypes of the flexible display debuted at CES in 2011, it took another seven years to perfect the technology and deliver a truly meaningful experience to users. From developing new materials to overcoming mechanical challenges, the foldable screen demanded a total reconfiguration of the smartphone from inside out.

Preparing for the New Era

We expect to see a sea change in the smartphone form factor in the coming years. From rollable and stretchable devices to the devices that can fold in multiple ways are no longer beyond the realms of reality. Samsung is ready to usher in this future and create meaningful experiences for consumers that help them do more of what they love.

To build the new foldable device, we made significant investments to create a new material that completely changes the anatomy of the smartphone display. We also created a natural and durable folding experience that users can appreciate from the very first time they unfold the device and crafted an innovative mechanical technology that can withstand hundreds of thousands of folds. We also had to rethink the placements of the battery, cooling system, and camera so that they can be placed inside the slim body efficiently. Last but not least, we developed an intuitive UX to ensure apps can transition seamlessly between the smaller and larger displays. We are committed to continue pushing the limits of possibility and lead the mobile industry into a new era.

Smartphone innovation is at the cusp of the next major transformation. The arrival of the Infinity Flex Display is just the beginning. We will continue pushing the limits of possibility and shape the future as it unfolds.

The Writer is Senior Vice President, Head of Visual R&D Team, Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics