Samsung previews foldable flip phone that becomes ‘compact square’ [Video]

During the One UI 2 section of the Samsung Developer Conference 2019 Opening Keynote, the company showed off a new fordable form factor. Compared to the first-generation device, a tall screen folds in half to become a square-shaped object that you pocket.

A render from Samsung shows a tall screen that’s not too different from what Sony and Essential are exploring. Bezels are quite minimal, while there’s even a hole punch front-facing camera centered up top. The full experience of this Samsung foldable flip phone is quite straightforward with the company showing a standard homescreen and camera app.

In the latter example, one use case for this form factor is folding the screen so there’s a 90-degree angle. The viewfinder moves to the top half, while app-specific controls remain at the bottom. This provides a natural stand for your device instead of having to hold it up while recording.

This 24-second video (h/t Mishaal Rahman) is simply titled a “New Form Factor for Foldable Smartphones.” Bloomberg earlier this year reported that Samsung’s second foldable device for early 2020 would have a 6.7-inch display that creases horizontally into a “compact square.” Hopefully, the actual product is not too far off from this preview, especially in regard to the minimal bezels.

As promised at SDC last year, Samsung will continue to explore a range of new form factors in the foldable category. And at SDC19, Samsung invited developers and users alike to join the exploration of exciting new use cases and user experiences.

The brief Samsung foldable flip phone preview today comes ahead of Motorola’s Razr foldable unveil on November 13.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZDl_SP-w9E