In 2021, Samsung launched the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 as the world’s first smartphones with an official IP (ingress protection) rating for water resistance. Things remained unchanged last year, with the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 both coming with an IPX8 rating. The company could now take things up a notch this year. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 could be dust-resistant too.
Samsung is developing a new type of hinge for its fifth-gen foldables. The waterdrop hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fip 5 will allow the phones to close shut when folded. The flexible display panel will fold in the shape of a drop of water, thus reducing the crease on the screen. The change will also make the phones thinner and lighter, with at least ten grams taken off last year’s Fold model which weighed a whopping 263 grams.
But that isn’t all. According to Twitter tipster @chunvn8888, the gap-less design of the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Fip 5 could enable Samsung to offer an official IP rating for dust resistance (likely IP68). The company is currently evaluating the technical feasibility of this implementation. So it isn’t set in stone just yet. But if the Korean firm pushes its limits, it could launch the world’s first dust-resistant foldables this year. Other brands have yet to achieve waterproofing.
Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Flip 5 could further improve Samsung’s foldable lineup
The foldable market is quickly getting crowded. We already have eight brands with at least one foldable smartphone under their belt (Oppo, Vivo, Huawei, Honor, Xiaomi, Tecno, and Motorola are the other seven). Two more brands are expected to enter the market later this year (OnePlus and Google).
Many of these brands have done a better job than Samsung in making the devices lightweight and slimmer. Some have even included a more usable cover display.
However, Samsung’s Galaxy Z models are still the world’s most popular smartphones. Not just because they are water resistant. While that’s a critical feature, Samsung’s Flex Mode is a game changer. It lets you unfold the devices at various angles. Not many foldables do that currently. The Galaxy Z lineup also benefits from the company’s robust set of software features that make them true companions for those who love multitasking on the go.
Of course, rivals are catching up to it fast. But Samsung is further improving its foldables this year by switching to a new type of hinge and potentially adding dust resistance.
These improvements may help it maintain a lion’s share in the market for another year. It remains to be seen which brand emerges as the biggest threat to Samsung in the foldable market. Industry analysts expect the market size to double this year in terms of volume.
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Source: ndroidheadlines.com