Samsung’s never been great with a secret. At some point the company leaned into the unceasing deluge of leaks by teasing out its big products ahead of launch. Since then, blog posts by mobile head TM Roh have become a tradition.
The latest Unpacked event is a week away, set for the company’s backyard of Seoul for the first time ever. Given the hardware giant’s well established six-month flagship release schedule, it’s always been a safe bet that the Galaxy Flip 5 and Galaxy Fold 5 are in the offing.
The executive confirmed as much in tonight’s post, writing, “Take, for instance, the act of folding and unfolding a smartphone. It seems simple. However, that simplicity users feel is only achieved through a rigorous focus on what is most essential and intuitive. The minimal, sleek appearance housing specialized hinge functionality emphasizes our commitment and the inherent beauty of essential design.”
Roh highlights thinner designs for the market leaders, adding, “We’ve raised the standards for foldable smartphone ergonomics. A difference of millimeter in a device’s thickness may not sound like a big change, but every gram and millimeter in a foldable device requires an engineering breakthrough. It demands craftsmanship with passion. When done well, the benefit to users is huge. That’s why we’ve innovated to make our latest foldables slimmer and lighter than our previous generations.”
The precise mechanism with which the company has accomplished this remains unclear, though Google’s recent Pixel Fold may offer some insight. The company’s rethinking of the mechanism eliminated screen gap, making its first foldable one of the industry’s thinnest. That device, however, has been met with several reports of faulty screens, leading to some speculation that letting the two sides of the screen touch could present an issue when detritus is pancaked between.
Roh also hints at additional products. “Samsung Galaxy Tab and Wearables are designed in the same spirit,” he writes. “They work with each other harmoniously in an ecosystem that opens up a powerful connected experience, serving as a seamless extension of your needs, priorities and unique personality.”
For those keeping track, that’s the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5, Galaxy Fold 5, Galaxy Tab S9 and Galaxy Watch 6. Should keep us plenty busy next week.
