You're not going to like these Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 renders
The foldable phone segment of the smartphone market is still in its early days. A couple of things that Samsung Galaxy Fold users weren't happy with are expected to be improved on with the next-generation of the device. Many were unhappy with the Galaxy Fold's exterior screen which was only 4.6-inches. When opened, the device turned into a 7.3-inch tablet. But many found that the external screen's large bezels made it hard to use for all but the most basic of tasks. And using the larger tablet-sized display on the run was not always convenient.
One group of Galaxy Fold 2 renders show a long "strip" display on the front of the handset
For those who were hoping for a larger external display for the sequel, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news came from ETNews a couple of weeks ago when it said that the outside screen on the Galaxy Fold 2 will weigh in at 6.23-inches with a resolution of 819 x 2267. The 24.9:9 aspect ratio reveals a very tall and thin screen and the display makes up a larger percentage of the phone's external body. No surprise, the external screen will have an old school 60Hz refresh rate.
Questionable render of the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 is..
ETNews says that the internal screen will measure 7.7-inches and carry a 1689 x 2213 resolution. It will use Ultra-thin glass and feature a 120Hz refresh rate. That means that the screen will refresh 120 times per second allowing users to enjoy smooth scrolling and improved video game animations. Both the external and internal displays will have a punch-hole selfie snapper.
The bad news comes from renders published by Pigtou that are based on a patent filing made by Samsung to the World Intellectual Patent Organization (WIPO). The illustrations accompanying the patent called "Electronic Device Including Flexible Display and Hinge Structure" shows a "strip" screen on the front of the device. In the unlikely event that Samsung uses something like this design for the Galaxy Fold 2's external screen, you are going to see a rebellion from even Sammy's most faithful customers. The patent also shows illustrations of a hinge system that resembles the one used on the Galaxy Z Flip. A document from a regulatory filing reveals that the combined battery capacity on the Galaxy Fold 2 equals 4365mAh compared to 4380mAh for the OG Galaxy Fold.
...based on illustrations from a Samsung patent filing
As we pointed out at the beginning of this article, the OG Galaxy Fold had two issues that annoyed consumers. One was the external screen, and the other was the offset notch and large bezels on the internal display. Tipster Ice Universe (@universeice) tweeted over the weekend that the bezel on the Galaxy Fold 2 will measure only 3.8mm wide and the offset notch will be replaced by a 4.8-inch punch-hole for the selfie snapper. Thus, the renders showing the offset notch probably should not be trusted. Other renders based on the ETNews specs are probably more legitimate.
These Galaxy Fold 2 renders are based on leaks
Hopefully this year Samsung has everything tested, double tested, and triple tested before it sends units to influencers. Just days before Samsung was to launch the first foldable produced by a major manufacturer, the company temporarily canceled the launch after influencers accidentally discovered several issues with the phone. First, despite warnings from Samsung not to peel a plastic film off of the internal display, some influencers did so which broke the screen. The film did resemble the protective covering that smartphones are equipped with out of the box, so in their defense, the influencers probably didn't think that they were doing anything wrong (despite the warning from Samsung). Some discovered that debris was getting sucked into openings on the top and bottom of the hinge which caused a bulge to form on the screen. Samsung corrected these issues and some others and the phone launched five months late.
Despite a hefty price tag approaching $2,000 USD, Samsung is believed to have rung up 400,00-500,000 units bringing in $800 million to as much as $1 billion in revenue from the Galaxy Fold last year.
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