Samsung patents an interesting way to house the S-Pen in a dual-folding device

 

At first glance, this idea looks pretty cool, but maybe kind of unnecessary. It is questionable whether the cutouts will make the device less comfortable to hold when both parts of the screen are in the unfolded position. Logically, the idea is probably for the S-Pen to be mostly used when the device extends in its largest form and stays hidden between the outward-folding parts of the screen the rest of the time.

Still, this raises another potential disadvantage, and that is the potential need to unfold a part of the screen that you don't necessarily want to use so you have access to the stylus.

What’s important to note is that foldable phones are different from their traditional smartphone counterparts. The space issue is way bigger in foldable devices, and this idea of Samsung allows for a dedicated place for the S-Pen where it can be housed, without the need to drill deep holes or attach it on the side of the device where it will be easy to detach.

Which Galaxy Z Fold device will be the first to house the S-Pen?

Samsung released two foldable phones last year. These were the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and the Galaxy Z Flip 3. Both of these devices saw major improvements compared to their predecessors, especially in the foldable technology department. These also strived to improve the reliability of Samsung’s foldable lineup and make it more accessible to the public.

Still, the company is yet to release a big foldable tablet. Rumors about Samsung working on a Galaxy Z Fold Tab have been circulating for almost a year now, and the device is reported to feature a similar double-folding design as the one described in the patent.

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Galaxy Z Fold Tab will for sure have an S-Pen housing. Last year the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 was the company’s first foldable device to support the S-Pen. However, it did not have a dedicated spot for the accessory, which many found a bit unpractical. As you might've guessed, the lack of housing for the S-Pen was reportedly due to lack of space.

This patent shows the housing is placed behind an outward-folding display, which makes the odds of the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 4 featuring the design from the patent pretty small, as most likely it will be an inward-folding phone.

In conclusion, if this design ever sees production, which is pretty uncertain as with any new tech patent, it will probably make its debut on a double-folding Samsung tablet. As for its release, the Galaxy Z Fold Tab will reportedly arrive this year, but the Korean company could opt to keep the S-Pen housing design for later generations of the device.