Will Galaxy Fold 2 have clamshell design?

When Motorola Razr came back with its flip phone on 13 November, thousands of people were reminded of the time when Motorola released its first foldable smartphone famously called the RAZR years ago which then followed a string of successors. It is the first attempt for Motorola in foldable phone, and also a revive or innovation of RAZR. We cannot say for sure it will be a hit or not, but it indeed has developed a totally different path in foldable phone manufacturing from Galaxy fold, which was just issued and then reported with some structural problems right through this year. Leaks swirled that Galaxy Fold 2 would be released in February in 2020, so will it have a clamshell design? 

Seemingly, several facts are saying that Samsung will probably have a clamshell-designed foldable phone next year. During the Samsung Developer Conference, Samsung admitted that it is now focusing on a mobile device with a “clamshell” form factor. And it further represented with an accompanying video showing how the new foldable phone is folded vertically instead of horizontally. When the device is folded, the video could be pushed into the top half of the screen, leaving video controls appearing on the bottom half. This can be very useful and replace smartphone holder to some extent. Moreover, the clipping function makes it more convenient to put into a pocket, and its 6-inch screen can meet the demand of many potential buyers. Although Samsung didn’t provide other pertinent details about the clip new foldable phone, we can still know something from a spokesperson who said that it is currently working on advancing new foldable form factors, hoping to bring a new foldable smartphone to the market soon. That means a clamshell design may not be certain, but Galaxy Fold 2 will surely have a different look.

Since the inward folding design of foldable phones has brought some problems – like too prone to breaking and too expensive, does the clamshell design out behave it? Traditionally, clamshell design was invented to protect the phone screen. Years ago, Gorilla Glass didn’t exist and it wasn’t unheard of for a plastic screen to turn from glossy to matte just by being exposed to the fabric of your pocket. Flexible display put that problem in public again and the revive of clamshell design makes sense thereafter. On the other hand, opening and shutting the device can arouse the nostalgia deep in our hearts. For now, flexible display technology has been far from a success, as it has not convinced us of its viability. As for the price tag, up to $20,000 could have upset many enthusiasts who would like to be the brave early adopters. If Samsung tried a clamshell designed foldable phone, it will not only reduce its manufacture expense, but the design itself will be more durable and easier to satisfy users. 

I guess possibly the best way would be to provide customers with diverse foldable experiences, that is to say, the refined flip one is kept and a new clamshell Fold is added. In this way, Samsung would benefit from continuing to think outside of the box when it comes to the existing Galaxy Fold formula, and thus make the foldable device more attainable for customers.