This article explains the technologies and techniques used to make foldable smartphones and other smart devices that have come to market in the recent past. It is important to understand the compromises that have been made in order to fully get a smartphone to fold into two, three, or whatever number we will get in the future.
Foldable smart devices can be generally categorized into two. Tablets folding into regular-sized smartphones like Samsung Galaxy Fold and regular size smartphones folding in half to achieve better portability for people with limited space in their pockets like Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and Motorola Moto Razr.
There is a third category, however, but this does not apply the technologies put in in the first two categories. This category implements two screens, some as add on modules like LG Velvet and others built from the ground up with dual screen capability like Microsoft Surface Duo. This category implements traditional smartphone technologies as a stopgap to fully folding devices in the future.
To understand how folding technology is achieved, it is important to understand the building blocks of a smartphone or a tablet that needs to bend or fold in order to achieve folding smart devices.
Display
All but AMOLED displays can not bend. AMOLED is therefore a go-to while making devices that bend. Other technologies might come up in the future that might replace it like micro-LED but remain to be seen considering its development.
Glass is normally used on a regular on premium, mid-range, and some entry-level smartphones to cover the display together with a reinforcing metal and insulating material to make a screen. For foldable, an ultra-thin glass or plastic is used at the outer cover. This isn’t of higher quality unlike glasses like Corning’s Gorilla glass or even hardened plastic used in some mid-rangers. With time, materials used to make the outer cover that users physically touch will improve. Just remember the goal of the material here will be to bend. The reinforcing metal or plastic at the back of the display is halved into two or into the number of hinges needed.
Battery
Battery capacity is one of the most crucial part of any smartphone. Two or more batteries are used to achieve a higher capacities that can last a considerable amount of time. Graphene batteries might eliminate this in future making these devices slimmer than they currently are. They might also keep the two and achieve even better capacity. It is worth noting that some devices like iPhone 11 Pro Max currently have 2 batteries yet they are not folding. They are there to fit the highest capacity possible in a small space.
Motherboard
This section has more to do with the cables that link up the two circuit boards (motherboards) on either side since individual motherboard components do not bend considering current technologies.
Hinge Mechanism
Traditional smartphones do not have a hinge making folding smart devices unique in their own sense. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has a complex hinge mechanism that enables it to be set to look like a laptop, traditional smartphones, and outsource bent in half. Motorola Moto Razr hinge on the other side is simple and uses a latch mechanism to fold it shut in half or be used as a traditional smartphone.
Once these four cornerstones of smartphones are fully developed, folding smartphones will be common and preference to a sizeable population. Currently Samsung Galaxy Z Flip seems to be the best though pricing keeps prospecting customers far from it.
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