Rumor: Samsung is working on a smartphone with a double folding screen

According to business newspaper Nikkei, Samsung is working on a smartphone with a double fold in the screen. The aspect ratio would be more in line with that of traditional smartphones, in order to display apps better. The phone could be released by the end of this year.

Nikkei gives no further details about the model, other than the screen ratio. It would be 16:9 or 18:9. Last year’s Galaxy Z Flip has a 22:9 aspect ratio on the primary display, while last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 25:9 display on the outside and a 5:4 display on the inside. Many apps are made for screen ratios between 16:9 and 21:9.

Samsung already placed a teaser of a double folding screen for smartphones last year, but it was not possible to determine whether the manufacturer was working on a specific model with such a display. The advantage of a double folding screen would be that it allows an even larger screen in a smaller housing.

Double folding screens have come up as a concept before. Xiaomi showed a concept for a double folding screen a few years ago, but has not yet continued to do so. Instead, it used a flexible OLED display for a smartphone whose screen is curled around the housing, the Mi Mix Alpha. Google has also filed a patent application for a double folding screen. TCL also showed a double folding smartphone screen last year. Samsung has not responded to the business newspaper’s story.