Samsung has for the first time filed a joint patent with its foldable display protective film supplier Segyung Hi Tech that details a sturdier screen assembly that will be more resistant to drops on hard surfaces and other assorted rough-ups.
The patent, as unearthed by The Elec, describes the usual protective film that Segyung provides to Samsung for the ultrahin protective glass (UTG) over its foldable phone display assemblies, but adds a new impact-resistant and light-shielding layer.
The new impact layer is made of a polymer that bounces upon impact to absorb the kinetic energy of the drop and makes the whole protective layer thicker and sturdier. Samsung explains that the making of such a tougher Z Fold series display is still a simple affair that consists of coating the top film with the light protection layer and the impact polymer directly:
It includes a protective film, an impact-resistant layer, and a light-shielding layer. The impact-resistant layer contains a polymer material, which improves the impact strength and makes it thicker, which also improves durability. The manufacturing process can be simplified by first forming the light-shielding layer on the protective film, and then directly coating the impact-resistant layer containing the polymer material on top of it.
It remains to be seen where will Samsung use this stronger foldable phone display that can withstand the daily usage scenario abuses better than many others. Making the screen thicker doesn't really square with its stated goal to make its foldables more elegant in order to catch up with the Chinese makers that resulted in the Z Fold Special Edition release last year.
At the time, Samsung tried for months to make a foldable phone that would be as thin as the Honor Magic V3 or the upcoming Oppo Find N5 that will also be as durable as the Z Fold 6, and gave up on the task by introducing the Special Edition compromise. It is thicker than the Chinese competitor, but ostensibly tougher, though this will have to be confirmed with time.
Still, Samsung is seemingly betting on marketing its fodable handsets as more robust and enduring to set them apart from the onslaught of razor-thin bendy phones, and the new impact-resistant layer invention could be a step in that direction. Whether the new thicker and stronger assembly will make it in time for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, though, remains to be seen.
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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