The foldable display is not only the Galaxy Fold’s biggest strength, but it also turned out to be a major drawback due to numerous durability issues. Even a delayed launch and a minor redesign couldn’t solve these problems satisfactorily. Many of the Fold’s display issues arise from the use of a plastic layer on top instead of glass like on every other modern smartphone.
It appears Samsung may fix some of these display complaints in its next foldable smartphone, the rumored Galaxy Fold 2. According to the well-known Samsung leaker Ice Universe, the Fold 2’s display will use an ultra-thin glass cover instead of a plastic layer on top. His claims are in line with an earlier report from ETNews that said Samsung would abandon the transparent polyimide solution used in the Galaxy Fold in favor of a flexible ultra-thin glass (UTG) for its successors.
It can be confirmed that the Galaxy Fold2 leaked not long ago will use an ultra-thin glass cover for the first time in the world, replacing plastic materials. The screen looks flatter and has less wrinkles. In fact, this is the correct cover material for foldable phones. pic.twitter.com/BS73BCsA4N
— ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) December 24, 2019
While employing a glass layer will eliminate, or at least reduce, the crease on the display where it folds, it doesn’t necessarily improve its durability. In fact, industry insiders quoted in the above report say any shift to UTG will make these foldable displays even more fragile and costlier to mass-produce. Given these shortcomings, it won’t be a surprise if Samsung decides to stick with the plastic screen for the upcoming Fold models until alternative display technologies mature.
Samsung is rumored to release the Galaxy Fold 2 alongside the Galaxy S11 in February next year. Numerous reports and leaked images suggest that Samsung’s next foldable smartphone may feature a vertically-folding design, similar to the recently-announced Moto Razr. It is also expected to be significantly cheaper than the current Galaxy Fold. You can read our coverage of the Fold 2 to know more about the Korean company’s upcoming foldable smartphone.
