Foldable devices are far from conventional, but that usually works in their favor. The foldable design opens up new possibilities for unique use cases as long as mobile apps take advantage of the form factor. Samsung's Flex Mode, enabled by the rigid hinge design, was created just for that. Many apps can transform their UIs to accommodate Flex Mode, and more apps optimized for a folding experience are being added to the portfolio regularly, as evidenced by a recent Samsung initiative in Malaysia.
Samsung is trying to bring together top local organizations in Malaysia “to unlock new possibilities on the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip” and reimagine foldables. The company announced that more Malaysian apps now support the foldable form factor, with new partners including Ambank, Family Mart, Maxis, Pay4U, and ZUS Coffee. These partners have recently demonstrated how they optimized their apps to take advantage of the foldable display and Flex Mode.
Today, Samsung also announced that, in the coming months, more Malaysian partners will join the initiative. The list includes names like Gigi Coffee, Golden Screen Cinemas, TGV Cinemas, and Zapp.
Challenging local universities to a hackathon
Samsung also announced an initiative to bring new ideas to light with the help of students. The company says it will host a hackathon in collaboration with local universities in Malaysia, where students can demonstrate their ideas on how to maximize the potential of the foldable Galaxy phone form factor. Students will be invited to pitch ideas for apps developed for foldable phones at the hackathon.
Although this initiative concerns Malaysian foldable phone users first and foremost, it shows that Samsung could partner with local app developers and platforms in different markets to optimize the foldable phone experience more extensively. Likewise, it strengthens the idea that Samsung is always on the lookout for new and ingenious ways to improve the foldable UX.
Whether or not we'll see similar initiatives in more markets is to be determined. And likewise, it remains to be seen if some of the ideas that will be showcased at the hackathon in Malaysia will take shape and even become a part of One UI later down the line.
