Samsung has more ambitious foldable plans than we thought

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lineups have been huge wins for the company. New reports suggest that the tech giant’s plans for its foldable phones could be larger than we previously thought.

According to the new reports, Samsung is going to improve upon its Z Fold and Z Flip quite a bit. Additionally, the company is also believed to be working on new expansions for the device lineups, including a new hybrid laptop and tablet.

Samsung foldables are about to get a lot more durable

Based on a new report from Android Community, Samsung has plans to make the phones in its Z Fold and Z Flip lineup far more durable. It will do this by reinforcing the hinges and improving the hinge mounting. Sources also noted that the Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) that Samsung uses will be improved as well.

No exact details were given on how Samsung plans to improve these items, but the report did say that the design will be more affordable. If true, Samsung should be able to price the upcoming Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 more affordable. That could in turn make the foldable market more appealing to everyday consumers.

Samsung could make a foldable laptop hybrid

The report also makes mention of new plans by Samsung to create a folding tablet and laptop hybrid. It’s unclear what this would look like exactly, though Android Community said it could include a folding bottom and top. The device will be similar to the Z Fold, but set up in a different orientation.

On top of a laptop hybrid, sources also mentioned that Samsung could be working on a sliding model as well. Samsung will also tease the new sliding model soon, according to the report. Sliding phones were a popular option in the early days of smartphones, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see a return to it at some point. Details are sparse on a Samsung sliding phone right now, though, so it’s unclear what it might look like.

Samsung’s Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 have been doing surprisingly well this year, despite the chip shortages.  As Samsung continues to improve upon its offerings, we could see even more phones in its lineup embracing the foldable design. Of course, this is all just speculation based on second-hand reports. We’ll have to wait and see what Samsung announces throughout the coming months for a more detailed look at its plans.