8th generation completed 3 tasks of thinness, weight, and performance
2019 Folding pioneer 7-year know-how collection
사진 확대 Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Z Fold 8 has recently been unveiled. When unfolded, it is optimized to enjoy a wide range of contents such as video, reading, games, and surfing the web in a more immersive manner.
Samsung Electronics has redesigned its smartphone from the material unit to include the three tasks of “thinest, lightest, and sturdier” foldable in one product.
Samsung Electronics supported the screen that folds with a new material ‘Flex Titanium’ that combines reinforced titanium plate and titanium alloy film thinner and stronger and reduced screen wrinkles. In particular, silicon carbon batteries were put into the internal space, which was secured as it became thinner, for the first time in its smartphone, to ensure battery capacity and safety even in a thin body. As a result, Samsung Electronics implemented the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (4.1mm when unfolded) and the Z Fold 8 (201g) as the thinnest and lightest models among all fold products.
“There is no point in implementing each experience separately,” said Moon Sung-hoon, vice president of hardware at Samsung Electronics’ MX division in London on the 23rd (local time). “The real challenge was to capture thinness, lightness, strong durability, and uncompromising performance together in one product.”
Earlier, since Samsung Electronics pioneered the foldable phone market in 2019, it has been innovating foldable for 7 generations.
“True innovation cannot be made by improving only one part,” Vice President Moon said. “In the case of thinness, lightness, and durability, the other is easy to weaken, so we had to look at the entire product again.”
사진 확대 Moon Sung-hoon, vice president of hardware at Samsung Electronics’ MX division, is briefing on the innovation of new Galaxy foldable hardware in London on the 23rd (local time).
Accordingly, Samsung Electronics redesigned the display structure, hinge, and design direction from the beginning, and user data and design experience accumulated from 8th generation to 8th generation were the basis. “One foldable cannot be the answer for all users,” he said, adding, “We have composed the lineup of Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra with productivity, Z Fold 8 optimized for content immersion, and Z Flip 8 tailored to individual expression and AI experience.”
Flex titanium was first applied to Fold 8 Ultra and Fold 8 in this 8th generation. In the folded area, a lattice structure was added to increase rigidity, and an alloy film thinly processed to about one-third the thickness of the hair was added under the panel to reduce screen wrinkles and increase durability.
Vice President Moon introduced titanium as “a material that has excellent strength, is structurally stable, and has no deformation despite repeated use.” The core of this technology is to overcome the limitations of foldable displays, which are easy to weaken as they are made thinner, with materials and structures.
During this process, the thickness of the display module became about 10% thinner. Vice President Moon explained that the reduction in thickness was not a specific part, but the result of optimizing the display, heat dissipation material, reinforcement, and battery together. In addition, the main screen of the Fold 8 Ultra and Fold 8 supports up to 3,000 nits, about 15% brighter than the previous one, and a surface low-reflection coating is applied to increase visibility outdoors.
사진 확대 Samsung Electronics’ recently unveiled Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which boasts a clear image quality on the big screen.
The battery is also redesigned. Samsung Electronics applied silicon-carbon composite cathode material for the first time in its smartphone to increase energy density. “Simply applying silicon carbon does not solve everything,” Vice President Moon said. “Samsung has redesigned the entire battery components, not only cathode materials but also cathode materials, electrolytes and separators to effectively control silicon’s high reactivity.” “The most important thing is safety, stability, and long-term usability,” he said, stressing that reliability was more important than battery capacity competition.
In particular, the Fold 8 Ultra supports up to 27 hours of video viewing by putting a 5,000 ㎃ h battery in a thin body. Charging is the first in the Galaxy Z series to apply up to 45W fast charging and dual pass charging. Vice President Moon explained, “It can fill up to 67% with a 30-minute charge while discharged.” In addition, the performance and volume of graphite heat sinks that help heat dissipation were increased to control heat generation in specification work.
Samsung Electronics also experienced opening and closing. Vice President Moon said, “There have been a lot of customer comments recently that it is inconvenient to open and close as the foldable becomes thinner,” adding, “We precisely adjusted the hinge, magnetic structure, and screen tension, and trimmed the folding corners into diagonal shapes.” “True innovation should be reliable and usable,” he said. “We evaluated the actual use environment by reproducing various angle drops, repeated pressure and shock, and moisture exposure, including sweat, with more than 100 reliability verification items on the foldable.”
사진 확대 Galaxy Z Fold 8 Key specs.
However, challenges remain in the thin design. Vice President Moon said he is conducting prior research on the so-called “cat-tuk-tu” problem, in which the camera protrudes as the screen becomes thinner.
Meanwhile, Vice President Moon expressed confidence as a pioneer, saying, “It is an area that we have introduced for the first time and developed with sincerity.” Regarding Samsung Electronics’ “rollable” (two-roll phone) display technology, which is currently in the R&D stage, he replied, “It is an area that has been researching technology for a long time, and we are continuing to increase technical completion with the aim of commercialization.” However, it did not mention the specific timing of commercialization. This suggests that they are preparing rollables with the next form factor following foldable. [London Reporter Go Minseo]