Although folding smartphones are still not a mass phenomenon, the reality is that they are gradually gaining supporters. One of the leading companies in this segment is samsung, which, in addition to giving way to the failed Galaxy Fold (the first), showed off a prototype screen and hinge that folds inward and outward at CES 2023. The concept was called Flex In & Out and allows the hinge to fold the device up to 360 degrees while creating much less visible creases.

The prototype was shown to The Verge, which gave no specific information on whether it will be implemented into any product in the near future. The images show that the device that implements it can be folded 360 so that it can be completely closed or opened. This opens the door to protecting the screen panel itself and to the possibility of “transforming” the device into something more “traditional”, closer to the smartphones most of us use, using only half of the screen.

Prototype Flex In & Out It was photographed next to the Galaxy Z Fold, so it was possible to verify that the thickness of the device implementing it will be the same or very similar. However, it also shows some movable mechanisms that allow the panel to be conveniently folded without stretching.

Flex In & Out (bottom) compared to the Galaxy Z Fold (top).

Prototype Flex In & Out is developed by Samsung Display, a subsidiary of the South Korean giant focused, as the name suggests, on the development of screens. Apart from a greater folding angle without the apparent suffering of the panel, we will see what else it can contribute or improve when it starts to be implemented in devices marketed to the public, although speculation already points to the future Galaxy Z Fold5 as a prime candidate.