Google ‘Pixel Fold’ to use ultra-thin glass, still on track for 2021 release

Google’s designs on its first foldable Pixel phone appear to have gone up a notch, with the company reportedly asking Samsung to provide layers of ultra-thin glass (UTG) for a 7.6-inch foldable device that could be launched this year. year.

MacRumors concept rendering

According to a new report from The elec, Google is just one of a number of mobile manufacturers seeking UTG orders from Samsung, which is currently the exclusive supplier of the glass. Xiaomi, Honor, and OPPO are all reportedly working on foldable phones with UTG.

Samsung’s original 2019 Galaxy Fold used polyimide films, but the foldable screens were likely to display panel creases and breaks, and the company’s subsequent (in) foldable smartphones, the Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold. 2 of 2020, both used UTG. The latter does better under duress, apparently proving that almost anything can be bent if you make it thin enough.

The report is in line with previous suggestions from February that Samsung had developed foldable OLED panels to supply Oppo, Xiaomi, and Google. Last month, The elec also reported that Samsung would produce foldable displays for Google and other vendors in October, suggesting a “Pixel Fold” release in the fourth quarter of this year.

Documents leaked in August 2020 suggested that Google was planning to release a foldable pixel phone in the fourth quarter of 2021. Google confirmed in 2019 that it was developing technology that could be used in foldable devices, although at the time, the company downplayed the prospect of actually launching a foldable device. , saying he hasn’t seen “a clear use case” yet.

However, Google is developing the software that must work on all Android foldable devices, giving it a definite advantage when it comes to foldable hardware-software integration.

Market research firm Omdia expects foldable OLED sales to reach $ 2.1 billion this year, a 203% increase from 2020. Most sales are expected to come from foldable panels made by Samsung Display, and while Apple does not appear to have made a firm decision on whether or not to launch a foldable smartphone, previous rumors have suggested that Apple has requested samples of foldable displays from Samsung for use. test in a future ‌iPhone‌.

Samsung has always been a key supplier to Apple, providing OLED displays for iPhones. The Korean company apparently intends to dominate the foldable display market as a UTG supplier, although the glass it uses in its current foldable phones is actually made by German manufacturer Schott, while US-based Corning is also in the process of becoming a UTG player.

Apple has been known to be working on foldable display technology for a few years now, filing several patents relating to the technology, and rumors have also circulated around LG’s potential involvement.

The repeated suggestion of Samsung’s involvement and orders placed by Apple offers a more concrete suggestion that work on a foldable ‌‌‌iPhone‌‌‌ continues quietly, with some rumors suggesting a release as early as 2023.