Samsung has been dominating the foldable space for quite a while, securing 80% of the foldable phone market in 2022. The company offers foldable smartphones in two form factors: book-style Fold line and clamshell-style Flip series. Word on the internet is Samsung is working on a third foldable form factor device, a tri-folding smartphone. 

Leaker Yogesh Brar on Twitter claims that Samsung could launch a triple foldable device this year alongside the expected Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5. The company filed a patent for this mechanism back in 2020, which demonstrated how the display works. Moreover, the brand showcased a tri-folding foldable phone concept at MWC 2023. 

There is no Galaxy S23 FE in the development chain unlike what the recent rumours have been pointing..

Samsung is instead working on the improved Z Fold 5 & Flip 5 along with a Tri-Fold that might finally ship this year

FE fans should look elsewhere…

— Yogesh Brar (@heyitsyogesh) March 24, 2023

Both the concept and patent point to a device with two hinges, with one hinge enabling an inward fold while the other hinge enabling an outward fold. As a result, the smartphone will have a Z shape, resembling the Z naming scheme, when partially folded. Thanks to the new outward-folding hinge, You will be able to use the folding screen of the smartphone as the primary display, as opposed to a separate cover screen for the smartphone display. This move also raises concerns about the screen’s durability.

It’s worth noting that all foldable smartphones use a plastic screen for better flexibility. It goes without saying that plastic is less durable than glass, so an exposed plastic display on the outside could result in more wear and tear, leading to more chances of scratching the screen than you’d have had with a glass panel. 

Either way, all evidence points to Samsung’s primary focus on its next foldable phones, which is likely to come at the expense of other development. Brar claims that Samsung will axe the Galaxy S23 FE, echoing previous rumors of the company sunsetting its Fan Edition line of smartphones.