Samsung's future foldable phones, including the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, may feature more resilient internal displays, and the company may want to convey this through a new marketing keyword, Ironflex.
Samsung applied to register the Ironflex trademark at the Korean Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS) on January 3.
The paperwork describes a “foldable OLED display panel” for products including not only “foldable smartphones” but “foldable tablet computers” and “foldable wearable video display monitor” (via GalaxyClub).
Challenging the stigma associated with foldable screen durability
Samsung's foldable panels had a bit of a rough start five years ago when the original Galaxy Fold made its debut. Many review units have had their foldable displays break (partly because of a misunderstanding regarding the built-in screen protector), and the phone was temporarily pushed back.
Ever since, Samsung has done everything in its power to improve both the durability of its foldable panels and the public image attached to this emerging technology.
The latest Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 models are miles ahead of the originals released nearly half a decade ago, but even so, many prospective buyers seem reluctant to join the foldable phone market.
Whatever “Ironflex” means remains to be seen, but the name will likely be associated with Samsung wanting to win the trust of customers and convince phone users that foldable Galaxy devices are more resilient than ever.
Given the timing of this trademark, there is a high probability that the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 will be Samsung's first devices to boast the Ironflex label. The upcoming foldable phones are expected to become official later this summer.
Until then, Samsung has a few non-foldable Galaxy phones in store for fans. The company will unveil the Galaxy S24 series on January 17 at an Unpacked event in San Jose, California. Throughout the first half of 2024, Samsung will also announce a new rugged phone and more Galaxy A mid-range devices.
