The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was released last month but industry watchers are already attempting to uncover the secrets of its sequel. A new report by UBI Research cited by The Elec claims that Samsung is now considering adopting AES (Active Electrostatic Solution) digitizer technology to bring the S Pen to the next Galaxy Z Fold in the series. At the same time, the company is reportedly working on making UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) thick enough to withstand the tip of an S Pen.
This probably isn't the first time you hear rumors of Samsung wanting to bring the S Pen to its foldable series. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was previously rumored to boast this technology but Samsung was reportedly unable to make this vision a reality because of technical limitations.
Firstly, Samsung's Galaxy Note series adopts an EMR (Electro Magnetic Resonance) digitizer for the S Pen but the same technology is too rigid for foldable screens. Secondly, Samsung is said to have decided against fitting the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with an S Pen because the UTG layer isn't thick enough to resist the tip of the stylus.
Samsung to adopt a different digitizer and create UTG that's twice as thick
UBI Research believes that Samsung is now looking to address these shortcomings for the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3. The company may be unable to apply an EMR digitizer to a foldable panel but it might decide to adopt AES technology instead.
Both technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, but AES generally offers better overall performance at the expense of production costs. More importantly, AES might be usable with Samsung's foldable display technology.
Another area that Samsung is reportedly looking to improve is the ultra-thin glass. The foldable display of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a 30-micrometer layer of UTG that's too prone to damage from the tip of an S Pen. However, the company is reportedly working on making the UTG layer twice as thick for the Galaxy Z Fold 3 to allow the use of an S Pen.
Of course, it's too early to be certain of the validity of these rumors and even if Samsung is considering adding an S Pen to the Galaxy Z Fold 3, a lot can change by the time the phone enters mass production. We'll keep you posted as soon as we find out more.
