Samsung's next-gen foldable smartphones are days away from getting unveiled at Unpacked. But what will happen next once the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 are official? Will Samsung go back to the drawing board for another year? Or will the company release a third foldable device sooner rather than later?
Well, Samsung is reportedly taking the latter route and will announce its first full-fledged foldable tablet on the same day as the Galaxy Tab S9 series. (via Naver)
Industry leaks have so far focused on the next-gen Z Flip, Z Fold, and Galaxy Watch devices, and there's not a lot of information surrounding the Galaxy Tab S9. However, assuming that Samsung follows a yearly launch schedule, the Tab S9 series — and the first foldable Galaxy tablet — should be unveiled around January-February 2023.
Samsung has experimented with various tablet form factors
It's no secret that Samsung has been tinkering with foldable display technology for about a decade. The tech became a reality with the first Galaxy Fold and kept getting better with every sequel.
Meanwhile, Samsung Display has had plenty of opportunities to showcase new and unique form factors based on its foldable display technology. It developed dual-folding, slideable, and rollable prototypes and has patented dozens of concepts. It even entertained the idea of creating a foldable 17-inch Galaxy Book laptop.
With that in mind, it's too early to say what form factor the first foldable Samsung tablet will adopt, but the basic principle will be the same: to provide a large screen in a compact form factor that can expand.
Samsung will reportedly use the so-called Galaxy Z Tab / Flex S series to solidify its position as the primary foldable display player in the game and try to increase the popularity of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 in the process. The latter two devices are to be unveiled at Unpacked on August 10.
