Samsung’s cheaper, thinner, and ‘square’ foldable reportedly coming next year

Samsung is on the cusp of finally releasing its long delayed Galaxy Fold and already rumors are picking up about a second Samsung foldable set to launch next year. Bloomberg reports that the new Samsung smartphone is built around a 6.7-inch display that folds inward to form an easily pocketable “square.” It’s supposed to be more affordable and thinner than the $1,980 Fold, with a single hole-punch camera on the inside, and two more cameras on the outside. Samsung is also said to be collaborating with designer Thom Browne to help broaden the device’s appeal beyond gadget nerds.

The device sounds similar to the upcoming foldable Motorola RAZR being developed by Lenovo. In March, Bloomberg said that Samsung was working on a clamshell-styled foldable that could be released as early as this year.

Bloomberg notes that Samsung is testing ultra-thin bendable glass for the inner display on its next foldable. The Galaxy Fold uses a flexible plastic display covered by a thick polymer layer for protection.

In April, Samsung delayed the launch of the Galaxy Fold after phone reviewers were beset by hardware issues just days before the company’s first foldable was to ship to paying customers. The Fold has since been redesigned to protect the device’s 7.3-inch internal display from debris, and to make the protective layer applied to the bendable display less tempting to remove. The Galaxy Fold is expected to go back on sale any day now.