S Pen support, which should put a patch on the absence of a new Galaxy Note, and a camera under the screen: is this Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3?
This August Samsung will hold the classic Galaxy Unpacked event from which will come out the premium smartphones for the second half of the year. As widely anticipated by rumors (but still no confirmation from the company), the lineup of smartphones this year will be devoid of a new Galaxy Note, whose replacements will be performed (in part) by Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.
The foldable South Korean in fact will have support for the S Pen, the iconic stylus that distinguishes the Galaxy Note range since its creation. But that's not all, because the innovations that Samsung would have in store for its Galaxy Z Fold 3 - which will arrive along with Galaxy Z Flip 3, according to rumors during the same event - will not be limited to the stylus: the frame of the foldable should be more robust and durable than before, and in addition are expected big news for the display, namely the integration of the fingerprint reader for secure unlocking that could pair with the camera, also arranged under the screen.
The in-display camera on Galaxy Z Fold
A futuristic solution, one that according to Letsgodigital would lead Samsung to push the innovation pedal even further. The foldable smartphones, despite existing for a couple of years, are far from the levels of diffusion that would consecrate them as a real alternative to traditional smartphones, so the company of Seoul may have decided to further innovate a product still innovative par excellence.
A risk, judging by the results shown by ZTE Axon 20, the first consumer product to use a camera under the screen: the photos taken with the front camera have not convinced for quality and definition, but obviously if Samsung were to bring on the market a solution of this type would do so with the certainty of having worked hard and to have done everything possible to smooth the physiological flaws of youth of a technology still in its infancy.
The patent ended up in the hands of Letsgodigital, which speculates that the camera under the display may already be part of the equipment of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3, was applied for by Samsung in November 2020 to the European Patent Office, after which the documentation was included in the database of the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO). The document references another patent applied for by Samsung in Korea in 2019, proving that the company has been working on this solution for a long time.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 patent
Samsung shows how it intends to place different types of sensors under the display, such as the selfie camera, fingerprint camera and a proximity sensor. The camera and related sensors are located in the upper right corner, in the area where the Galaxy Fold got the notch. The fingerprint sensor is obviously further down.
Using a backing plate placed between the screen and the camera module, the pressure exerted on the screen by finger interaction ends up not affecting the camera's performance. Around the camera module, extra space is left to the left and right so that it can move when the device is folded and opened. The documentation also mentions the presence of three or more cameras under the display.
If Samsung wants to impress fans with Galaxy Z Fold 3, this would certainly be one of the best ways to achieve that.