Samsung Unveils New Folding Phone

Samsung Electronics Co. on Tuesday teased its next-generation Galaxy Fold design: a mini-clamshell phone that folds in from top to bottom, rather than the sides.

The company didn’t provide details on when it would launch the square-shaped device. But the first look indicates the company is sticking with foldable phones after the troubled rollout of the first model.

It showed the design in a video at a Samsung conference in San Jose, helping developers start thinking about new software for the device.

Bloomberg News reported earlier this year that Samsung was planning such a design for a new foldable phone to be formally announced early next year.

The handset is expected to have a 6.7-inch inner screen with a thinner frame at a cheaper price than the $1,980 Galaxy Fold. Samsung is also working with U.S. design firm Thom Browne to push its luxury appeal.

Like the current Fold, this new version will also run Android software and apps. It will have a hole punch camera in the screen like the latest Samsung smartphones and two rear-facing cameras.