Phones
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 waterdrop hinge enters rigorous testing
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is expected to feature a new waterdrop hinge, which reportedly entered the testing phase. Per Korean media, the company is going to start a final reliability test of a waterdrop-shaped hinge for an upcoming foldable phone releasing in the second half of the year.
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As reported, the final hinge concept will be finalized after a month of testing. So far, Samsung foldables used a U-shaped hinge, which is now getting replaced with a new waterdrop-shaped hinge. As soon as the final concept is confirmed, parts production is expected to begin in May through KH Vatech.
TheElec sources claim that the South Korean tech giant is likely to begin a final reliability test on the waterdrop-shaped hinge concept to be applied to the Galaxy Z Fold 5. This kind of hinge supports both screens in close contact when a foldable phone is folded and lessens crease visibility.
In the recent past, Chinese vendors lowered the thickness of the hinge area to 11-14mm using the waterdrop-shaped hinge for foldable phones. Since the thickness of the phone reduced, there may be concerns with durability, hence, Samsung entered the hinge in rigorous testing.
For the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Samsung’s first goal is to reduce the thickness to 14mm or less since the thickness of Galaxy Z Fold 4’s hinge part is 15.8 mm. Ahead of finalizing the waterdrop hinge production, Samsung could carry out a folding test of 200,000 basic times and a limit of 300,000 times over the next month.
“When the product is folded 200,000 times, the durability of the foldable panel must be maintained within 15% of the initial strength to be evaluated as durable. It takes 4 to 5 days to conduct the 200,000 folding test.”
Post getting test approval, Samsung’s droplet-shaped hinge could begin assembling by KH Vatech. Furthermore, the device is expected to not feature any changes in specification and design, hence, Samsung may put the new hinge tech and lightweight design in highlight.
Google just unveiled the Pixel 8a 5G smartphone to compete with Samsung Galaxy S23 FE. The new smartphone features a durable battery, the brand-new Tensor G3 chip from Google, long-lasting software support, and more.
Google Pixel 8a Specifications
The Pixel 8a smartphone sports a 6.1-inch Actua OLED screen with a high resolution (1080 x 2400 pixels) and brightness (up to 2,000 nits), featuring a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
With 8GB of RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage options, the Pixel 8a is powered by Google’s Tensor G3 processor. The smartphone includes a 4492mAh battery, supports fast charging, and offers wireless charging. However, it lacks the Pixel 8 series’ wireless powershare feature.
On the back, there is an impressive camera module that includes a 64-megapixel main camera and a 13-megapixel ultrawide camera. It also features a 13MP front camera for selfies.
Google promises seven years of software updates for the device, which is more than what’s offered for the Galaxy S23 FE. It comes preinstalled with Android 14. It also includes advanced security features to protect against malware and phishing.
Moreover, the smartphone supports a Proximity sensor, Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Gyrometer, Magnetometer, Barometer, Face Unlock, and Fingerprint Unlock. It is IP67-certified for dust and water resistance, as well as uses 24% recycled materials.
Availability and Price
Google Pixel 8a is offered in Aloe, Bay, Porcelain, and Obsidian colors. It comes in two storage variants, 128GB and 256GB. The prices are as follows:
- For the 8GB RAM + 128GB storage option, the cost is $499, £499, €549, or INR 52,999.
- The 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant is priced at $559, £559, or €609.
Colorful. Powerful. AI-full. #Pixel8a is a smarter phone, at a great price.
Designed with Google AI and a best-in-class camera:
👌Best Take*
🧠Gemini*
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🔇Audio Magic Eraser**See video & pre-order now: https://t.co/GWfCo6ayOn pic.twitter.com/rbNNCudqib
— Made by Google (@madebygoogle) May 7, 2024
LG Innotek is supplying CoF for budget and mid-range Samsung smartphones this year. Despite the CoF supply chain formed by the Korean govt., Stemco still has the upper hand in overall volume and model-specific volume in the Samsung CoF market.
TheElec notes that LG Innotek is not making progress in Samsung smartphones’ CoF (chip-on-film) market. Back in 2021, Korean govt formed a local CoF supply chain, but Japan’s Stemco still has an edge over LG Innotek in the Samsung smartphone CoF market.
As of 2024, LG Innotek and PI Advanced Materials are still supplying CoF and related materials for Samsung’s affordable phones like the Galaxy A5 series. Pay attention, the lower lineup of the Galaxy A series and Galaxy M series uses the CoG method, mounting chips on glass substrates.
LG Innotek’s CoF production line operation rate is expected to reach around 70% this year. Beyond Samsung, LG Innotek supplies smartphone CoFs to Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi. Notably, G Innotek’s revenue was 20.6 trillion won last year.
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Benchmark listing confirms Samsung will fuel the US Galaxy Z Flip 6 with a Snapdragon chipset. The device has benchmarked on Geekbench, scoring sizing points in single-core and multi-core tests. Interestingly, the Flip phone features 12GB of RAM, which is a big upgrade.
As spotted by CID/X, the US variant of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 will feature up to 12GB RAM and Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor. While the listing doesn’t mention the phone’s marketing name, Samsung’s modeling strategy says SM-F741U is the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Earlier, the same product surfaced on Geekbench’s graphics processing unit test. The device reached the same performance as the Galaxy S24 Ultra despite lacking such larger cooling tech. As far as the CPU performance is concerned, the Z Flip 6 scored:
- 1794 in single-core
- 4486 in multi-core
BREAKING‼️
US Galaxy Z Flip6 (SM-F741U) spotted on GeekBench with 12GB RAM
Single-core 1794
Multi-core 4486You saw it here first 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/kbG6w0k1wb
— CID (@theonecid) May 7, 2024
Samsung is expected to hold its next Unpacked event in Paris right before the 2024 Olympics kicks off. The tentative date is July 10, when the company will introduce Galaxy Z Flip 6, Z Fold 6, and Z Fold 6 Ultra. More products including the Watch 7 series and Galaxy Ring are expected.
As the company still has around two months to unveil, there will be further performance improvements. Global consumers might be disappointed as the Exynos is expected to power some units. It might harm some sales but Samsung has to do it to maintain the cost-cutting.
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