Samsung Is Working On World’s First “Quad-Fold” Smartphone To Directly Challenge Huawei and TCL

Samsung has filed a patent for what could be the most ambitious foldable design to date—a quad-fold smartphone featuring four interconnected panels and three hinges. The documentation, labeled under the title “ELECTRONIC DEVICE INCLUDING BENDABLE DISPLAY,” signals Samsung’s continued dominance in foldable display innovation, staking a claim beyond the current tri-fold concepts from competitors such as Huawei and TCL.

As reported by SamMobile, the patent reveals a device structured with four panels connected horizontally via three hinges, each supporting a continuous flexible display. Unlike outward-folding designs seen in some of Huawei’s prototypes, Samsung opts for an inward-folding configuration. This format shields the display when folded, which could mitigate issues related to screen durability—still one of the major concerns for foldable devices. Such a design would likely make use of Samsung’s proprietary Ultra Thin Glass (UTG), which has progressively improved since its debut on the Galaxy Z Fold series, offering enhanced scratch resistance and reduced crease visibility.

Designer: Samsung

It’s all in the layout. Three hinges divide four distinct panels, meaning the device could morph through multiple configurations—pocket-friendly phone, dual-fold for notifications, tri-fold for tablet duties, and finally, a full unfold for productivity overkill. Technically, however, this quad-fold concept introduces substantial complexity. Managing the mechanical strain across three hinges, while preserving uniform display tension and longevity, will be challenging. However, Samsung Display’s experience with flexible OLEDs and hinge durability testing could make this feasible. If each panel measures approximately 6 inches diagonally, the fully unfolded device could reach 12 inches or more, eclipsing even tablets like the iPad Pro and approaching the size of compact laptops while retaining the portability of a smartphone when folded.

This device is sort of a potential shift in the usability paradigm. A quad-fold would allow a variety of usage modes. Users could adopt a single-panel phone mode, a dual-panel intermediate, a tri-panel for tablet-like applications, and the full quad-panel layout for productivity scenarios, multitasking, or immersive media consumption. Such versatility could address the current limitations of foldables, where most devices primarily offer two modes—phone and tablet—without much nuance in between. And let’s not pretend Samsung isn’t strategically nudging Apple here. Cupertino hasn’t even officially admitted it wants to fold anything, and Samsung’s already diagramming folding sandwiches. Huawei’s tri-fold prototype might hit the market first, but Samsung seems to be saying, “Why stop at three?”

But before you start planning your next upgrade, a sobering note: this might be little more than strategic patenting. Samsung has a history of filing forward-thinking designs to build a defensive moat, not necessarily to ship every concept. Still, the fact that these schematics exist, complete with hinge mechanics and potential use-case scenarios, tells us the company is at least exploring the limits of foldable tech far beyond its existing Z Fold lineup.

Samsung’s quad-fold also subtly outmaneuvers Huawei and TCL by focusing on inward folding. Why does this matter? Huawei’s outward-folding designs, while flashy, expose the flexible display to the wild—scratches, dust, and the occasional existential dread of dropping it. Samsung’s inward-fold protects the fragile display like a medieval knight shielding its heart. With Samsung Display likely at the helm of this engineering feat, expect Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) iterations to reinforce this massive canvas, possibly with even better scratch resistance and less visible crease lines than the current Z Fold 5.

The real question is whether Samsung will commercialize this in the Galaxy Z Fold family or launch it as a new series entirely. A “Galaxy Z Flex Ultra,” perhaps? There was a news-nugget in the past that Samsung would call this the Galaxy W because of the letter’s 4-line shape, but it seems like Samsung’s ditched that nomenclature. However, considering Samsung’s playbook, we might see a tri-fold device emerge first—since the same patent also showcases a triple-panel, dual-hinge design with USB-C and triple cameras. This could be Samsung’s immediate answer to Huawei and TCL while the quad-fold remains in the lab, terrifying hinge designers worldwide.

At the end of the day, Samsung’s quad-fold is just a concept, although the highly detailed patent leads me to believe they’ve got a working prototype somewhere in their R&D division that’s just waiting to *ahem* get left behind in a cab the way Google’s engineers tend to do with their phones. The design, at least on paper, is complex and probably hideously expensive (think Galaxy Z Fold Ultra pricing, $2,000+ easy), poised to frustrate and delight tech enthusiasts in equal measure. Whether it dethrones anyone or simply creates a new throne entirely, Samsung’s ready to bend the rules, literally.

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