[IFA2022] Samsung Electronics "Researching the Thickness for Fold4 S Pen"

"Must make it thinner to fit, but writing feel worsens"
"Developing wrinkle-free material... Watching rollable phones and others"

Choi Won-jun, Vice President and Head of Strategic Product Development Team, MX (Mobile Experience) Division, Samsung Electronics

[Berlin, Germany = Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold4 and Flip4 are receiving positive market responses, but Samsung Electronics stated on the 4th (local time) that equipping the Fold4 with an S Pen is not easy and is under careful consideration. This was announced at a press conference during 'IFA2022,' Europe's largest electronics exhibition held in Berlin, Germany.

Choi Wonjun, Vice President and Head of Strategic Product Development Team at Samsung Electronics MX (Mobile Experience) Division, told reporters that to fit the pen inside, the thickness must be reduced, but this leads to a dilemma of deteriorated writing feel.

Vice President Choi explained that the most requested features from users are to have the S Pen inside the phone and to improve the size of the external (cover) display to make it easier to use. Among these, he said they are struggling with the S Pen due to the downside of worsened writing feel.

Choi said, "The Fold4's thickness is currently about 6.3mm, but the S Pen needs to be thinner to fit inside the phone, and in that case, the writing feel worsens. We are researching what thickness for the S Pen would be optimal."

He added, "Some customers want the S Pen built-in, but others want the device to be thinner, so resolving this conflicting issue is also an important task. We are examining various aspects, including making prototypes, and are in the process of finding the optimal point that satisfies all requirements."

Regarding the technology to increase the cover display size, he said there is a dilemma because it makes the device thicker. Vice President Choi responded, "We are considering whether it is the right decision to compromise on thickness to enlarge the cover display."

On the issue of creases forming when folding the foldable device, he answered, "From the display material development perspective, we are trying to minimize the 'crease' by developing materials that minimize deformation."

In response to criticism that the Flip4 battery drains quickly, he said, "The battery capacity has increased from the previous 3300mAh to 3700mAh, and we are confident that users will clearly feel the software improvements in the market."

When asked whether they are developing new form factors such as rollable devices, he gave a general answer, "We have been observing rollable and slidable devices for a long time."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.