Samsung’s next foldable may be chasing refinement again, which means the real upgrades are still a while away. A new leak from a known tipster, Ice Universe, claims that the Galaxy Z Fold 8 series will miss three key upgrades that would have made Samsung’s next flagship foldable a lot more exciting. This could make the Galaxy Z Fold 8 fall behind the rumored iPhone Fold.
The S Pen omission hurts the most
The lack of S Pen support will probably sting the most to many power users. Samsung’s notebook-style folding phones have always made sense as note-taking and productivity machines because of their tablet-like inner displays. A phone that unfolds into a larger canvas naturally feels like it should work with a stylus.
But it seems like Samsung plans on keeping the S Pen away from the Fold 8 series. One of the reasons is likely related to the design. S Pen supports need extra display hardware, and that also adds thickness and complexity. With Samsung obsessing over making its foldables thinner and lighter, getting rid of the stylus might be a worthy sacrifice for making the device feel more comfortable in-hand.
No privacy screen either
The leak also suggests that the Fold 8 series won’t get a privacy screen. That’s disappointing because foldables are exactly the kind of phones people use in public. A built-in privacy display would have made sense on a device this large. It could help stop people nearby from peeking at sensitive content. This is quite useful when the inner screen is fully open.
The crease may stick around
Then there’s the crease. Foldable displays have improved a lot over the years, but the crease remains one of the most obvious reminders that the technology is still not perfected. Ice Universe claims the crease won’t improve much on the Fold 8 series. While rumors point to the iPhone Fold having a crease-free screen like the Oppo Find N6, Samsung’s upcoming foldable might skip this major flexible display upgrade.