According to a patent listed by Samsung in the United States, the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 3 from the Korean manufacturer could become available in two separate versions: double-fold and triple-fold at two points. Cover Pigtou, who originally reported on the patent, has also rendered patents on the possible appearance of the phones.

The double-folding Dual-Fold model is partly reminiscent of the year 2020 Galaxy Z Fold 2, but instead of a mid-bend structure, it would rely on two folds – one on both sides. In practice, with these folds, the phone would not shrink even when fully folded, resembling a traditional telephone, but would remain wide, like a tablet, even in its closed position. In this case, the front side would be adorned side by side with a narrow screen and an equally wide strip next to it from the back cover of the phone with its main cameras. When opened, it would have a much wider aspect ratio than Z Fold 2.

Perhaps a more interesting model, and at least a more traditional size that would eventually fit in telephone use, would be the three-fold folding Tri-Fold introduced by the patent. This model also relies on two folds, which, however, fold in different directions relative to each other, which would allow a wider aspect ratio to be achieved in tablet mode without a particularly wide phone space. In addition to the three folds, the Tri-Fold also stands out from previous Galaxy Z Fold phones and the Dual-Fold patent with its single-screen design.

The first fold of the Tri-Fold is reminiscent of previous Galaxy Z Fold models, folding the screen against itself. In Tri-Fold, however, this would still leave a strip-wide screen that folds to the other side, forming a fold previously seen in, among other things, Huawei’s folding Mate X, with the folded screen left on the left side of the phone. With more folding, the Tri-Fold could be much more reminiscent of traditional tablets in tablet mode, like the Dual-Fold, but nevertheless narrow in its phone mode and thus easier to use with one hand. On the other hand, the three-fold design would probably be considerably thick in its closed state. In its original news, Cover Pigtou also considers the possibility of folding the phone into a laptop-like space, with one of the three folds acting as a keyboard at the bottom and the others acting as a display.

Both phones featured in the patent share a similar camera design – a relatively large stick in the middle of the back of one fold. However, when looking at rendering and patent data, it should be borne in mind that these are still mere patents and there is no guarantee that such plans will become the ultimate telephone. In addition, even if the phones were actually coming, there is still no information on their schedules.

Sources: Cover Pigtou, patent