Samsung’s much awaited Galaxy Z Flip released last week and while it is an improvement on last years Galaxy Fold, lets face it; It wasn’t hard to top that. I mean, what’s better than horrible? Most things, really. As much of an improvement as the device is, the screen still leaves a lot to be desired. Given that it’s going to set you back a cool $1380 USD, you’d expect the screen to at least be durable, right?
All that however, hasn’t stopped Samsung from announcing plans to sell the phone’s signature foldable glass screen to other manufacturers. The South Korean company will market its ultra thin glass branding as “tough, yet tender” in what we can only describe as one of those moments where you think something is a joke.. but it turns out it’s not and you’re not sure how to feel about it. You see, while Samsung’s screen is indeed technically glass, it’s not glass in the conventional sense of the word.
The real question here is whether or not other companies would actually buy it or not. On the one hand, as flawed as the screen is, it is still the best option in the market right now when it comes to foldables. On the other hand though, Samsung’s dominance in a market that’s still in its infancy could soon change. Companies such as Corning, who manufacture Gorilla Glass spoke to wired last year about how it was developing a 0.1-millimeter thick glass cover that could bend to a 5-millimeter radius without sacrificing strength and durability.
Whatever it is, this move will no doubt spur the development of more foldable displays which can only eventually lead to a foldable glass screen that’s actually durable.
