Samsung Patents Sliding Galaxy Phone With Moving Camera as Apple Nears 1st Folding iPhone
Updated
Updated · Yanko Design · Jun 29
Samsung Patents Sliding Galaxy Phone With Moving Camera as Apple Nears 1st Folding iPhone
3 articles · Updated · Yanko Design · Jun 29
Summary
A May Samsung patent describes a Galaxy that slides open sideways from an S26-sized phone into a larger Fold-class display, avoiding both a hinge and the crease typical of foldables.
The design’s key twist is a rear camera module mounted on the moving half of the chassis, letting the phone stay thinner while sensors track the shifting housing to keep lenses and AR alignment accurate.
That concept is not on Samsung’s current product roadmap, which still points to the TriFold and Galaxy S26, underscoring the gap between a patent filing and a commercial device.
Samsung Display has already shown rollable and slidable panels publicly—including an 8.1-inch-to-12.4-inch concept at CES 2025—yet rollables have repeatedly stalled across the industry despite prototypes from LG, Oppo, Motorola and Tecno.
The filing arrives as Apple is expected to launch its first folding iPhone in September, highlighting Samsung’s effort to sketch a post-foldable design even while it supplies displays for Apple’s incoming device.