Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 could have one feature to beat Huawei Mate X

With Samsung Galaxy Fold's minor teething problems out the way, we're left with one of the best equipped, most powerful 5G-capable phones on the market, pipping its main collapsible rival, the Huawei Mate X, to the post. But progress never sleeps, and Samsung is already hard at work on new tech for the Galaxy Fold 2.  

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A patent first discovered by Dutch-language site LetsGoDigital has been published, uncovering plans for a folding smartphone with under-screen camera technology, or USC. At present, the Samsung Galaxy Fold has five external cameras – two at the front and three at the back – and more hardware means a more expensive phone. 

However, an optical sensor in the phone's casing would use a 'light sensitive region' at the front of the phone, including a lens, but the sensor would be shared between the front and back cameras 'to maintain performance even in a folded or unfolded state'.

The result? Taking a selfie through the phone's housing could be as high-quality as if you had used the front camera to do so. This innovation would also reduce the need for so many different parts in the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, theoretically lowering the cost of the device. 

Rumours persist from South Korean news agency The Bell that the Galaxy Fold 2 will release in April at a lower price point. If the new technology is included, it could be one of the ways Samsung is preparing to cut the costs, creating a more elegant, simpler phone in the process.

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