Phones
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 may come with touch-sensitive side buttons, reveals patent
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is one of the most anticipated smartphones this year. It will certainly have wonderful innovative features and propose a way for other OEMs to adopt this futuristic technology in their future smartphones.
It is expected that Galaxy Z Fold 3 will have some high-profile features, such as an under-panel camera, IP rating, S Pen support, and so on. Now, a new message has appeared on the Internet indicating that the device may have touch-sensitive side buttons.
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According to LetsGoDigital, Samsung submitted a patent for “foldable electronic equipment” to the World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) in November last year, which was issued on May 20, 2021. The patent document reveals a Galaxy Z Fold smartphone with touch-sensitive side keys.
The physical buttons originally located on the side of the phone have been removed, and a total of 8 sensor controls have been embedded on both sides of the phone. The user can activate certain functions of the phone by clicking, sliding, squeezing, and pinching the 8 sensor controls.
For example, the user can activate the power switch function through a simple click operation, activate the volume control function through a sliding operation, or make a pinch gesture to recognize multiple key input signals to activate more complex functions, such as opening a new browser window.
In addition, Samsung hopes to protect the hinge by implementing a gesture control system. Because, when the user presses the side button, a part of external pressure will be applied to the hinge, which may cause damage. At the same time, foldable devices are getting thinner and thinner, which makes it increasingly difficult to leave enough space for physical buttons.