Samsung’s big showcase during its Developer Conference keynote on Wednesday may have been the prototype of its foldable display smartphone, but the manufacturer did also share other display technology updates. While we thought Samsung was going to try and avoid the top-notch trend, it seems like the smartphone maker may lean right into it just like most others.
Before the keynote, reports indicated that Samsung had trademarked several brand names. The manufacturer gave details about what the names represent at the event. Check out the details below and what they may mean for upcoming smartphones.
New Infinity display: Samsung’s latest thin-bezel display. This display may be Samsung’s true edge-to-edge display with no obstructions to its front design. Such a display would likely have all of its sensors under the screen to negate the need for notches or sensor holes. Rumors surrounding the Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 suggest they may use this kind of display.
Infinity O display: Samsung’s display that will have a sensor hole. This display would allow for a no-bezel, edge-to-edge display, but it would also allow for one front sensor on a device, likely a camera sensor. Rumors already suggest that the Asus Zenfone 6 may have such a display design. As a component manufacturer for other companies, this could suggest Samsung may not be developing these kinds of displays primarily for its own smartphones. Samsung’s display business is very big, with several Chinese manufacturers as clients and event larger companies like Apple. Perhaps Asus may also use a Samsung display for its Zenfone 6. So far, these are the two biggest manufacturers, from which we’ve seen such a display design.
Infinity U display: Samsung’s display that will have a U-shaped top-notch. This design is similar to the top-notches on devices like the Essential Phone. The curved notch houses the front-facing camera sensor and allows the other areas of the screen to go as close to the edge of the device as possible. Samsung may also have the option of using this type of display for its lower-end devices that likely wouldn’t use the New Infinity display or even the Infinity O display.
Infinity V display: Samsung’s display that will have a V-shaped top-notch. This design may be a more unique and actually pointed in the shape of a V, or it could be similar to the tear-drop bezel that has been introduced on many other smartphones, such as the OnePlus 6T and devices by Oppo and Vivo. Similarly, this could be an edge-to-edge display option for cheaper Samsung devices, in addition to options for Samsung’s display business.
Infinity Flex display: Samsung’s technology for foldable displays. This is the display for Samsung’s long-rumored foldable display device. At this point, we don’t know if the device will be called the Samsung Galaxy F, Samsung Galaxy Flex or Samsung Infinity Flex, but we do know that the smartphone is on track for a 2019 release. We suspect sometime in late-February or early-March, near Mobile World Congress. This display will likely be edge-to-edge but may benefit from having a cover display to house any needed sensors.
