What you need to know
- The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 are rumored to gain a new "swipe for split screen' gesture.
- This could bring a more fluid multitasking experience to Samsung's premium foldable phones.
- No details have been revealed as to what this feature will look like.
We're in a bit of a lull here in the Android space, as we get ready for the long summer nights accompanied by a slew of new hardware heading into an even-busier fall. But now's the time when we start hearing more and more about potential specs and features of upcoming phones.
The Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 have been the subject of quite a few rumors as of late, and the latest rumor from @UniverseIce claims Samsung will implement a “swipe for split screen” feature. If you're a fan of foldable phones, this may sound a bit familiar to you, as it's a similar feature found on the Oppo Find N and the recently-released Vivo X Fold.
With the Find N, if you want to split the screen in half, you just use two fingers and swipe down the middle of the display. Then you can add another app to your screen without messing around with diving into menus or dragging and dropping apps hoping that they end up in the right place.
Better multitasking is one of the primary wishes for Samsung's next batch of foldable phones. Currently, opening multiple apps on the screen isn't impossible, but it can get very cumbersome and frustrating. This is true even when using the S Pen paired with your Galaxy Z Fold 3.
Using gestures would go a long way to improve the overall experience, and if there's one thing we've learned from using the best foldable phones, is that there's no such thing as too many features. Especially when it comes to improving the usability of these devices with massive displays.
What is a bit curious, though, is that the feature is said to be coming to the Z Flip 4 as well, which obviously offers a more traditional candy bar design when unfolded. But maybe Samsung is just thinking that it will include the feature with both foldable phones, as opposed to just one. And perhaps this rumored gesture could make its way over to traditional phones like the Galaxy S22. After all, Motorola also has a similar feature for its smartphones, letting the user swipe back and forth across the display to open split-screen mode.
If recent rumors are to go by, we don't have too much longer to wait before seeing what Samsung's next foldable phones look like. We're expecting Samsung to make an announcement in early August, with the Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, and Galaxy Watch 5 to hit store shelves by the end of August.
Still the best?
With the Galaxy Z Fold 4 on the horizon, and new competition hitting the market, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 is still considered the best foldable phone. But there's definitely some room for improvement.
