- More firmware testing for the tri-fold is now underway
- The model number points to an unlocked US variant
- We might see the phone unveiled in full on December 5
It seems a long, long time ago that Samsung gave us the first official tease of its upcoming tri-fold phone – but in fact it was only January of this year. Now a fresh leak suggests its launch is finally imminent, while also strongly hinting at US availability.
SamMobile has spotted that firmware testing for a Samsung phone with the model number SM-F968U1 is now underway. That number might not mean much to you, but if you know your Samsung, it points to an unlocked model of a US variant.
It follows the testing of firmware for model SM-F968U, which is believed to be the carrier-locked version arriving soon in the US. That’s based on the way Samsung has ordered its model numbers in the past.
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The team at SamMobile notes that this is a little later than would be expected for firmware testing – but it does suggest that US Samsung fans will be able to buy the handset. There has been some debate over just how widely available the phone would be.
What we think we know so far
The phone has briefly appeared in public (Image credit: Chosun)
Since that first official tease back in January, there have been plenty of leaks about what we can expect from this foldable with an extra fold. It’s apparently going to fold inwards and have a separate outer screen, unlike the Huawei Mate XT.
Some advanced software multitasking capabilities are expected, to take advantage of that extra-large display – which is rumored to measure 10 inches, corner to corner, when it’s properly opened out (as we saw in a brief official appearance).
Based on earlier leaks, it looks as though the phone is going to bring with it support for NFC payments, wireless charging, and reverse charging. We also think that it will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from Qualcomm.
Further leaks have pointed to a large 5,600 mAh battery and a launch date of Friday, December 5. Considering Samsung has promised the phone will be out by the end of the year, it could arrive any time between now and 2026.
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