The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 only just arrived, but there is already a Galaxy Z Fold 8 rumor from The Elec (via SamMobile) to check out. And it's possibly concerning news about a key component of Samsung's foldables.
The backplate, which supports the inner folding display and works with the hinge to make the phone fold and unfold, is made of strong and light titanium on the Galaxy Z Fold 7. But Samsung is allegedly weighing up moving back to a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic design, which was used on all Galaxy Z Folds between the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 6.
A big reason given for this would be the difficulty of sourcing titanium parts from China. That could pose a major problem for Samsung given U.S. tariff plans. While it would technically be a downgrade, it unfortunately makes sense that Samsung would be considering factors beyond what's best for the phone when it comes to its components.
It would be awkward for Samsung to take this step backwards, given how the Z Fold 7 recently scored a big durability win by surviving 500,000 folds — 50% more than the Z Fold 6, in independent testing. While Samsung made several changes to the Z Fold 7's architecture, the new back plate likely contributed to this result.
A silver/titanium lining
Samsung first used a titanium plate on last year's Galaxy Z Fold SE, a limited-run, limited-availability model that paved much of the way to the excellent Galaxy Z Fold 7. It helped thin the phone significantly, but as The Elec explains, it also meant that Samsung could no longer include a digitizer layer for the S Pen, as the metal would cause interference with signals from the stylus.
If Samsung returned to CFRP, a possible benefit of the "downgrade" would be the return of stylus support to the Galaxy Z Fold 8. However, the two problems with that are a) the phone could get thicker again as a result and b) Samsung is apparently already working on alternate stylus designs that could work without needing a digitizer.
The Galaxy Z Fold 7 hasn't even gone on open sale yet — that happens on July 24th — so if you're now convinced that it's the foldable for you, you can read our guide to Galaxy Z Fold 7 pre-order deals and get yourself a bargain right now. But as much as we like the Z Fold 7, you shouldn't make a buying decision based on one piece of rumored evidence for the Galaxy Z Fold 8 alone.
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