Thickness plan for foldable phone glass

Apple and Samsung, together with their suppliers, are developing ultra-thin glass (UTG) of different thicknesses for foldable phone glass. According to the plan, only the folded part of the glass will be thinned, leaving the rest thick. However, this design is not expected to catch up with the 2027 models; target 2028.

In today's foldable phones, UTG is generally produced with equal thickness. UTG means the very thin layer of glass covering the foldable screen. Moreover, this structure limits surface hardness and scratch resistance. In the new design, the folding area is aimed to be approximately 40 micrometers (μm). On the other hand, the non-folding sections are planned to remain above 100 micrometers.

Thus, the screen will maintain its foldability and flat surfaces will be more durable. Because when the folding area thickens, the risk of cracking during bending increases. Therefore, the existing technical limits in this region need to be preserved. In other words, although the foldable phone glass may appear to be a single piece, it will carry two different thicknesses together.

According to the news by ZDNet based on industry sources, neither company has adopted this design in their 2026 model foldables. In addition, it is expected that the models to be released in 2027 will continue to use the current UTG structure, which is flat and of equal thickness. The thicknesses in the models are as follows:

Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra: 45 micrometers

Galaxy Z Fold 8: 60 micrometers

Galaxy Z Flip 8: 50 micrometers

iPhone Duo: 45 micrometer thick top glass layer

The approaches of the two companies diverge under the OLED panel. For example, Apple uses two separate UTG layers on the iPhone Duo. The first one acts as a protective glass on the OLED screen. The second layer is 40 micrometers thick and lies under the panel. Its purpose is to reduce screen wrinkling in the folding area.

Samsung, on the other hand, uses UTG only in the protective layer on the panel. Apple's bottom glass layer is replaced by a titanium structure in Samsung. However, it is reported that the company is also working on new UTG technologies that can be used under the panel. Therefore, today's solutions of the two companies are different from each other.

There are issues that need to be resolved on the technical side. First of all, the thinned middle section needs to be filled with a suitable material. Because if this material does not show the same optical properties as the surrounding glass, color or image differences may occur on the screen.

Apple and Samsung are expected to make the final decision on whether to use the new foldable phone glass in their 2028 models in the last quarter of 2027.