Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Samsung Galaxy Fold’s development paved the way for Android 10 foldable support

Christian de Looper
By

The Samsung Galaxy Fold could arguably be credited with kickstarting a new smartphone form-factor — the foldable. Turns out, however, that the Galaxy Fold doesn’t just have major implications for the future of smartphone hardware — it also had a major impact on Android, the operating system found on the majority of smartphones.

According to Samsung, work on building a version of Android that would support foldable devices started in April 2018, and Samsung and Google worked alongside each other in Korea, the U.S., and China. The result of that work? The native foldable support that we see in Android 10.

“Together with ecosystem partners like Samsung, we have the opportunity to deliver an entirely new user experience that could transform the way we use our smartphones. We enjoyed working closely with the Samsung team and the Android developer community to ensure the users of the Galaxy Fold have the best experiences with their favorite apps and services,” Sagar Kamdar, director of product management for Android at Google, said in a blog post.

Not only does Android now support foldable devices because of the work the two companies did together, but there are also a number of apps that support foldable devices too — despite the fact that there aren’t all that many foldable phones out there just yet. These apps include the likes of Amazon Prime Video, Facebook, Spotify, Twitter, VSCO, and more.

Of course, the way foldable phones work will likely change over the next few years. Foldable devices, in general, are still in their infancy, and as more consumers get their hands on foldable phones and more manufacturers build foldable phones of their own, software companies will continue to build new ways to take advantage of those larger and flexible displays.

The particular changes that Google made to Android 10 include the fact that it supports window resizing, an updated Android Emulator to support multiple display types, and more. It all works behind the scenes — but it’s aimed at ensuring that apps work seamlessly between different displays, and resize fluidly when the display size changes while an app is open.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold is set to finally ship to customers later this month, and we’re expecting a slew of other foldable devices to make their way to the public over the next year or so.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Why the $450 Samsung Galaxy A54 may be 2023’s most savvy smartphone buy
The green and purple Galaxy A54's camera modules.

-Samsung’s Galaxy A Series has long been a great choice for people who want Galaxy S Series style without the S Series price. The Galaxy A54 and Galaxy A34 are the latest, and Samsung isn’t being shy about giving these phones the latest flagship look.

Even better news is that the A54 continues to provide a great screen, long battery life, a decent camera, and solid everyday features you’ll love — all for a value-driven price. Could the new Galaxy A54 phone be 2023’s savviest smartphone buys? I tried it out for a short time to find out.
Getting the Awesome colors right

Read more
The Google Pixel Fold may launch a lot sooner than you expected
Alleged dummy model of the Google Pixel Fold.

Google is apparently closer to launching its first foldable phone a lot earlier than leaks had predicted. WinFuture, citing information received from sellers, reports that the Pixel Fold is lined up for a market release in June. It appears that Google will at least give a brief teaser of the phone at its I/O developers conference in May, alongside the budget-centric Pixel 7a.

The report adds that Pixel Fold is the official marketing name of the foldable phone, and it will at least be up for grabs in the European markets in the second week of June. The eagerly awaited phone will be sold in a sole 256GB storage configuration, while color options on the table are Carbon and Porcelain.

Read more
One of last year’s most luxurious smartwatches finally has Wear OS 3
Tag Heuer Connected Calibre E4 Classic watch face.

Tag Heuer has announced that its luxurious Calibre E4 smartwatch range is all set to receive an update to Google's Wear OS 3 software, and that it will bring with it significant changes.

Google announced Wear OS 3 in May 2021, while Tag Heuer released the 42mm Connected Calibre E4 and 45mm Connected Calibre E4 in 2022, so the update has been a long time coming.

Read more