A future Galaxy Z Flip could turn your cover screen into a speaker, but why?

One downside to using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 and previous Galaxy Z Flip phones is that you can only take calls with the loudspeaker when the device is folded. However, it looks like Samsung and LG are working on a solution.

The Korean-language Sisa Journal reports that Samsung Display and LG Display are working on OLED screens that emit sound by vibrating the screen. The two companies are apparently working to integrate this so-called piezoelectric speaker technology into future foldable phones.

Galaxy Z Flip owners can’t take calls on their folded devices by holding the phone to their ears. This is because the earpiece and microphone are in close proximity when the device is folded, so holding the earpiece to your ear would ostensibly block the microphone. However, turning the flip phone’s cover screen into a speaker would theoretically allow people to take calls on a folded device without resorting to the loudspeaker.

Piezoelectric speakers aren’t anything new for the smartphone industry, though. Xiaomi’s original Mi Mix introduced this technology back in 2016, enabling thinner bezels by turning the display into a speaker. We criticized this solution back then for its lack of volume. However, the vivo Nex debuted similar tech in 2018 and we thought this did a solid job at the time. So we really hope Samsung and LG’s solution doesn’t disappoint.