折叠手机壳会是什么样？

A phone case company has already started to figure out what a case looks like for the coming wave of foldable phones. U.S. company Spigen has shared mock-ups* of three products it plans to release for Samsung’s Galaxy Fold.

The cases all share similar designs, with front covers protecting the top and bottom bezels* of the 4.6-inch outside display and cutouts* for the triple-camera system on the back. There will be three models — the Tough Armor, Ultra Hybrid and Thin Fit — with varying degrees of protection, ranging from a thick plastic case to a translucent* wrap. All cases will be priced around US$20, and largely made out of plastic and silicone materials.

While the outside of the cases look relatively familiar, the key addition here is the hinge*, which phone case makers haven’t had to account for in the past. It seems like every company designing a foldable phone has taken a different approach to the hinge — Huawei’s Mate X folds outward, Motorola seems to be working on one that flips closed — while Samsung has gone with a book-like shape that uses a hinge with multiple interlocking gears on the inside to fold closed.

A Spigen developer says the company created around 20 different prototypes* to prepare for a variety of options and possibilities: “We had to find as many sources as possible to analyze the new structure of the phone.” The company had to consider what material would work best to let its cases fold. The hinge for the Tough Armor case is made of a “special constructive structure for bending purposes.” Spigen says it’s aiming to launch them in mid-April, around the time the Galaxy Fold goes on sale.(SD-Agencies)