Samsung's New Patent Solves the Antenna Problem Inside a Phone That Folds Twice

By Patentlyze Team · Updated Jul 10, 2026

Fold a phone in thirds and you've got a new problem nobody talks about: where do you put the antenna when the device's frame keeps moving? Samsung's latest patent tackles exactly that.

What Samsung's tri-fold antenna slot actually does

Imagine a phone that folds twice, like a paper brochure, giving you a full tablet-sized screen that collapses into a pocket-friendly rectangle. That's the hardware promise of a tri-fold phone. But every time you add a hinge, you're chopping up the metal frame that normally acts as the antenna.

Samsung's patent describes a clever workaround. The middle section of the phone has a metal strip along one edge. When the two outer panels fold inward and overlap, they leave a tiny gap, called a slot, right above a specific point on that metal strip. That gap isn't accidental, it's the antenna. The wireless circuitry connects to the metal at that exact point and uses the whole strip to send and receive radio signals.

In other words, Samsung is turning the physical space between two folded panels into a functional part of the radio system, rather than fighting against it. It's a bit like finding out the crack between two floorboards is actually the best place to run a wire.

How the folded gap becomes a working antenna

The patent describes a three-part folding device: a central housing with a metal conductive strip along one side, and two outer panels that rotate inward on either side of it. Think of the central body as the spine of a book, with two covers that fold shut over both faces.

The key moment is when both outer panels are folded closed. In that position, a slot (a narrow air gap) forms between the edges of the two outer panels, positioned directly above a specific feed point on the central metal strip. The wireless circuitry connects to that feed point electrically.

The conductive strip then functions as a slot antenna (a type of antenna where radio waves are radiated through a gap in a conductive surface, rather than from a protruding element). Because the slot's position is defined by the folded geometry of the device, it only appears in the closed, folded configuration.

• Central housing holds the conductive strip and the wireless radio circuitry
• Two outer housings hinge inward and create the antenna slot when closed
• The radio feed point on the strip aligns precisely with the slot's position
• RF signals are transmitted and received using the combined strip-and-slot structure

What this means for tri-fold phone signal quality

Antenna design is one of the least glamorous and most consequential parts of any phone. Metal frames are ideal for antennas, but folding phones slice that frame into pieces with hinges, which interrupt the conductive path. The more folds you add, the worse the problem gets. A tri-fold phone, if handled naively, would be a signal nightmare.

This patent suggests Samsung has a concrete plan for how to handle RF performance in a device with two hinges. By intentionally using the geometry of the folded state as the antenna structure, the design avoids having to cram a conventional antenna into an increasingly cramped body. If Samsung does ship a tri-fold device, antenna performance will be one of the first things reviewers test, and this kind of foundational work is why companies file these patents years in advance.

Editorial commentary on a publicly published patent application. Not legal advice.