There is a reason why smartphones and most wearable devices have used physical buttons for many years. Capacitive sensors work, but they are not as intuitive or reliable as regular buttons, and rain and sweat can interfere with their use, especially on sporty wearables.

So you might think that a new patent suggesting that Samsung plans to ditch the foldable physical buttons is bad news. But in fact, when we examine the patent discovered by LetsGoDigital, it makes perfect sense for the unique form factor of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3.

This advantage is created when the two sides of the device meet when the device is closed. This is certainly superior to the current design where the thumb must lock onto a button half the thickness of the frame.

Capacitive sensors not only make devices thinner without having smaller buttons, but also allow for a variety of control methods. For example, volume rockers can be replaced with volume sliders, or specific functions can be activated by squeezing the device. This technically means that there are duplicate buttons on both sides of the device in tablet mode, but for Samsung, it is very easy to disable one or both sides during deployment, making it a surprisingly versatile solution.

Of course, the patent does not mention what kind of handset it is intended for, if it is ever used in a commercial device; the 110-page patent is titled "Foldable Electronic Device," not just the Galaxy Z Fold 3 or Z Flip 3, It covers a very large number of Samsung's upcoming products, including the rumored folding tablets and the ones that open like a scroll. However, the photos certainly look like they are from the Z Fold line, so if we don't see it in the 3rd generation, it may be something that will appear in the 4th generation in 2022.

We expect to see the Galaxy Z Fold 3 this summer, and stills from the official appearance video seem to highlight features that Samsung is eagerly pushing, such as S Pen support and the company's first under-screen selfie camera. However, the previous generations of the Galaxy Z Fold were priced at $1,980 and $1,999, respectively.