Berlin, Sep 4 (IANS): Making a new hinge mechanism that is slimmer and lighter while maintaining its sturdiness was one of the greatest challenges in the development of the latest foldable phones, a Samsung executive has said.

"There are two core elements needed to produce a successful foldable phone: a flexible and foldable display and a hinge for folding and unfolding operations," said Dr Choi Won-joon, head of the flagship product R&D team at Samsung's Mobile experience division.

"Making a more compact and lightweight hinge while not compromising its durability was a huge challenge," Choi said during a press briefing in Berlin on the sidelines of Europe's biggest tech show, ‘IFA 2022', reports Yonhap news agency.

Developers were able to eventually come up with a completely new hinge system, called a spiral hinge, Choi said, after some 20 failed attempts in the span of nearly a year.

Samsung has launched its latest foldable smartphones in some 40 countries, hoping the new products could jump-start the lacklustre global smartphone sales amid high inflation.

The company received a record one lakh pre-booking orders for its newly-launched Galaxy Z Flip4 and Galaxy Z Fold4 foldable smartphones in India.

Samsung said that in India, the fourth generation foldables have broken last year's preorders records, indicating strong interest in the new devices.