Samsung's $2,000 foldable phone has arrived.
It's here. After literally years of rumors, leaks, and reports, Samsung's announced its foldable smartphone. Samsung calls it the Galaxy Fold, and it looks pretty damn impressive.
Ready to learn more? Let's dive right in.
The latest Galaxy Fold news
March 19, 2019 — Hands-on video shows the Galaxy Fold in action
Thanks to a new video that was recently uploaded to YouTube, we have our first real hands-on look at the Galaxy Fold. Samsung did share its own hands-on video back in February, but this is the first time we've seen a raw, uncut look at the device.
The thing that jumps out the most is the crease in the middle of the Galaxy Fold's inner display. We expect to see creases with this first generation of foldable tech, and it really is highlighted in this video. It remains to be seen what sort of impact (if any) this has on day-to-day use, but it is a bit of an eyesore if you ask me.
Also shown in the video is the Galaxy Fold's outer display, glass back, and the satisfying click that happens when it's closed.
March 6, 2019 — Galaxy Fold will launch in India at some point this year
On the sidelines of the , Samsung's mobile business head DJ Koh revealed that the Galaxy Fold would make its debut in the country. Reiterating Samsung's commitment to India, Koh said that the foldable phone will launch in the country at some point. From :
Indian market is, I clearly said, most important market - not only investment and everything, my long-term commitment is towards the market. In this market, why will I not deliver my newest technology innovation? Yes, I will do.
Samsung is set to roll out pre-orders for the Galaxy Fold from next month, and right now there's no timeline for when the device will be available in India. But we should know more in the coming weeks once global availability kicks off.
February 26, 2019 — Samsung's Galaxy Fold will come with some sort of concierge service
Among all of the madness happening this week, had a chance to talk with Samsung UK's Director of Product, Services, and Commercial Strategy, Kate Beaumont about the company's upcoming Galaxy Fold.
Not only was the phone itself a pretty big bombshell, but so was its price of $1,980. Samsung knows that's a lot of money, and as such, is doing things a bit differently for the launch of the Galaxy Fold.
First thing's first, Samsung is creating a limited supply of Galaxy Folds units. According to Beaumont:
We'll have less supply than we would of the S10 at launch, and also how it goes to market is really important to us. This is a super premium device, and we want to make sure it has a concierge-like service and experience, so it's not going to be on display in all stores. You're not going to see it on the stands, we want to make sure it's a very personal experience. There will be quite intensive aftercare that goes with it as well.
The Galaxy Fold being offered in limited supply isn't surprising, but what is interesting is the mention of aftercare support and the concierge service. Samsung already said it's going to include premium packaging and free Galaxy Buds with the Galaxy Fold to make sure customers feel like they're getting something truly premium, and when you add that together with what Beaumont is now saying, it sounds like buying and owning a Galaxy Fold will be an experience in itself.
Samsung's yet to outline what retail availability will look like for the Galaxy Fold when it launches, but Beaumont did confirm that Samsung will hold another Unpacked event in early April to go into deeper detail about the Galaxy Fold leading up to its launch on April 26.
February 24, 2019 — Samsung offers our best look yet at the Galaxy Fold
We got a pretty extensive look at the Galaxy Fold at Samsung's Unpacked launch event, but it was all from a distance — the company didn't let anyone see the phone in person at the event. There's now a showing every single angle of the device, in person and in use.
The video comes with no commentary or even background music, but the important part is the visuals. Not only do we get close-up shots of every single angle of the phone, in multiple colors, but we see it being used in live demonstrations that go well beyond what Samsung showed up to this point. We can see full views of how the interface will work, as well as apps and even the camera.
February 20, 2019 — The Galaxy Fold is official!
It finally happened! After years of anticipation, Samsung finally announced the Galaxy Fold.
There's a lot to unpack with it, so be sure to check out our announcement article and keep reading below for all of the details.
All the big details
The Galaxy Fold has two displays
The main highlight of the Galaxy Fold is that it has two displays — one on the outside and another that's revealed when you open the phone up.
The outer display is a 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED panel with a 21:9 aspect ratio. The inner/main display of the Galaxy Fold is a large 7.3-inch QXGA+ Dyanic AMOLED canvas with a form factor of 4.2:3.
You can use the outer display for anything you'd regularly use your phone for, including texting, making calls, spending endless hours on Twitter, you name it. However, the big draw to the Galaxy Fold is that you can open it up and get a tablet-like experience in a device you can easily fit in your pocket.
A powerful hinge mechanism keeps everything secure
In order for the Galaxy Fold to be opened and closed, Samsung's using a powerful hinge mechanism. Here's how the company describes it:
Galaxy Fold opens smoothly and naturally, like a book, and closes flat and compact with a satisfying click. To achieve this, Samsung engineered a sophisticated hinge with multiple interlocking gears. This system is housed in a hidden enclosure for a seamless and elegant look.
The potential of a device like the Galaxy Fold is really exciting, and based on what we've seen so far, Samsung's doing everything it can to get the absolute most out of it.
For one thing, when you're using the Galaxy Fold with its main 7.3-inch display, you can get up to three apps simultaneously at once. Even more exciting, Samsung's using the Galaxy Fold to introduce a new feature called "App Continuity."
Let's say you're using the Galaxy Fold with its 4.6-inch display to browse Twitter and come across a video you want to watch. If you open the Galaxy Fold to access its larger screen, Twitter will automatically open up right where you left off to tie the whole experience together. That's pretty cool.
Samsung crammed in a total of 6 cameras
When it comes to cameras, Samsung's not cutting any corners with the Galaxy Fold.
On the phone, you'll find a total of 6 cameras. Here's what they're packing:
- Rear Camera 1 — 16MP Ultra Wide | f/2.2
- Rear Camera 2 — 12MP Wide-Angle | f/1.5 - f/2.4
- Rear Camera 3 — 12MP Telephoto | f/2.4
- Front Camera 1 — 10MP Selfie | f/2.2
- Front Camera 2 — 8MP Depth Sensor | f/1.9
- Cover Camera — 10MP Selfie | f/2.2
Yeeeeepppppp.
When Samsung launches the Galaxy Fold on April 26, it's going to cost you a whopping, heart-stopping, $1,980.
While that's undoubtedly a gob load of money, we should give credit where credit is due.
The Galaxy Fold is the first device of its kind to hit the market, and considering how much bleeding-edge technology it's using and that the Galaxy S10+ already has a starting price of $1000, it could certainly be worse.
Along with that, Samsung's also including premium packing with the Galaxy Fold and throwing in a free pair of its Galaxy Buds (a $130 value).