Over the last few months, Galaxy X, Galaxy F, Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Flex, and a few other names have been associated with Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone. The Korean company is expected to announce the foldable handset at its Unpacked event on February 20 in San Francisco. The event is scheduled to begin at 11 AM Pacific Time (2 PM Eastern Time) on February 20. Just a day before the event, a prolific tipster with a proven track record has confirmed that Samsung’s foldable phone would be called Galaxy Fold.
Samsung Galaxy Fold is almost here
VentureBeat contributor Evan Blass said in a tweet that it would be officially called ‘Samsung Galaxy Fold.’ The device represents an entirely new product category, so Samsung fans were expecting a new naming scheme. Other vendors including LG Electronics and Xiaomi are also working on foldable smartphones that they could show off at the Mobile World Congress later this month.
https://twitter.com/evleaks/status/1097783007094685696
Samsung offered us a glimpse of its foldable smartphone at its developer conference in November last year. However, the device was wrapped up in a bulky case to hide its design details. Earlier this month, Samsung released a teaser video showing off its unannounced products including the foldable phone. In the video below, you can see a woman holding the foldable phone, offering us a clear look at the device.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajD2WZioOOc
The video shows a regular smartphone with a front screen, but you can unfold it like a book to access a bigger display. The Galaxy Fold will have an outer display to give you quick access to the interface. Unfolding it will reveal a larger, inner display for better gaming and media experience. The device recently received certification in China with model number SM-F900, which indicates its launch is imminent.
What we know about the foldable phone
During its developer conference in November, Samsung told fans that the outer display would measure 4.58 inches with 1960 x 840 resolution and 21:9 aspect ratio. The inner, foldable display will measure 7.3 inches. It is said to have a 4.2:3 aspect ratio and a resolution of 2,152 x 1,536 pixels. Samsung will use the ‘Infinity Flex’ AMOLED display on the foldable phone.
The Korean electronics giant has worked with Google on the user interface to ensure that apps can transition from the outer display to the inner one seamlessly. It will offer a Continuity feature that will allow apps running on the outer screen to switch to the inner display when you unfold the device. The Galaxy Fold is said to run Samsung’s new One UI skin on top of Android 9 Pie. Thanks to its larger display and the ‘Multi-Active Window’ feature, it will be able to run three different apps simultaneously.
The Galaxy Fold will likely run Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 or Samsung’s in-house Exynos 9820 processor depending on the market. The same processors will also power the Galaxy S10, S10+, and S10 E that will be unveiled at the Unpacked event. It is said to offer 8GB RAM and up to 512GB of internal storage. At the bottom will be the speaker grille and a USB Type-C port. It’s unclear whether the device would retain the 3.5mm headphone jack.
The Galaxy Fold is rumored to have two batteries with a combined capacity of above 6,000mAh. The larger battery capacity would ensure a full day of battery life despite the giant, power-hungry displays. According to a report from Korea, the Galaxy Fold would pack two 3,100mAh batteries with part numbers EB-BF900ABA and EB-BF901ABA. If it turns out to be accurate, the device would have a capacity of 6,200mAh.
There is little clarity on its camera capabilities and their placement. In the video above, there appears to be no room for the selfie camera above the outer or inner display. It’s possible that the main camera would somehow serve as the selfie camera as well. Or Samsung could use a punch-hole display to accommodate the camera.
How much will it cost?
If you are thinking of buying the Galaxy Fold when it hits the store shelves, you should know that it’s going to cost a bomb because of the unique design and manufacturing difficulties. According to the Yonhap News Agency, it would cost two million won (roughly $1,800) in South Korea. A report from Gizmodo UK claimed that it would cost GBP 1,500 for the base model and about GBP 2,000 for the higher storage option.
Its pricing puts the device out of the reach of mainstream consumers. So, Samsung will reportedly produce it only in small quantities and target gamers with the foldable handset.
At the February 20 Unpacked event, we will see the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy S10+, Galaxy S10, Galaxy S10 E, a new Galaxy Watch Active, and wireless headphones called Galaxy Buds.
