Jan 10, 2020 Update: We’re now hearing that Samsung’s foldable clamshell device may not end up being called the Galaxy Fold 2. According to a report from South Korean media, Samsung executives revealed more details about the handset during a secret meeting at CES.
Samsung Mobile CEO D.J. Koh reportedly said the handset will be called the Galaxy Bloom. The Korean-language Ajunews reports that Samsung plans to target female customers in their 20s with the handset. The design of the Galaxy Bloom is reportedly inspired by luxury cosmetic maker Lancome’s powder compact. SamMobile spotted the report.
One other tidbit from the report suggests that instead of a plastic polymer, the display on the device will feature foldable glass. As with all rumors, this report should be taken with a grain of salt, although this one does line up with what we’ve heard so far.
Previously: Samsung is expected to reveal the Galaxy Fold 2 at some point this year, although there has been no indication of when it will happen. There have been plenty of rumors about the handset though, and we could find out more at Samsung’s next Unpacked event in February. Here’s everything we’ve heard about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 so far.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 release date
While there have been plenty of rumors about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, one thing we haven’t heard anyone speculate about is the release date. There are a few possibilities here.
First, Samsung is widely expected to unveil a new foldable device at its next Unpacked event on Feb. 11. The company has already sent out invitations, and they feature two images. The first is shaped like what we would expect the Galaxy S11 to be shaped like, meaning, a rectangle with rounded corners. The other is shaped more like a square, which has led some to believe that the rumored clamshell handset will be revealed at the event.
Samsung has long been rumored to be working on foldable devices with different designs, and one has been a clamshell design that folds like the flip phones of the 1990s. If such a handset makes an appearance at the Unpacked event on Feb. 11, it might bear the Galaxy Fold 2 name, or it could be called something else. It might make more sense for Samsung to attach a slightly different name, perhaps keeping the “Fold” moniker but adding something else to it to distinguish it from the original Fold device. Of course, this is pure speculation on our part.
As far as the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 goes, it wouldn’t be surprising if the handset didn’t make an appearance until the fall. The original Fold landed in April initially but was recalled after early reviewers had some serious problems with the display. There is a possibility that Samsung will be ready with the Galaxy Fold 2 earlier than the fall, but it seems doubtful due to the setbacks with the original Fold.
Specs
Not much about the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 specs is known yet, but we did hear an early tidbit from reputed tipster Ishan Agarwal. He told MySmartPrice exclusively that the Fold 2 will sport a Snapdragon 855 chipset. This is particularly interesting because that would mean the foldable handset won’t feature the newest chipset. Qualcomm has already launched the Snapdragon 855 Plus and the Snapdragon 865, so the Snapdragon 855 is essentially last year’s chip.
Bloomberg reported in September that Samsung was working on what it described as a “foldable phone that collapses into a square.” This sounds like the same device as what the company is expected to reveal at the Feb. 11 Unpacked event. Tech blogs quickly attached the Galaxy Fold 2 name to the handset, but once again, it’s unclear whether it will actually get that name.
Features
The square handset with the clamshell design will reportedly have a 6.7-inch display that folds in half to form a square that can fit into a pocket. Samsung is supposedly planning on making the device cheaper than the nearly $2,000 Galaxy Fold. If the report about the price is true, then it would make sense that the company is planning on using last year’s chipset instead of one of the newer models. That would help reduce the price to perhaps make the handset a bit more affordable than the original Fold was.
Also according to Agarwal, the square foldable device will also reportedly feature a 10-megapixel front-facing camera. Again, it’s unclear if this rumor applies to the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 or another handset with a different name. If the rumor is true, it also makes sense that the handset is aimed at a lower price point than the original Fold was.
The Bloomberg report from September did not attach a megapixel number to the camera, although it did say it would have a selfie camera with a punch-hole display. The media outlet also said the device would have two exterior camera lenses that will face the rear when it’s open or the front when it’s closed.
Beyond claims about the display and cameras, there hasn’t been anything else said about the features of the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2.
Other Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 news
The Dutch-language site Let’s Go Digital has a knack for turning up patents, and it uncovered patents for three different foldable Samsung devices. It’s unclear which of these designs, if any, will end up being the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2, but that hasn’t stopped tech watchers from speculating.
One of the three designs features a horizontal hinge, while the other two have a vertical hinge. This makes their functions seem quite different even though they are all foldable smartphones. Let’s Go Digital created a number of renderings based on the patent images. The patents were published in August 2019 in the European Union Intellectual Property Office and the World Intellectual Property Office database.
Two of the patents are rather similar to the current Galaxy Fold model, but it is quite different when the handset is unfolded. The notch is much smaller and can be on either the top-right or top-left of the display. The only difference between the two patents is the placement of the notch.
The third patent describes a device that folds out like the other two patents, but it has a notch in the middle instead of on the sides. This patent has a horizontal hinge rather than a vertical one like the other two. When the device is folded, it looks more like a PDA from years ago than like a long, narrow phone.
