At long last, Samsung's first foldable smartphone is now official. The Galaxy Fold, which arrives this April 26, sets the phone industry on a new path, according to the company.
Samsung first offered a glimpse at the then-unnamed phone back in November, but at its just-finished Galaxy Unpacked on Wednesday, the company showed the new device and revealed more details about what it can do.
LTE and 5G versions of the Galaxy Fold will be available. Pricing starts at $1,980 through AT&T and T-Mobile, and each purchase will come with a free pair of Samsung's new wireless earbuds. A European release is scheduled on May 3, starting at €2,000.
Galaxy Fold Specs
The phone uses one of Samsung's latest display technologies: a 7.3-inch "Infinity Flex" display that can fold in half and allow the entire phone to be put in a pocket. The main display has a QXGA+ resolution with an aspect ratio of 4.2:3. When folded and in "phone mode," users have access to a 4.6-inch HD+ display.
The display isn't the only new thing here, too. Samsung is using its Universal Flash Storage 3.0 technology for fast feeds, with the phone sporting 512 GB worth of space right off the bat. A Qualcomm 7 nm octa-core processor powers everything up, and 12 GB of RAM means performance hiccups will be kept at bay.
There are two batteries in the Galaxy Fold, separated at the hinge but nonetheless combined via software, amounting to a total capacity of 4,380 mAh.
Speaking of the hinge, Samsung says it's a pretty sturdy one that features multiple interlocking gears, all of which are hidden at the rear of the device, allowing the device to transform from a tablet to a phone without friction.
On the back is a triple-camera system shared by both tablet and phone modes. The main lens is a 16-megapixel ultra-wide shooter, and that's partnered with a 12-megapixel wide-angle and telephoto cameras, plus one 10-megapixel cover camera for selfies. The Galaxy Fold will come in a slew of colors.
Galaxy Fold Software
Samsung clearly thought about ways in which the device can maximize its massive screen real estate. To take advantage of its tablet-large display, the Galaxy Fold can run three apps at once on the same screen. There's even a continuity system to so users can adjust these apps while moving between phone and tablet modes.
Some apps have been optimized for the said system, including WhatsApp, YouTube, and Microsoft Office. Samsung has been working with Google to ensure Android 9 Pie fully adapts the Infinity Flex Display.
Foldable Phone
The Galaxy Fold isn't the first of its kind, and certainly won't be the last. A number of major phone manufacturers have been reportedly developing similar concepts, including Xiaomi, Huawei, and even Lenovo. LG, on the other hand, is taking a wait-and-see approach.
