Although Samsung didn’t exactly launch its foldable phone at the same time as its Galaxy S10 quartet, which was as expected, it did show what is now formally called the Galaxy Fold. And this time, it demonstrated how it actually works, leaving little room for conspiracy theories over fake prototypes. And this time, Samsung is also finally sharing almost all of the details about the world’s second foldable phone, including how much it will cost you if you want to get one.
It turns out, the prototype Samsung showed last November was pretty close to the real deal after all. Of course, this final version of the Galaxy Fold looks more retail-ready, but the form factor is the same. That means that you get a very long slab of metal and glass with the phone folded in half. The freakishly narrow 4.6-inch HD+ screen, however, doesn’t extend all the way to the edges, leaving very large bezels on all sides, especially the top and the bottom. It is, pretty much, the antithesis of today’s smartphones.
Of course, no other smartphone unfolds to form a 7.3-inch tablet. The height of the outer secondary display is explained by the tablet form. It’s a tall one, almost like a smaller iPad mini. This makes it look a bit more regular tablet rather than a square one that most renders envisioned. That also means that the user experience won’t be too different from, say, a 7-inch Android tablet.
An important part of that experience is, of course, the software. Samsung already revealed what it would be like and even, surprisingly, worked with Google on getting android read for that use case. When in tablet mode, you can fit as much as three apps side by side if you really need to. Opening and closing the Galaxy Fold will seamlessly transition the app running on the cover display to the main display.
Samsung also finally divulged some of the Galaxy Fold’s key specs, like the unnamed 7nm 64-bit octa-core processor that will run the show. Right off the bat, the phone will have 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of UFS 3.0 internal memory. Sadly, no microSD card slot on this one. Contrary to rumors, the Galaxy Fold will only have a 4,380 mAh battery. There are also no less than five cameras on the device. Three on the back cover and two front-facing ones.
Although Samsung only showed off the Cosmos Black in its demo, the Galaxy Fold will also come in Space Silver, Martian Green, and Astro Blue colors. And you won’t have to wait another year to lay your eyes or even hands on one. The Samsung Galaxy Fold will go on sale on April 26 this year but the eye-watering $1,980 price tag means it will be something that only early adopters will risk getting.
