Samsung Galaxy Fold is the stunning phone nobody wants
David Court08:00, Feb 24 2019
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Samsung president of mobile, DJ Koh, at the Unpacked presentation, where the company revealed a foldable phone.
OPINION: An odd thing happened in the smartphone world this week. Samsung hosted its annual February Unpacked event, and as expected, it launched its latest Galaxy S device with a supporting cast of peripherals in the shape of Galaxy Buds for US$129 ($190.50) and the Galaxy Active and Fit smartwatches (US$199 and US$99).
However, what was unique about this year's event was the fact that the Galaxy S10 smartphone didn't grab the headlines. The new, and bendy, Samsung Galaxy Fold did. As did its US $1980 price tag.
This is important because it's uncharted waters for Samsung. And the industry. For nearly a decade the Samsung Galaxy S has been the consistent rival to the iPhone's dominance. And as such, each new Galaxy S phone launch gets a lot of attention. And sales. This has been the way for ten years.
That's all changed a bit now. Technology journalists and sites aren't talking about the Samsung Galaxy S10 and its excellent new features (which I'll come to in a bit). Instead, the spotlight is on something entirely new - the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
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It's a bit of a risky play from Samsung. Consumers haven't been crying out for foldable smartphones. In my opinion, consumers want what they've always wanted. Smartphones will better battery performance and faster downloads speeds.
And thanks to 5G, the Samsung Galaxy S10 was, and is, a device that solves half of the puzzle.
But now, thanks to a foldable phone/tablet, no-one is talking about the massive leap to 5G connectivity. Instead, we all want to know more about the Galaxy Fold.
ABIGAIL DOUGHERTY/STUFF
David Court: "Is there really a need for foldable smartphones? I'm not convinced."
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Samsung has been teasing and leaking details about a foldable phone for several years now. Has it been worth the wait? Kind of. But at the same time, not really.
This thing isn't just a foldable device with nothing else to offer. It's a fully-fledged device with flagship-standard specs to match - available with 5G or LTE connectivity.
The screen is a masterpiece in terms of innovation. It's a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display (4.2:3 ratio) that seamlessly folds into a smaller 4.6-inch display (12:9). This allows the Fold to double up as a traditional, albeit tall, smartphone as well as a mini tablet.
Driving the phone is an unnamed 7nm 64-bit octa-core processor and a huge 12GB of RAM. This is combined with 512GB of internal storage and, not one, but two batteries with a total capacity of 4380mAh.
The Galaxy Fold boasts six cameras too. Three rear-facing cameras. Two on the inside. And one on the front.
So, it's like I said, a regular high-end smartphone that bends...Which doesn't really do it for me.
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Do you want a foldable phone?
Samsung Galaxy S10
If, like me, you're not up for paying a small fortune for a foldable smartphone, you're more likely to look at Samsung's more traditional line-up of high-end smartphones.
And the good news is that you've got plenty to choose from. But this is also where things get even more confusing, as Samsung launched four different Galaxy S10 devices. The S10, S10E, S10 Plus and S10 5G.
Each of these devices is aimed at slightly different price points, with the Galaxy S10E being the most affordable at US $749.99. The Galaxy S10 Plus is officially the most expensive with a price tag of US$999, but that's only because Samsung hasn't revealed an official RRP for the Galaxy S10 5G. Which will certainly be more expensive due to its bigger screen and, er, 5G.
The most innovative feature of the S10 range is its reverse wireless charging. This really is good. The new feature allows you to wirelessly charge your Galaxy Buds or Galaxy Active/Fit watches, by simply resting them on your S10 device.
Specs wise, there's not really anything else that's too cavalier from the S10 range. Its cameras cover an excellent range of modes: wide-angle, optical zoom, good night modes etc. And they each boast good HD front-facing cameras too. In other words, exactly what you'd expect from a new Galaxy S.
A bit of a mess
So what should we make of this event from Samsung? It's a bit of a mess, isn't it? Let's be honest. Which is a shame. The biggest news for consumers is that Samsung has an excellent 5G flagship device that's about to launch. That's genuinely exciting. And the mobile technology to support it is now available on a mainstream device.
But that's not what we're all thinking about, is it? Instead, we're all left thinking about the Galaxy Fold. And it's US$2000 price tag.
Is there really a need for foldable smartphones? I'm not convinced. But I do know this trend isn't going away anytime soon though. Next week Barcelona will host MWC (Mobile World Congress) and I'm sure we'll be seeing at least one more major smartphone manufacturer launch a bendy phone there.
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