Samsung Galaxy Fold comes with foldable display and six cameras

It looks very much like a beta product rather than first generation. In one photo the phone cannot even fold flat fully. Looks more like a narrow ring binder.

Feb 24, 2019permalink

Toni Salmonelli

Two thoughts:

1. That super slim aspect ration makes this phone pretty much useless when folded.

2. Is this coincidence, that the chosen sample picture on the divide is totally black along he folding axis?

Feb 22, 2019permalink

khunpapa

2 batteries? No.

7.3" unfolded? NO.

$1,980. NOOOOOOO. shriek.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

khunpapa

Just get the HW m5 8.4" for big FHD screen & nova4 for phone and etc,etc. Only half a price.

Can phone & take photo while watching netfix ##at the same time##.

Thank SS, but no.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

khunpapa

Why not 6.5" folded and 10" unfolded?
At this price, you can sale it, dear SS.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

racin06

I'm a Samsung Note series user. If it had the S-Pen stylus, I'd buy the Fold!

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

MrTaikitso

Ditto, but only if they ditched the awful notch. Like Wowee have done with their far superior folding phone launched today.
An S-Pen on a large screen using Autodesk Sketchbook Pro would be awesome!

Feb 25, 2019permalink

nerd2

Surprisingly, $1980 Galaxy fold is still cheaper than iPhone plus iPad;

Apple iPhone XR 512GB = $1499
Apple iPad mini 128G Cellular = $529
Total $2028!!!

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Not a fair comparison. The iPad and iPhone aren’t sharing a processor and have several other components that are duplicated in order to make 2 separate devices. You’re also not getting the same performance out of the smaller iPad.

Personally, I think that this form of expandable screen is a gimmick. When folded it looks like what it is, 2 phones stuck together back to back.

Samsung is smart, they throw out all of these gimmicky versions of their phones and then wait for Jony Ive and Apple’s engineers to make it elegant and functional, then they tweak theirs so as not to blatantly copy

Feb 22, 2019permalink

nerd2

This devices is designed to substitute both. And sharing the core is a big plus, not a minus.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Not if you’re comparing like for like pricing.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Another interesting tidbit you neglected to mention.

This new device is around $750 more than a new S10 plus a Tab S2 8” and you only get 4.7” on the front screen with the Fold.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

nerd2

Yes it is more expensive than samsung combo. But it is still cheaper than apple combo which sells very well.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

N0rcal

The whole comparison makes no sense, but if you are going to make the point, at least get your facts right. There is NO Xr 512GB (tops out at 256GB for $899). There is an Xs 512GB at $1349. Even the Xs Max 512GB is not $1499 ($1449). And none of them, thankfully, runs Google's spy-in-your-pocket Android OS.

Also, if you are going to price two devices, please explain why one would need the cellular version of iPad. If the idea is to use the two devices together, why isn't one cellular connection enough (which can be shared between the two devices as well)?

Feb 23, 2019permalink

It's funny and ironic how Samsung made fun of Apple notch and look what they have done now! Id!ots!

Feb 22, 2019permalink

I'm perfectly happy with my $200 Motorola Moto phone.

If I wanted to waste $2,000 then I can get a pretty nice camera or lens for that price. Of course, it won't be foldable....

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Or be able to make phone calls.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

@Marty

You over paid for that phone. And why would you compare 2 different tools? If you need a lens, buy a lens. If you need a phone/smart phone also go buy it.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

CaPi

The Fold isn't a tool. Its for showing off you just burned money

Feb 22, 2019permalink

It’s not exactly fair to compare the price of cutting edge tech to the price of middling tech.

A smartphone enthusiast may well pay $2000 for this device just like camera enthusiasts paid $10k+ for a new Sony A9 and the best GM lenses. These things only make sense when comparing apples to apples.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

funny you should mention "Apple"......

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Rensol

Now Apple knows that $1500 is not a limit to milk brainwashed users.
Expect $2100 iPhone
:)

Feb 22, 2019permalink

So what do you call who buys Samsung $2000 phone? Over-brainwashed? Super-brainwashed? Ultra-brainwashed?

Feb 22, 2019permalink

CaPi

We don't know anyone will buy this. Wont ship for months

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Rensol

I call them apple-ised

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Wes

So you're a troll.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Baron LaCat

No MicroSD or headphone plug ?? FAIL

Feb 22, 2019permalink

There’s a headphone connector. It’s called Bluetooth.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Max Iso

Wireless audio fidelity is not the same as wired. I went through this with my wife, even though i have my own LG V40 phone and we each have our own car, she insisted i pair my phone wirelessly with my car.

I had to break it down and explain that wired audio is better, especially on LG phones with the quad dac. The move to wireless audio is a microcosm of what people are doing moving from ILC to phones, a step backwards. And it burns up more battery life no matter the WL connection type.

But hey im just a voice of reason in a world of insanity, don't mind me.

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

@Max Iso
"hey im just a voice of reason in a world of insanity, don't mind me."

Let me be the first one to break the news to you. You're NOT the only voice of reason in tis world. You probably not a voice or reason at all. Believe it or not, everyone knows that wired audio connector has potentially better VQ. But also believe it or not, VQ is not the only reason to chose a tool/medium for audio.

Same thing when you chose to buy the "inferior" M43 sensor size camera over FF sensor size camera. It's not the only reason to buy a camera.

Hey, if saying that makes you feel superior and give yourself a pat on the back, then go for it.

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

Max Iso

I have owned FF 3 times and will again, so you can hate on MFT all you want, i don't care. And it's not sensor size i care about, it's aperture. Now forgive me for not taking your word for it, im still gonna stand on that pedestal of reason, while you are slithering through the swamps of insanity.

Time to drain the swamp...

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Zymurgist

52mm is a telephoto? In my book that is a Normal lens.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Romasito

In world of mobile phones it is a tele, as default mobile lens is usually 28mm.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

If they want $2K for it, then they should've at least made it with user-replaceable batteries.
Using it for book-reading, or web browsing would eat up the batteries relatively quickly.
I would be willing to pay for it if the batteries were user replaceable.

This is not a cheap device that the consumer wants to replace every couple of years because of dead batteries.
The innovation is great, but the execution is not consumer-friendly.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

This is a faux status symbol and its priced accordingly.

I would wager a guess that very few people use phones and tablets as e-readers for actual books. They use Kindles for that.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

I actually use my Android tablet for reading books.
I use Amazon's Kindle app and add to it all my book purchases as well as other PDF files.
The Kindle app is also available for other operating systems, including Windows.

Feb 23, 2019permalink

Like I said, a few.

Feb 23, 2019permalink

milkod2001

If this was actually running Windows to make it portable usable device i could understand price but this is just another dummy Android phone which can have bigger screen. Innovation or not, i would not spend more than $500 for it.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

GodSpeaks

Windows? Seriously?

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Microsoft stopped making their Windows phones because no one wanted to buy them. At least, not enough people did.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

@milkod2001
You do know that it's 2019, right?

Feb 22, 2019permalink

@marty

I think @milkod2001 is one of the 10 people who bought those Windows phones.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Andrey K

Last time I edited my PowerPoint presentation on Android I didn't feel like "oh, why my device is not running Windows"

Feb 22, 2019permalink

confused circle

True, there's really no point to the screen size if you can't run actual productivity apps on it. Same reason tablet sales are in such heavy decline.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

milkod2001

I didn't mean it to be phone if running windows :). And yeah i had 2 windows phones. They were great but lack of apps especially youtube made me to switch back to Android :(.

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

If you really need a super jumbo screen on your phone, then perhaps you should get a tablet with Skype loaded on it?

In fact, you could get at least six of them for the price of this new mini work station.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

OremLK

The price is just crazy, but I guess that's to be expected for early adoption of a technology like this. In any case, provided the screen is as high quality as Samsung's usually are, I could see this actually being a pretty useful tool for professional photographers--because where else you going to find a screen this large to review photos on which you can easily slip into your pants pocket?

Feb 21, 2019permalink

racin06

If it was Apple who just announced a folding phone, the Apple zombies would all be bowing to Tim Cook and the Apple Gods as the greatest innovators ever. I find it rather humerous that Samsung just punked Apple in a big way! As usual, Apple is asleep at the switch.

Feb 21, 2019*permalink

It seems you’re the one who overthink Apple-vs-Samsung. believe me, neither Apple nor Samsung cares about you.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Samsung brought their Smart Watch out first... then look what happened.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Apple wouldn’t stick 2 of their phones together, remove one of the processors and glue a plastic screen on it and try and push it onto their customer base.

They didn’t do the whole 360 hinge touchscreen MacBook Pro and just continued to improve on the iPad and it’s now a laptop replacement but with all of the efficiency and intervention that Apple is known for.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

EricWN

What a sad life where everything is just black and white.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

racin06

Stu5, we are talking phones and not watches. Besides, I'm a fitness/sports watch guy and nothing beats Garmin. I currently own the Garmin fenix 5x Plus Titanium. Apple Watch? I can't get past the ugly square design of the Apple Watch. Hideous looking!

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

Nolo718

Fool's rush in ! why will anyone pay this much for a phone ? i'll pass on this one.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Kona Mike

would be cool to see a screen fold out from a camera, so it would be larger than is normally available on cameras.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

stratplaya

I'm no Apple fan boy, but if Apple released this at this price they would be getting laughed at.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Not really.
I think in such case the Apple fans would be lining up at the store at 2:00 AM to be among the first 100 buyers!!!

Feb 21, 2019permalink

@sh10453

But that’s not what @stratplaya is talking about.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

OK, my bad. I guess Apple would release it at twice this price :-)

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Now cue Apple fan boys crowd to start screaming, "This is nothing. I will wait for Apple to get it right". I like Samsung. At least they are innovating, which I cannot say for Apple.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Do you like Samsung’s “notch”? Or are yo just sheep?

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Samsung brought their Smart Watch out first... then look what happened.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Being he first in tech is usually not the best business practice. Releasing the most user friendly, engaging, and reliable tech are.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

@Fly I am not partial to Samsung or Apple or anyone for that matter. I had a lot of respect for Apple when they came up with iPhone. I like companies that innovate. I don't like companies that charge more for the same mediocre tech repackaged and re-labeled. I like Samsung because they innovate. I had to repeat this here, because I don't think you read it the first time around.

Feb 25, 2019permalink

@Maksim Yankovskiy
What did Samsung innovate in SMARTPHONES in the last 3-4 years?

Didn't Samsung make a commercial poking fun of Apple's iPhone notch? Now, all of a sudden notches are fine?

Feb 25, 2019permalink

How about this: wireless charging embedded in smartphones years (without requiring charging pad adapters) before Apple. Foldable screen. Fingerprint embedded into the screen (S10). Ability to use your phone as wireless charger (S10). Ability to make device waterproof while still having stylus and removable MicroSD. Fast charging. Fast wireless charging. I can go on, but I think the picture is clear. What did Apple innovate in the past 3 years, except for pioneering a phone that broke $1k barrier?

Feb 25, 2019permalink

@Maksim Yankovskiy

Wow. How can Humanity survive without those “innovations”?

So for you, innovation, for Samsung, means they bring a “feature” to the market before Apple? Ok. Got it.

Feb 25, 2019permalink

@Fly, yes, innovation means developing a technology before anyone else. Technology can be a new approach or a new method. Consider reading up on US Patent Law a bit or try filing a patent yourself. As far as surviving, we were fine before smartphones, or even before phones, so what's your point? That doesn't negate the concept of innovation or a need for it. But Apple fans are perfectly happy being milked from their hard earned money buying the same tech over and over again. Innovation at Apple stopped when Steve Job's heart stopped beating. By the way, I have a sneaking suspicion that if Apple were to introduce foldable screens, you would scream "game changer".

Feb 26, 2019*permalink

@Maksim Yankovsskiy

Innovation is not bringing a new tech to market which is what Fly said.
Samsung does the same thing that Apple does which is they find technology that already exists and then they implement it in their products. Samsung wasn't the first with wireless charging, they did not invent the foldable screen and they won't even be the only one to include it in their smartphones.

The thing that Apple does is they take innovative tech and combine it to make products that integrate these innovations so that they work efficiently and effectively.

I don't think anyone can argue that Apple's ability to elevate their tech to make it the most refined when compared to the competition (ok AI assistants withstanding).

Feb 27, 2019permalink

@thenoilif
Exactly. @Maksim Yankovsskiy only sees and refers to Apple when he (they) talks about Samsung! In denial that others innovate too. Sad, to be honest.

Feb 27, 2019permalink

I am obviously off base here. Forgive me for ignoring Apple's endless innovation. I am just a bit surprised that when researching foldable screens, Apple's name does not come up. LG does. Sony does. Samsung does. I am bringing up Apple because they have shady practices when it comes to their existing user base ("we will help you manage power for your old phones, but it will slow down, and we won't tell you that, so maybe you will buy new smartphone). Can Apple make a phone that doesn't have to be charged all the time? Sure they can. Samsung did. But Apple won't, because it is not a good business model. My Note 8 is over 18 months old and lasts 30 hours on a charge easy. My wife's iPhone X barely lasts 12 hours. LOL. Enjoy your Apple products, gentlemen. They clearly have an edge when it comes to innovation.

Feb 28, 2019permalink

Samsung and other brands slow down phones as well. I've experienced it with every Galaxy S phone I've had.

Mar 1, 2019permalink

Yes, they do. In fact they even give you options to slow it down even more, give up features to extend battery life on a charge. What they don't do is they don't do it silently. They give you a tool to make a decision. Apple takes the approach "we know better, because you are just a consumer, what do you know. Let us just "optimize" the phone for you without telling you." Cool philosophy.

Mar 1, 2019*permalink

Not true. My phones automatically slow down after an update. There is no pop up that gives me an option for this at the update.

I used to use Sony Experia phones and they also slowed down after each update without notice.

Mar 1, 2019permalink

@Maksim Yankovsskiy

Obviously you have issues with Apple.

Mar 1, 2019permalink

@Fly, bravo! What tipped you off?

Mar 1, 2019permalink

@Maksim Yankovsskiy
Funny you think that’s a good thing.
It’s interesting that you you’re mad and hate a company that you claim you don’t use.

Mar 1, 2019permalink

@Fly, you are wrong. I run MacBook Pro 2018, my wife has another MBP 2015. In my family, I have 3 iPhones, Apple Watch, and iPad Mini. So I am speaking from experience - poor battery life, unreliable backups, issues with upgrades. And no, I don't hate Apple. Hate is a very strong word. I disagree with Apple business and marketing practices and with how it treats its consumers. I have completely different experience with Samsung products. For example, I still have Galaxy Note Tab 10.1 I bought 7 years ago, and it runs the same today as it did in November 2012. The record battery life I got on my Note 8 was 49 hours without a charge. So when you say I am mad at Apple, you are wrong. I am not mad. I am amused that they could convince their user base they are the best, and still not being able to last 24 hours on a charge. That's some creative marketing. Like I said, can they do it? Yes, they sure can. Will they? No, they won't. They simply don't care about you, or me enough to do it.

Mar 1, 2019*permalink

Pritzl

Impressive. Never been a phone-tech guy but this one has me intrigued. Of course my budget would mean I'll have to wait quite a while before this sort of thing becomes affordable.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

At this price point the manufacturers need to stop thinking of phones as a disposable commodity that gets replaced every year, and only gets one or two software updates.

If they want to get serious money for these devices, then they better start planning for them to last ten years....

Feb 21, 2019*permalink

GodSpeaks

One of the BIGGEST problems is the non-removable battery. The battery will be the main point of failure and needs to be easily user replaceable.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

I think the whole idea of a non-replaceable battery is to force the consumer to buy a new phone much sooner.
I have Motorola and Samsung phones from 2005 and 2006, with user-replaceable batteries, in like new conditions, and they are still perfectly usable.
I wish that consumer protection, commerce, and environmental protection bodies would force manufacturers to provide such devices with user-replaceable batteries.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Siewwah

Kind of... think of it as a hybrid of 6 cameras with a mobile phone thrown in :)

Feb 22, 2019permalink

noirdesir

Does it really matter on a $2000 phone whether replacing a battery costs $50 and you can do it yourself or it costs $100 and you let repair shops do it for you? I don't know about the Android world, but replacing the battery on iPhones has always been possible, you just have to pay a service fee for letting somebody else do it for you.

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

Will Sukmiof

For $2000 they can fold it and stick it where the sun doesn't shine.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Romasito

Most likely you mean jeans pocket then ;-)

Feb 22, 2019*permalink

xPhoenix

Two grand....LOL.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

solarider

But will it be the same sheddy quality at making actual phone calls like most of the crowd?

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Joed700

This may be the end of all the iPads and tablets from any camp. The ability to multitasking kills them all IMHO.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Bhima78

I mean, you can sorta multitask on an ipad right now. Its just half-baked, like most of Apple's efforts lately. They will likely go full hog on iOS now that it is getting full photoshop soon. I expect iOS to one day replace the MacOS, so they better get cracking on making it more flexible for multitasking.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

CaNikonianite

Gimme a G! Gimme an I. Gimme an M,M,I.
Gimme a C! Gimme a K! Tell me, what's that say?!

That'll be $2,000 please.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Goodmeme

I like the idea and it could work for me -especially as an ebook reader- but I can see this eating through batteries a little too fast for everyone. I guess we'll see.

If this takes off, it obviously won't always cost 2k. The tech filters down to cheaper models eventually as demand/ expectations change.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Greg Silver

I personally like the form factor. I nice slim phone for talking and basic info on the front screen. And when needed a larger screen folded open for maps, photo edits, productivity, gaming, etc.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

the-bunker

Not sure I would call 17mm a slim phone ! At least it's not too heavy @ 163g

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Greg Silver

Not slim as in thin. But slim as in compact when folded.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

Ebrahim Saadawi

I'd really like to find out why the outer screen isn't like an S10, and who decided to make that huge camera notch in the big screen. There must be technical reasons for these strange design decisions

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Shiranai

I dont get why you would design a folding device that makes a almost square or 4:3 screen.
Instead of trying to reduce size of a phablet by folding it traditional style (like the old folding phones) so you'd come up with an easily storeable 8:9 square.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Max Thunder

I'm so disappointed by the form factor. They should have gone for something like a Galaxy Tab S 8.4. Folded, it would be wider but still perfectly pocketable. This one is a bit too classy and will look better in a woman's hand. Also, the screen pictures are misleading as you hardly see that the front screen is ridiculously small and the notch inside is gigantic. During the event, I also noticed that the folding screen didn't look perfectly flat when it catched light reflexions or maybe it was fingerprints. I hope this concept will evolve.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Romasito

4:3 is good screen size for reading and photo manipulation.

Feb 22, 2019permalink

User8461851375

Can I get one without all the cameras? 6 cameras is at least 4 too many. I like the big screen size for apps.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Relaxed

“.. and Samsung raises to $2000, then folds”.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

onepointfour

Soooo.... how long before I can unfold the screen on the back of my next mirrorless?

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Siewwah

this has 6 mirrorless cameras. You get the mobile phone feature for free :)

Feb 22, 2019permalink

silentstorm

I thought the removal of the 3.5mm jack was the last innovation known to mankind.

This is RENAISSANCE!

Feb 21, 2019*permalink

Henrikw

Interesting development and nice to see innovation like this.
Assuming you are going to use it as a normal phone most of the time, I am curious how people are going to react to the small 4.6" screen which is housed in a much larger case. Thickness is like two smartphones. And curious about whether there will be a seam where the phone folds and whether this will get worse over the years.
If there is a limit to the amount of folds it can take before the screen is affected, resell value will be low

Feb 21, 2019permalink

KW Phua

How the case design? When it drops you can say goodbye.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

tkbslc

Not to worry, my friend! All you need is the $30 a month insurance plan and you are covered!

Feb 21, 2019permalink

antares103

$30 A month, and $1000 deductible.

Feb 21, 2019permalink

Rob890

DOA.....

Feb 21, 2019permalink