Alleged Leaked Video Shows Samsung 'Galaxy Z Flip' in Action

[tkukoc]

Its always nice to see new tech.. even if it doesn't work well.. because there's always the next guy who will tinker and come up with something that people want.

This doesn't look to bad just from the little clip.. need more footage before I'd sit here and say i'd buy it or not. But the folding devices designs are here and it's only going to continue forward despite negativity.

 

[Defthand]

This isn't a design for bored office workers who are glancing at their phone every few minutes. It's the ideal design for people who work outdoors or in physical occupations. The screen is better protected and it doesn't require a case.

 

[Jim Lahey]

This isn't a design for bored office workers who are glancing at their phone every few minutes. It's the ideal design for people who work outdoors or in physical occupations. The screen is better protected and it doesn't require a case.

Despite the gaping chasm between the two folded halves that is a perfect ingress point for dust and debris? 🤨

 

[Shanghaichica]

I agree completely. Plus, a lot of people have gotten out of the habit of wearing a watch because they can just glance at their phone display. Forcing someone to open a folding phone to see the time or see who is calling is going would get old really quick.

I think you can see the time on the outer displays on both of Samsung’s foldable phones.

 

[Defthand]

Despite the gaping chasm between the two folded halves that is a perfect ingress point for dust and debris? 🤨

Much easier to clean a wide recess than one that traps the dirt.

 

[mannyvel]

The ARS review of the galaxy fold was pretty brutal. I expect that this will be just as good as the fold.

It's basically a prototype you can buy. It's crazy that Samsung is spending all this money to essentially show some kind of technology leadership. All it shows is that their product development process doesn't really work when it comes to making new products (ie: not copies or iterations).

Think about it like this: with the watch you have a tiny screen, which is fine for notifications. The iPhone gives you a bigger screen, and it's more touch-friendly. The iPad gives you an even bigger screen, so you can see more...but the size limits its portability. But what if you could see more without having a device? A fold-down HUD-style display is probably more practical than a phone that unfolds, but HUD technology isn't there yet for consumers...and the UX isn't there either. You can't use your phone as a game controller, because it's not precise enough. Gestures might work, but then you've got the hand-waving problem. Maybe voice navigation would work, it's almost there. And Apple would have the lead there, because it's assistive tech is pretty good.

 

[DoctorTech]

I think you can see the time on the outer displays on both of Samsung’s foldable phones.

I just rewatched the video and you are correct. I missed that the first time I watched the video.

 

[MadeTheSwitch]

And there's a big crease...

Really don't see the point in haven't to open something to use it.

To have Star Trek communicators of course! 😎

 

[Jim Lahey]

Much easier to clean a wide recess than one that traps the dirt.

But not so easy to clean a softer than normal screen that has been scratched by the ingress of dirt between the two halves. Point being this is not going to be a durable device for use in harsh environments just because the screen is seemingly protected from the outside elements. It will be ruined inside a month. Probably less.

 

[Guscat]

It's like you dont understand technology, at all. Yes, currently they are fat and chunky, which is quite reasonable considering this is a new tech and batteriy tech for mass market hasnt really progressed in the last couple of years. Wait some time and they will be thinner and lighter.
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Did you ever read any book in your life? Well, guess what...

The same technology that will allow flip phones to become less fat and chunky can make existing smartphone design better. (Given how difficult it's been to come up with radically better battery tech, I am not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. And if it does happen, it will be so momentous that the last thing anyone will care about it improving will be smartphones.) I think that folding phones may be the future, but they will need to offer up more than just being able to be stored in a smaller footprint. They will need to do something that existing smartphones and tablets currently can't do on their own. There needs to be some sort of killer feature that makes people want them. (It's kind of like the Apple Watch only really started taking off when people started wanting the health features.)

As for books, I have read many books in my life, but I've never used them for say making a phone call, writing a text message, or watching a movie on. I would suggest that you go pick up a book, and open it. The crease is actually kind of a shortcoming in the book which we accept because it's a necessity. But that's why in most books, you have the print/illustrations on separate pages rather than across a single page, and why if you look closely, most books have larger margins on the outside of the pages rather than where the crease is because if you've ever tried taking notes in a book you will realize it's much harder to write them down where the crease is.

 

[Defthand]

I’ve seen the screens of tradesmen’s phones. They’re rarely pristine. Their screen protectors are almost opaque from scratches because the protection itself is constantly exposed. Having done a lot of outdoor and construction chores, the main concern is how to carry your phone or lay it somewhere where it won’t be broken by one’s bodyweight, tools, materials, or others. A pristine screen is a luxury. An in tact screen is a necessity.

 

[Kabeyun]

Very much looking forward to early adopters thumbing this thing in the middle, and it folds and falls in the toilet.

And to all who say it’s inevitable that Apple adopt folding displays too...nerp.

 

[MacBH928]

The foldable display technology is interesting, but I don't understand the point of bringing back flip phones - it adds no benefit, the folded device is too thick, it's like having a power brick in your pocket.

to be fair, thats how the first Motorola brick phones were and it developed until we got the Razer (original)

 

[Jim Lahey]

I’ve seen the screens of tradesmen’s phones. They’re rarely pristine. Their screen protectors are almost opaque from scratches because the protection itself is constantly exposed. Having done a lot of outdoor and construction chores, the main concern is how to carry your phone or lay it somewhere where it won’t be broken by one’s bodyweight, tools, materials, or others. A pristine screen is a luxury. An in tact screen is a necessity.

And what about everyone else?

 

[TaiwanTeddy]

I agree completely. Plus, a lot of people have gotten out of the habit of wearing a watch because they can just glance at their phone display. Forcing someone to open a folding phone to see the time or see who is calling is going would get old really quick.

There is a display in the front.

 

[FlyingDutch]

As much as I like Samsung phones, this isn’t my type. I don’t want to open a phone before use it, and I definitely don’t want a plastic display.
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I don’t see a point in this phone.

It is the typical Samsung’s “we did it because we could” approach.

 

[Guscat]

All these comments calling this useless or impractical. Cut to a few years from now when Apple does it - the same people will be calling it revolutionary.

That's almost certainly because by the time Apple gets around to doing a folding phone it will be very different from the folding phones Samsung has come out with. It's like with MP4 players or smart watches, Apple wasn't there first by any means, but what Apple did was come out with a way to make them usable and appealing in ways no one had before them. That's what makes Apple's products so interesting.

Look, Samsung beat Apple to the punch when it comes to smart watches, and no one really wanted them (the same is also compared to Apple watches true for Samsung watches today).

I think for folding phones to take off, they need to do more than what you can presently do with a phone or a tablet especially because there's no way you can make a folding phone in the near future as cheap as you can make a standard smartphone. Right now, all of these folding phones are just bigger phones they're trying at best semi-successfully to squeeze into a smaller carrying form. If Apple comes out with a folding phone, it won't have all of the kinks that the Samsung folding phones have, and I am also guessing it will have that missing feature that will make folding phones exciting.

 

[SuperMatt]

Looking forward to this. Seems way more practical than the Galaxy Fold.

An inflatable dart board is more practical than the Galaxy Fold.

 

[ozarkcanoer]

The foldable display technology is interesting, but I don't understand the point of bringing back flip phones - it adds no benefit, the folded device is too thick, it's like having a power brick in your pocket.

I agree. But ... if Apple can get the total folded thickness down a lot, then it might have a niche. I had an old Tracfone flip phone by Samsung (I think) before my first iPhone. Voice calls were terrible quality and the camera was bad resolution and sending a picture was hell.

Couldn't believe how much better the iPhone 6 was for each and in total. Now using a iPhone 11 Pro w/Airpods. Fantastic with voice calls, listening to podcasts, watching YouTube, etc.

 

[Defthand]

And what about everyone else?

What about them? They should use what suits them.

 

[Jim Lahey]

What about them? They should use what suits them.

What about the people who are not using their phone in harsh environments but will end up with a scratched display anyway because a) it's plastic and b) the gap will draw in dust and debris?

Only in my opinion of course. We will surely find out soon enough.

 

[M3gatron]

That is quite the supposition. Apple are by no means perfect, but they are unlikely to release a prototype to market just so they can wow the easily impressionable.

Well they did release the original iphone winch barely worked when it was first presented.
Anyway I agree, apple will have to wait a few years until they will be able to launch a fordable device and by that time the market will be full of fordable devices so it will be a Me Too move.

 

[Defthand]

What about the people who are not using their phone in harsh environments but will end up with a scratched display anyway because a) it's plastic and b) the gap will draw in dust and debris?

Only in my opinion of course. We will surely find out soon enough.

Scratches and dirt should be the least of early adopters’ concerns. Those possibilities have solutions= screen protectors and routine cleaning. Ironically, screen protectors scratch, so the dilemma is the same. And phones have a reputation for being unhygienic.

 

[rp2011]

Folding phones are such dumb gimmicks. Folding screens need to keep looking fo a use case.

 

[okieoutwest]

If wearables become our primary devices -- and this is a huge if for now -- I can see a tablet that has both compact and full-size form factors being an everyday carry. I already am trying this out with a combo of AW on LTE, Airpods, and an iPad Mini when I want a screen to be with me. When it's just communication, maps, and telling time, the Watch is completely fine. But there are still times when I would like a screen but don't want to whip out an 8" diagonal display.

This prototype from Samsung isn't what I'm going to be ultimately interested in, but it's fun tech for fun tech's sake and I appreciate that. I'll be watching what Samsung and Microsoft (with the Surface Duo) keep doing and what direction they think tech will grow into.

It's great to see updates from MacRumors on what competitors are doing. Sure, I come to MacRumors for its eponymous content but as one of the few tech blogs I follow it's a good way to see how the landscape is also developing.