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Hands-On With Samsung's New S20 and Galaxy Z Flip Smartphones
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Darth Tulhu
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Thank you for that. A GIF is worth 4-thousand words, and some people are literally blinded by their fanboyism.
That phone is just cool. As it goes on, I can see them getting thin enough to the point where they're the same thickness as a current regular device.
I love the future. And I love variety.
That's only the launch MSRP - - the price drops on Samsung phones faster than bunches of black spotted bananas. And forget about holding any kind of decent resale value.
Great specs, but I wonder if they’ve concentrated too much on the headline figures.
Would a 90hz qhd resolution be better than having to choose between 120hz or qhd? I don't think that's an option.
Is 8k really necessary at this point?
Is 100x zoom usable? This demonstration wasn’t exactly impressive, and that’s on a tripod -https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-51464474/samsung-galaxy-s20-ultra-zoom-put-to-the-test
It will be interesting to see what the reviews say.
Would a 90hz qhd resolution be better than having to choose between 120hz or qhd? I don't think that's an option.
Is 8k really necessary at this point?
Is 100x zoom usable? This demonstration wasn’t exactly impressive, and that’s on a tripod -https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/technology-51464474/samsung-galaxy-s20-ultra-zoom-put-to-the-test
It will be interesting to see what the reviews say.
Eeeesh, that was hideous! But then digital zoom always is, I never use it
Can you explain why people pay $1000 for flagships when they only use a web browser, instagram and whatsapp? What's the use case? Do you think there is any rationality left anywhere near the $1000 mark? Laughable.
It's just a status symbol. As the iPhone 11 Pro is. And a cool one at it.
Samsung today announced a new slate of 2020 smartphones, debuting a range of devices that include the S20 5G, the S20+ 5G, the S20 Ultra 5G, and the most novel, the foldable Galaxy Z Flip.
MacRumors videographer Dan was in attendance at Samsung's Unpacked event in San Francisco, and he was able to spend some hands-on time with the new smartphones. Watch the video below for some close-up details and opinions on Samsung's new lineup, which competes both with Apple's current lineup and its upcoming 2020 smartphones, which we expect to see in September.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip is its second foldable device, but the first that's designed with a smartphone form factor. The device starts out as a 6.7-inch smartphone, but folds in half to make it more pocketable.
The Z Flip is Samsung's first foldable smartphone that uses a glass display, with Samsung adopting new ultra thin foldable glass technology. Using glass rather than a laminate material results in a nicer display and a device that overall, feels more premium.
The hinge feels sturdier than the hinge in the Galaxy Fold, and it's a neat design because it can be set to multiple different angles and used in what's called "Flex Mode" while half folded. In this mode, the bottom half props up the top half for a hands-free mode that can be used for selfies and unique photography opportunities.
Because of the hinge design and the way that it's meant to be used at multiple angles, the Z Flip doesn't open as easily as traditional flip phones, which is a net positive. It has a solid build and doesn't feel as fragile as the Galaxy Fold.
Samsung is charging a whopping $1,380 for the Galaxy Z Flip, which is sensationally expensive for what's essentially a gimmick, but it is a high-quality, solid design that demonstrates what's possible with foldable display technology.
Samsung also showed off its new Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra flagship devices, all of which feature 5G connectivity, huge batteries, giant bezel-free displays, and impressive camera technology.
Samsung's smartphones range in size from 6.2 to 6.9 inches, and on the higher end, 6.9-inches is massive, especially for a device that has a bezel-free design with just a single pinhole camera cutout at the top. All of the phones offer HDR10+ support along with 120Hz refresh rates, but using the 120Hz refresh rate requires bumping the resolution down to 1080p.
There are some unique camera features, especially in the high-end Samsung S20 Ultra. It features a 12-megapixel ultra wide-angle camera, a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, a 48-megapixel telephoto camera, and a Depth Vision Camera.
The cameras are designed to take improved images in low lighting conditions, and Samsung showed off an impressive 10x lossless zoom feature that offers a total of 100x zoom on the S20 Ultra.
When it comes to batteries, these smartphones have 4,000 to 5,000mAh capacities, which beats out anything the iPhone has to offer at the current time. Samsung's devices are definitely premium and are bringing Samsung's best tech to lure smartphone users away from the iPhone, but they also have premium prices.
The Galaxy S20 has a price tag of $1,000, the S20+ is priced at $1,200, and the Galaxy S20 Ultra is priced at $1,400 and is a bit more expensive than the Galaxy Z Flip.
We're going to have more in-depth coverage of the Galaxy Z Flip and Samsung's new S20 smartphones coming in the near future, so expect to see some detailed comparisons with Apple's smartphones starting later this week.
Article Link: Hands-On With Samsung's New S20 and Galaxy Z Flip Smartphones
A very fair and balanced review video. Great stuff.
Look forward to maybe version 3 of the original phone to tablet type fold... Needs a bigger outside screen, glass inside screen and a touch thinner.
Exciting times.
Yes, this! And please find a solution without a crease... that would annoy the hell out of me.
They are all nice phones but the price is not too nice. The foldable phones are an interesting concept but I would wait to see if there are still issues.
Thing is - when I return my iPhone 8 while buying this Samsung is willing to offer me more than 100€ more than Apple itself.
Nevertheless waiting for this years iPhone iteration what features they will copy...
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You remember Google Glass? A heads up UI for a phone is an absolute No-Go and someone actually using this is broadcasting his/her sociopathy all the way IMHO.
Nevertheless waiting for this years iPhone iteration what features they will copy...
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You remember Google Glass? A heads up UI for a phone is an absolute No-Go and someone actually using this is broadcasting his/her sociopathy all the way IMHO.
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I think some people just can't see past their own lives. They have small wallets and huge pockets, and can't imagine anything else.
I agree with you that this is an exciting advance, and that having options is just better.
LOL, HAHAHA: "these smartphones have 4,000 to 5,000mAh capacities, which beats out anything the iPhone has to offer at the current time". What a humorous (because it is so meaningless) thing to say, makes me laugh. Now if you said the phones got an extra 13 hours of battery life, or even 1 hour, that is meaningful. But this is akin, to "look ma, my truck has big tires".
there may in fact be a reason for the larger batteries, like the SOC, or cameras, or screen takes more energy, or simply its for extra battery life. I would be more interested to know that, than "look ma, my phone has a big battery"
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haha, like an old fashion paper map. Those were so confusing to refold. Somehow, I don't think we will ever get there, but it would make a nice comedy skit
there may in fact be a reason for the larger batteries, like the SOC, or cameras, or screen takes more energy, or simply its for extra battery life. I would be more interested to know that, than "look ma, my phone has a big battery"
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haha, like an old fashion paper map. Those were so confusing to refold. Somehow, I don't think we will ever get there, but it would make a nice comedy skit
Don't let this guy into a Best Buy. All the folding laptops will make his head explode.
Honestly, hats off to Samsung for this. Foldable glass is truly an incredible innovation. People keep asking about the use case, there is one major one: in-pocket screen protection. I do worry about how well that will work (e.g. sand, grit, etc. getting between the two halves of the screen), but hopefully they've thought of that. Beyond the current use case, however, is what it paves the way for in the future. This opens the way for slimmer designs, larger screen sizes, landscape formats, invisible hinges, etc. Innovation on the standard iPhone shape will inevitably meet a limit at some point through that form factor. There are only so many cameras you can add, only so far you can go with slimmer bezels, curved edges. I have a 11 Pro Max. I love it. I'm as Apple as it gets. However, I'll be honest: I've never 100% got over the notch, would love to see that diminish, and would love it if the glass didn't scratch so easily such that I didn't need a screen protector. Those are the two biggest practical improvements I'd like to see in the future. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this respect. This innovation from Samsung (and it truly is an innovation) addresses the latter if not the former. If that hinge can stand 1000s of opens and closes without a hingegate, that too will be a hell of an achievement.
Old enough to have owned samsung non-smart-fliphones in the past. When everyone used to clip them to their belt because folded phones suck in your pocket.
Is that the world you think we should be returning to?
Laptops fold for a reason. Feel free to show me a valid argument for this one.
I remember when I had a Razr and other flip phones, I used to continuously flip them open and shut.... almost unconciously. I worry if I got one of these I would do it again and, in this case, end up breaking the phone. I know it sounds childish.... but I'm serious. I'll stick with my iPhone for now.
just saw the intro videos and I have to say that this is the first time I'm truly impressed with Samsung devices. Too bad they run android.
