Samsung Unveils New $1,980 Galaxy Fold Smartphone

[I7guy]

What about durability in terms of a drop? It's not like you can put it in a case since that would defeat the purpose of folding it. Is it durable enough to withstand a drop from standing chest height? I'd like to see how it functions after some drops or a dunk on water.

I wounder how many youtubers would be so generous as to perform drop test, waterproof test, durability tests etc?
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"Samsung added that the larger polyimide-based display panel has been tested to withstand 200,000 folds, which equates to over five years of usage if you fold it 100 times a day. That's quite a bold claim, but also a reassuring one if true."

https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/20...gn=homepage&utm_medium=internal&utm_source=dl

Samsung also didn't expect the Note 7 battery to explode. So while they may have every honest intention of a solid design, only time will tell.

 

[TimothyBe]

Don’t want to find out how heavy this monster is... most be TOP heavy with 2 batteries inside

 

[zakarhino]

Had to laugh.. “it’s easy to open Google Maps”... followed by three presses of the icon before it opens! Teething troubles with these new touch displays, perchance??

Oh come on now, this is just ridiculous... You could see just how nervous the guy was, his hands were shaking like mad! I think it's pretty clear he was having trouble tapping the display due to his nervous state.

 

[Baymowe335]

Wake up Cupertino. Let them beancounters go, and hire some real innovators with a real driving force and passion again.

Yeah, since this has already proven to be amazing and necessary.

The larger screen is cool...the thick phone, clunky design, and awkward usability aren’t worth the benefit.

 

[iFone88]

One of the ugliest devices I have ever seen

 

[I7guy]

Wake up Cupertino. Let them beancounters go, and hire some real innovators with a real driving force and passion again.

If the apple watch, homepod, air pods, etc aren't innovative, why would the "fold" be considered innovative? It's just another iteration of an iteration. Whatever your personal definition of innovation is or looks like.

 

[theOmega]

That is one ugly piece of whatever that is, I don’t think Samsung really expects anyone other than rich people or tech reviewers to buy this hence they can price it however they feel like, it does put them on the spotlight as “innovative”, the folding screen is of course incredible but I doubt the next generation of this or others will look anything like this

I for one I’m very happy with my unfoldable displays and hope innovative Apple doesn’t rush in here at all

 

[neutrino23]

It doesn't sound like it's actually a folding LED screen in the literal sense - more like it's a hinged display with no bezel, with the hinge positioned such that the two halves of the LED screen are always touching - something easy to do with OLED or micro-LED.

That’s interesting. I’ll have to look at the pictures more carefully. This sounds more reliable than an actual folding display. So really it is a hybrid/two screen device, not a foldable display.

This is a curious device. It is getting a lot of attention for being a foldable device. Other than that, thick, heavy and expensive. It could be nice to have access to a larger screen in a small package with better execution.

Why 12 GB of RAM? Is Android such a memory hog?

 

[1050792]

You must not know much about iOS saying that. RAM numbers mean little in iOS and benchmarks show that.

The iPhone 6 disagrees.

 

[robjulo]

If you think there that is a lack of charisma, you ought to see an Apple presentation

Despite a thousand bright spotlights in that auditorium, a stunning lack of charisma on that stage!

So, is it usual for Sammy to unveil a new product, and provide almost zero specs? Battery life?... errr.. “it’s got a lot of power”.. etc

Had to laugh.. “it’s easy to open Google Maps”... followed by three presses of the icon before it opens! Teething troubles with these new touch displays, perchance??

 

[Optheduim]

That’s amazing. However, I’m hoping Apple will utilize the technology to fold the current iPhone size in half.

 

[bladerunner2000]

great... apple will use this to justify an iphone at that price

They already sell phones at that price. Then again, everything Apple sells is a ripoff.

 

[narcolpetic-haze]

Unless the notch is there for other reasons, I would've forgone the inside cameras for a cleaner edge to edge screen. Looked real good until I saw that.

 

[1rottenapple]

The screen has t be plastic right. That’s a bummer

 

[vladi]

It is tiny,you have 4.6” and a lot bezels around ..maybe in 2-3 generations we will have scren to body ratio of 70%

Well you need to factor in the actual dimensions into discussion to see that the front display is absolutely fine. Yes it is a 4.6" display but in 21:9 ratio cause folded device is only about 55mm wide or about 2". That's a hair less than iPhone SE which makes it super compact and super rational cause you get a really compact device that can expand into a tablet. So Samsung got it right from the usage point cause there is absolutely zero reason to have 70+mm/3" wide device that unfolds into tablet.

Now the reason why they couldn't cover the whole height of the front panel is lack of extreme wide ratio display (33:11). Again the one you see is 21:9 which is about to be a standard ratio next year on Android phones.

 

[Chomp81]

$2000!!! I can buy a Razer Gaming laptop with 4K display!!!!

But can you put it in your pocket? LOL!

 

[mi7chy]

Double the weight and 2.5x the thickness of an iPhone X. Now that's innovation folks.

Double the battery and probably double the battery life of the iPhone.

 

[AppleScruff1]

The iPhone 6 disagrees.

As did the original iPad and iPad 3. Slow as molasses.

 

[1144557]

The iPhone 6 disagrees.

Yes let's bring up nearly 5 years ago How about Lagwiz on the whopping 2gb RAM Galaxy S5 that year? Owned one so from personal experience, a plasticy creaky piece of laggy crap.

 

[Crowbot]

How many folds/unfolds before the screen start showing problems?

Yeah that was my first thought. It's one weakness of the clamshell design. But I look at this as a working proof-of-concept device. The aspect ratios of both the open and closed screen isn't right for practical use.

 

[mi7chy]

That’s what’s gonna make this truly hilarious when this exact same group of naysayers in here is now all the sudden slobbering all over Apple for doing something very similar at some point.

You know it. People have flip flopped over you don't need more than 3.5", 1GB DRAM, pen, OLED, 16GB storage...

 

[Chomp81]

On the 10th anniversary of the Galaxy, Samsung presents a REALLY innovative product! Kudos to Samsung!!

Whilst Apple presented a phone with a notch and specs that weren't news for Android users.

I'm a huge Apple FanBoy (well, I try...) but the only thing that is not making me consider other products/brand is that I can't bear with Android or Windows.

OS Apple is unbelievable ahead on UX and UI; but in hardware; they're being very conservative.... not the Apple (Jobs) way!

 

[coolX]

For a first gen product, that looks a lot better than I would have guessed. Clearly I won’t be buying one at that price, but better execution than I would have imagined.

why do you say "clearly"? we don't know how much $ you have or how willing you are to spend it.

 

[1050792]

Yes let's bring up nearly 5 years ago How about Lagwiz on the whopping 2gb RAM Galaxy S5 that year? Owned one so from personal experience, a plasticy creaky piece of laggy crap.

My S5 disagrees, in fact it runs circles over my iPhone 6 LOL.

 

[fyun89]

It's one of a kind technology (at the least, usable one). They can ask any price for such thing... and it isn't aimed for you normal people hahaha.
I would complain if the price doesn't come down in the later generations though.

 

[bbednarz]

You do realize that the base model Fold has the same storage capacity as the maxed out XS Max, right? It’s the only accurate comparison.

Sure, and there's still a $530 difference. That poster, who has a history of hating everything Apple does, brings up the iPhone as a $2k device which is just not true.