It’s a headline we’ll see often in the coming weeks: Samsung’s foldable smartphone has sold out in Korea. Sold out in South Africa. Sold out … wherever it launches.
There are two reasons that the world’s first commercially available foldable phone is making such an impact:
- It is being produced in small numbers to start; only a few hundred arrived in South Africa this week, and all were sold out on pre-order. When South Korea sold out its initial release on the first day, it was estimated by BGR consumer electronics site that only about a thousand units went on sale. By now, that number has increased to around 30,000, still tiny by big-name smartphone standards.
- It costs a lot less than expected. While R44,000 is still wallet-busting, it’s well below the most recent forecasts of R50,000-plus, and there are enough heavy-hitters who will pay anything for the latest in cutting edge gadgetry. When the first batch went on sale in Korea, desperate buyers from other countries were paying up to $4,000 a time to import these units.
The device was formally unveiled in South Africa at Samsung Power of 10 celebration in Sandton, and an advance unit put up for sale. TV and singing personality Somizi Mhlongo was the first to shell out R44,000, creating a frenzy of wannabe enthusiasm for pre-orders.
There is a third reason for the enthusiasm: the foldable phone has been a long time coming.
Back in 2016, Lenovo showed off two working prototypes of foldable devices at the Lenovo Tech World conference in San Francisco. The Cplus was a bendable phone that wraps around the wrist, and the Folio a foldable tablet where the screen itself folds in half to become a standard smartphone display. Both were working devices, rather than artists’ concepts, but at the time Lenovo suggested the devices were still some years from hitting the shelves.
On February 20 this year, Samsung first showed off its new foldable phone. At the time, the media were surprised that units were available to try out at the launch. However, small groups had to take turns to enter a private Fold viewing area, photos were banned, personal phones had to be handed in, and the Fold had to be tried out only under close supervision.
The first impression was of a compact smartphone with a relatively small screen on the front – it measures 4.6-inches – and a second layer of phone at the back. With a click of a button, the phone folded out to reveal a 7.3-inch inside screen – the equivalent of a mini tablet.
The device introduced the concept of “app continuity”, which means an app can be opened on the front and, in mid-use, if the handset is folded open, continue on the inside from where the user left off on the front. The difference is that the app will then have far more space for viewing or other activity.
Click here to read about how app continuity.
For example, open Google Maps on the front page and it will show your location in a relatively small map area. Fold open, and the same location is displayed with far more of its surroundings in a far bigger map area. Or, see the same location in far greater detail. Open Netflix on the front, start a movie, and then unfold the handset to carry on watching the movie in a somewhat larger format.
The inside screen can be split into three separate app areas, with one large and two small app spaces. This means one can watch a video or play a game in the larger space, chat with a friend via instant messenger in one of the smaller spaces, and write a document in the third space.
This opens the way for the Fold to join the Galaxy Note as both smartphone and productivity tool, and ultimately a replacement for laptop computers.
That is the real promise of the fold: a digital working surface that is also an entertainment and communications device, and that can be slipped into a pocket.
As with app continuity, the three segments “speak” to each other, in that a browser or app in one window can be dragged to another if one wants to see it in a larger or smaller format.
The specs of the device were also a pleasant surprise: 12GB of RAM, which Samsung says makes it one of the most powerful smartphones on the market. It has a massive 512GB of storage space onboard, and support for universal flash storage, meaning content can be accessed significantly faster than with regular handsets.
Click here to read about the other innovations that make this device stand out.
The foldable display and hinge are not the only engineering marvels on the device. It contains two batteries, one in each half of the unit, and combines the energy from both batteries into one power source.
The camera system comprises an absurd six lenses – the most so far on a regular smartphone is five – with three on the back and one on the front. The other two? On the inside, of course. The primary camera is an ultrawide 16MP lens, and the array includes wide angle and telephoto with 2X optical zoom. The cover camera is a 10MP baby, while the inside lenses offer 8MP and 10MP.
The main display is a Dynamic AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, measuring 536 x 2152 pixels, with a healthy 414 pixels per inch density. The cover display is a Super AMOLED screen.
The handset runs on the latest Qualcomm processor, the Snapdragon 855, and the batteries add up to a massive 4380 mAh.
The device was due to launch on 26 April, and that’s where the wheels fell off. Or rather, the screens. When the device was sent to early reviewers in the USA, some discovered that, when they peeled off what they thought were screen protectors, they were peeling off the actual display.
It was not surprising when the April launch was postponed. Samsung went back to the drawing board and applied a little industrial design. The specs have not changed, but the screen coating has been upgraded to make it more durable, the hinge is less visible, and the device in general looks more seamless and elegant.
It won’t take the mass market by storm, but it is going to be a massive head-turner.
Click here to read the full spec sheet for the Galaxy Fold.
Galaxy Fold specifications
Dimensions
Folded: 62.8 x 160.9 x 17.1 mm (Hinge)–15.7 mm (Sagging)
Unfolded: 117.9 x 160.9 x 7.6 mm (Frame)–6.9 mm (Screen)
Weight: 276 g
Main Display
7.3″ QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED Display (4.2:3)
Infinity Flex Display (2152×1536)
362ppi
Cover Display
4.6″ HD+ Super AMOLED Display (21:9)
720×1680
399ppi
Cover Display Camera
10MP Selfie Camera
Pixel size: 1.22μm
Field of View (FOV): 80˚
F.No (aperture): F2.2
Front Display Cameras (Unfolded Display Cameras)
Camera 1: 10MP Selfie Camera
Pixel size: 1.22μm
FOV: 80˚
F.No (aperture): F2.2
Camera 2: 8MP RGB Depth Camera
Pixel Size: 1.12μm
FOV: 85˚
F.No (aperture): F1.9
Live focus
Rear Camera System
Camera 1: 16MP Ultra Wide Camera
Pixel size: 1.0μm
FOV: 123˚
F.No (aperture): F2.2
Camera 2: 12MP Wide-angle Camera
Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS
Pixel size: 1.4μm
FOV: 77˚
Dual Aperture: F1.5 mode/F2.4 mode
Camera 3: 12MP Telephoto Camera
PDAF, OIS
Pixel size: 1.0μm
FOV: 45˚
F.No (aperture): F2.4
Other features:
Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilization)
0.5x out and 2x in optical zoom
Up to 10x digital zoom
HDR10+ recording
Tracking AF
Camera modes:
Food
Panorama
Pro
Live focus with bokeh effect
Photo
Video
Super Slow-mo
Slow-motion
Hyperlapse
Video Specs:
Resolution:
4K UHD video recording at 60 fps (3840×2160)
1080p FHD video recording at 60 fps (1920×1080)
720p HD video recording at 30 fps (1280×720)
Super steady
Super Slow-mo 720p video support at 960 fps
Slow motion 1080p video support at 240 fps
Hyperlapse 1080p video support
VDIS (Video Digital Image Stabilization)
Digital zoom up to 10x
High CRI LED Flash
Tracking AF
Take 9.1MP still photos while recording 4K UHD video
Playback zoom
Video location tags
Battery Capacity:
LTE model: 4380mAh (typical) dual battery
5G model: 4235mAh (typical) dual battery
Data:
LTE model: Enhanced 2X2 MIMO, 6CA, LAA, LTE Cat.18 (Dual SIM)
5G model: Non-Standalone (NSA), Sub6 (Single SIM)
Up to 1.2Gbps Download / Up to 150Mbps Upload
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4/5GHz),VHT80 MU-MIMO,1024QAM
Bluetooth
Bluetooth v 5.0 (LE up to 2Mbps), ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC, Location (GPS, Galileo, Glonass, BeiDou)
Processor
7nm 64-bit Octa-Core Processor x 2.84Ghz (Maximum Clock Speed) + 2.41GHz + 1.78GHz
Memory
12GB RAM with 512GB internal storage
Security
Biometric lock type: Fingerprint sensor, Face recognition