Samsung returns to the fold
DESPITE A LUKEWARM FIRST RESPONSE, ELECTRONICS GIANT DOUBLES DOWN ON FLEXIBLE PHONES
WHEN Samsung first unleashed its folding phone tech on the world, the world said: “So, what?” Worse than that, the first Galaxy Fold phone was riddled with design flaws.
But Samsung has not given up, and with the latest iterations of its flexible friends, has shown this tech is not going away.
This week, we saw the reveal of two new folding phones, the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and the Galaxy Z Flip3 5G… as the names suggest, they are the third versions of these technically stunning devices.
Across the two phones Samsung has worked hard to improve levels of durability, so there’s stronger Gorilla glass with a special protective coating, and a new material for the chassis of the device, which Samsung is calling Armor Aluminium. It makes the devices stronger and lighter.
There’s also, for the first time in foldable phones, robust waterand dust-proofing built-in.
Everything else has been upgraded, too – brighter screens, better sounds, and the very latest Snapdragon processor. The Fold showcases a couple of features available for the first time.
It’s now compatible with the Galaxy Pen stylus, and there are two new versions of this – the Pro is a more fully-featured stylus which will work with other compatible Samsung devices, while the Fold edition just works with this phone.
The Fold features two screens – the 6.2in cover screen, which operates more or less like a traditional phone, and the foldable inner screen, which is 7.61in across when opened. This turns the device into a fully-featured tablet with a great viewing experience.
The other slightly mind-blowing feature is an under-screen camera on the foldable screen, which Samsung says allows the best of both worlds
– uninterrupted viewing that still features videocalling capabilities.
Samsung says it worked hard this time on ensuring the software works well on the new kind of screen, collaborating with other software-makers like Google and Microsoft.
The same goes for the Flip, which Samsung is positioning as more of a fashion item than the Fold.
The Flip is no slouch, though, and offers a great upgrade to its cover screen over the last version. It’s now a 1.9in colour screen that’s much more useful for selfie framing, checking the weather and notifications, amongst other things – you can do a lot, in other words, without even flipping the device open. When you do, you’ve got a 6.7in screen that matches the best of them for a more traditional smartphone experience.
There are lots of cool and colourful cases coming for the Flip, too, which means the device will always turn heads.
Samsung unveiled other devices this week, too – a couple of new watches and the second version of its Buds wireless headphones.
The Galaxy Watch4 and Galaxy Watch4 Classic reveal the first devices running the new Samsung-specific version WearOS from Google – the two companies have worked together to make the software work better with the hardware. For example, the watch’s compass works in Google Maps. The watch itself is as fully-featured as they come, with a host of health tracking features, and a fullycustomisable look.
Samsung says it’s also working towards deeper integration with its phones, so things like settings are matched and you can also co-ordinate the screens’ look across the devices.
The Buds2 are active noise-cancelling earbuds that do everything they should and not much more, although the AI powered noise filtering (which can recognise external noises and filter them out of calls) sounds interesting.
It’s been a big week for Samsung, and, on paper at least, what they have to offer looks both unique and compelling…
The Galaxy Flip4 5G starts at £949, while the Z Fold3 5G will cost from £1,599. The Galaxy Watch4 starts at £259 with the Classic from £369. The Buds2 will cost £139. All will hit the market on August 27 (Samsung.co.uk).