Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has debuted at the Galaxy Unpacked 2020 Part 2 virtual event. The new foldable phone is the third in the series that started with the Galaxy Fold last year. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes with a series of upgrades over the Galaxy Fold as well as Galaxy Z Flip that was launched earlier this year. The smartphone features a bigger, flexible display that folds into two. It also comes with an Ultra-Thin Glass (UTG) protection. The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 also offers triple rear cameras and includes wireless charging support. There is also Wireless PowerShare to let you charge your wireless charging-supported devices with the latest foldable phone.
“With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2, we closely listened to user feedback to ensure we were bringing meaningful improvements to the hardware, while also developing new innovations to enhance the user experience,” said Samsung Mobile chief Dr. TM Roh in a statement. “Further strengthened by our industry-leading partnerships with Google and Microsoft, we’re reshaping and redefining the possibilities of the mobile device experience.”
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 price, availability details
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 price in India and sale details are yet to be announced; however, the phone will retail at $1,999 (roughly Rs. 1,48,300) in the US. According to Samsung, the phone will be offered in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze colour options starting September 18. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be sold in 40 markets around the world, including the US and South Korea. The pre-orders for the phone kick off later today in select markets.
Alongside the regular option, Samsung has launched the Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition that will will be available starting September 25 in select countries. Same as regular Galaxy Z Fold 2, the Thom Browne edition also goes up for pre-orders later today. Each Thom Browne Edition package will include the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Watch 3, Galaxy Buds Live, and a number of fully customised accessories all featuring elements of Thom Browne’s signature design. There is no word on the price of this special edition right now.
Samsung initially showcased the Galaxy Z Fold 2 at the time of announcing the Galaxy Note 20 series last month. At that time, the company didn’t reveal its pricing and availability details, though it put the phone on reservations for its US customers.
To make the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 purchase more enticing, Samsung will allow customers to customise the foldable phone in four hinge colours – Metallic Silver, Metallic Red, Metallic Blue, and Metallic Gold. The company will offer an online tool via Samsung.com to provide this customisation and it will be limited to 21 markets that don’t include India.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 specifications
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 runs on Android 10 with One UI 2.5 on top and features a 7.6-inch full-HD+ (1,768×2,208 pixels) foldable, Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-O Display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 22.5:18 aspect ratio. There is also a 6.2-inch Super AMOLED Infinity Flex Display with 816×2,260 pixels resolution and 25:9 aspect ratio on the cover. Under the hood, the phone has an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ SoC, coupled with 12GB of LPDDR5 RAM. You’ll also get 256GB of UFS 3.1 storage that isn’t expandable via microSD card.
For photos and videos, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes with the triple rear camera setup that houses a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 lens — along with optical image stabilisation (OIS) support. The camera setup also includes a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/2.2 ultra-wide-angle lens and a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/2.4 telephoto lens. It supports 4K video recording as well as slow-motion videos at 960fps.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 also comes with 10-megapixel selfie camera sensors on both cover screen as well as main display with an f/2.2 lens. There are also preloaded features including Auto Scene Optimisation, Bixby Vision, Group Selfie, HDR10+ Video, Live Focus, and Panorama.
Connectivity options on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 include 5G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v5.0, GPS/ A-GPS, UWB (Ultra Wide Band), and a USB Type-C port. Sensors on board include an accelerometer, ambient light sensor, barometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, proximity sensor, and an RGB sensor. There is also a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. Further, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 includes stereo speakers by AKG along with Dolby Atmos support.
To avoid the issues that initially impacted the Galaxy Fold, Samsung claims that it has re-engineered the hinge on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with a dedicated “sweeper” to help clean dust and debris out using elastic fibres. There is also UTG protection over a plastic covering available on the last year model. Additionally, the new smartphone has a CAM Mechanism that lets you open it up at multiple angles, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 packs a 4,500mAh battery that supports fast charging, wireless charging, and Wireless PowerShare. Besides, the phone measures 159.2×128.2×6.9mm and weighs 279 grams.
Is this the end of the Samsung Galaxy Note series as we know it? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.
