Samsung Galaxy Fold: the folding smartphone, explained

Eventually it will come, it will come to an end. Galaxy Fold in Italy from December 16th, just before this 2019 concludes with great promises regarding the next smartphone market revolution, linked to the debut of a new type of device.

A lot of time has passed since the February presentation. The first version of the product was announced and then put on standby due to the well-known design issues. TO Samsung, as it happened in the past for different issues, it should be given the merit of knowing how to recognize an error when committed, assuming responsibility for it and putting one's face instead of hiding behind a finger.

Galaxy Fold: the folding, explained

The ambitions of the group were reiterated at the meeting this morning with the press: Fold is only the tip of the iceberg, the first concrete manifestation of an innovation path that the group has embarked on investing resources and expertise. Although official confirmation has not yet been received from the company (but several clues) it is reasonable to expect further debuts in 2020. Not only Galaxy Fold 2, which someone would like to show at the MWC in Barcelona, ​​but other form factors and in all likelihood other lines, perhaps starting as early as the next few weeks with the W20 model.

How to define this new segment of the mobile market? That of the folding smartphones? of foldable? A new interpretation of 2-in-1? Just as the progenitor of the Galaxy Note family has led to minting the term phablet, in all probability we will soon find the way to baptize these products, so as to distinguish them from more traditional telephones.

What changes then in the Galaxy Fold 1 2.0, if we can call it that? We had the opportunity to touch it this morning and at first glance there seems to be no substantial difference from the previous iteration. The changes made are perhaps not very visible, but important. Samsung has extended the breadth of the first layer that covers the display taking it over the edges, so that no one can think of it as a protective film trying to remove it. Changes also for the hinge, that complex system of levers and gears that manages the movement by distributing the stresses correctly when the device is opened or closed.

So what is the Galaxy Fold like? Impossible to judge without a thorough test. The impression returned by the first contact is that of a new, solid device, with which there is however need to become familiar, but which at the same time contains enormous potential to be exploited. How? First of all, side software: without adequate app optimization you risk not getting the most out of the proportions square of the 7.3-inch screen. The passage seamless from the smallest external display to the largest internal one, it opens up new ways of using and is perhaps the first real demonstration of how foldable can offer a new mobile experience.

The first in a long series

Let's assume that in the not too distant future, Samsung will launch a device of this type with integrated nib. Something different from the Galaxy Note, able to enclose the usefulness of a tablet in the size of a smartphone. We also imagine a thinning of the edges that surround the external panel, which are important today and that stand out above all by thinking about how the sector is now closely linked to the concept of borderless.

Certainly Galaxy Fold is not a device for everyone, even considering his price: is proposed in Italy at day one to 2,050 euros in a bundle that includes the Galaxy Buds earphones, a protective cover and the Care + insurance which for one year allows you to access the replacement of any component without additional costs. There is also a toll-free number 24/7 for assistance. We have not been able to extract an exact figure, but we can imagine that at the debut more than a few thousand will not be available for our country.

You are facing ainnovation, this is not discussed. However, it will take time and a joint commitment (as already mentioned, involving primarily players in the software world) so that foldables can earn the medal of Next Big Thing. Samsung is well aware that in conjunction with the launch will organize a sort of tour throughout the territory to explain to users what is its foldable revolution.