Samsung could drop as many as five new smartphones in February, each of which is expected to reinvent the way smartphones screens have been designed for years.
The most audacious of these reinventions is the Galaxy F foldable phone, which, if popular, could provide the template for the next generation of smartphone concepts.
The Korean tech giant first teased the concept of a smartphone booklet at CES 2013. Five years later, it showcased a prototype of the foreshadowed device during its November 2018 developer’s conference. It didn’t look anywhere near as sleek as it was portrayed at the tech trade show half a decade ago, but it delivered on its biggest promise: Providing a tablet-sized display that can can be folded up and placed in your pocket like a smartphone.
Samsung’s sprint to get its Galaxy F to market prompted a flood of patents, rumors, and renders of other foldable phone concepts from its competitors. Motorola, LG, Huawei, and even Apple have been said to be cooking up their own riffs on a flexible display. Some unfurl like scrolls and others can be folded like a brochure. All of them seem likely serve as two-in-one tablet and smartphone, though Samsung’s will likely be the first big hardware maker to show the world what it’s capable of.
The Galaxy F will pack an extra screen and pack features that seem targeted to on-the-go multitaskers. Samsung said it’ll be able to run three apps side-by-side using a feature dubbed “multi-active window.” It will be collaborating with Google to develop Android software specifically for foldable phones, which will most likely power all other flexible devices after it (besides Apple of course).
Here’s everything you need to know about the game-changing Galaxy F:
Samsung Galaxy F Launch Date
The Galaxy F could debut as early as February, the same day Samsung’s new line of S10 smartphones are set to launch. A Wall Street Journal report suggested that the company might also have plans to unveil its foldable phone during its S10 events in San Francisco and London. That lines up perfectly with what Samsung’s SVP of mobile product marketing, Justin Denison, said during the November developer’s conference.
“We hope we’ve inspired you until the next UNPACKED where you’ll see more of this technology in action,” he said.
Could this be yet another teaser or a full-fletch launch? Only February 20 will tell.
Samsung Galaxy F Price
The Galaxy F might be a tablet you can fold into a smartphone, but it might cost as much as a state-of-the-art laptop. Once it hits shelves it could run consumers anywhere from $1,900 to $2,500, according to an anonymous tipster interviewed by Gizmodo. This is new heights for its forecasted price.
That would potentially add another $130 or even $730 to its already astronomical price tag. The Yonhap report says the device could cost as much as $1,770 and that Samsung will aim to ship 1 million of them.
The Galaxy F was never expected to be cheap. An anonymous Samsung official told Reuters: “Unlike our flagship products,” the source told the wire service, “the foldable phone is a completely new concept in terms of design and user experience, which requires a different approach.” Usually when companies roll out trend-setting features, they come at a hefty cost. More
By
Danny Paez
Media via Samsung, LetsGoDigital, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office
