Samsung has teased about making a foldable phone for years, and this year’s rumored Galaxy F may just be the one that Samsung fans have been waiting for. In 2013, the company released a concept video of what the phone might look like, and earlier this year, 3D concept renders of the Galaxy F were leaked, giving Android users a first look at the highly-anticipated phone.
Samsung has been working on this foldable phone for several years now, and the company has hinted that it could be unveiled as early as November 2018 during Samsung’s Developer Conference or early January 2019.
Samsung Galaxy F Specs
Samsung’s foldable phone is commonly referred to as Galaxy F, but others refer to it as Samsung Galaxy X or Winner. But whatever its name is, the phone will definitely create some huge waves in the Android market.
One of the important details that have been circulating the internet is the screen size of the Galaxy F. According to reports, the foldable phone could have a seven-inch display—7.3 inches to be exact. It is a pretty big phone, almost the size of other tablets and iPad minis.
But users don’t have to worry about carrying around a bulky phone because you can fold it. The 7.3-inch OLED display can be folded inward with a curvature radius of 1.5 mm. The display will be then cut down to 4.5 inches when the phone is folded. It works just like your wallet —you open it up when in use, then fold it up and put it in your pocket. We’re not talking about the old flip phone from the 2000s. We’re talking about a full-screen, Android-powered smartphone with a display that can be folded in the middle.
You might think that being foldable will make the phone fragile, but Samsung developed a ‘polyimide transparent plastic film’, a flexible clear adhesive that could be bonded to the folding glass so that the screen won’t break.
Another feature that tech experts can infer from the design is the battery. Experts predict that the Galaxy F will be powered by a huge battery pack because bigger displays mean bigger power consumption. We just hope that it doesn’t turn out to be a disappointment just like the Samsung Galaxy S9’s so-so battery performance.
Bonus tip: There are many ways to save battery hours, but nothing beats extending your battery life for up to two hours by using an app like Android cleaning tool.
Samsung Galaxy F Release Date
In a previous interview with CNBC, Samsung’s Mobile Division CEO DJ Koh hinted that the Samsung Galaxy F might be launched in November, during the Samsung Developer Conference in San Francisco. The Samsung Developer Conference, or SDC, is an annual event that highlights Samsung’s breakthroughs in software and its future plans for developers who are developing applications for Samsung devices.
Koh said that consumer surveys revealed that there is a strong market for foldable phones and the company didn’t want the world’s first title to be snatched by a competitor.
However, in a recent talk with Korea Herald, Samsung dismissed the November launch rumors, saying that there is no confirmation about the date yet as the project is still approaching completion. But more details about the Samsung foldable phone will be announced during the event. Samsung has revealed that the foldable phone is in the last stage of the development and is expected to be launched early next year.
According to the same Korea Herald interview, the company will probably manufacture the prototype this November, and the official Samsung foldable phone will most likely debut either during the Consumer Electronics Show or the Mobile World Congress early next year.
Samsung Galaxy Foldable Phone – Limited Edition
Several foreign media organizations have criticized Samsung for teasing the public and then postponing the debut of the foldable phone every time. From the initial plan of unveiling the phone early this year, to November, then early next year, Samsung and Android fans are becoming disappointed with how the developments are going so far.
But that’s not what’s making you teary-eyed – it’s the price.
The Samsung Galaxy F is expected to be priced around $2000. In fact, Kim Jang-yeol, head of research at Golden Bridge Investment, reveals that the final price of the Galaxy F will be a whooping 2 million Won or $1,850. And even if Samsung slashes down the price for the US market, there won’t be that much difference at all.
This is because the Samsung Galaxy foldable phone will be released in limited edition.
An investigation done by PatentlyApple revealed that Samsung has ditched Kolon Industries, their local supplier, and is working with the smaller Japanese firm, Sumitomo Chemical, instead. According to Samsung, the choice was prompted by the ability of the Japanese firm to meet small supply orders in a short amount of time. This means that the Samsung foldable phone will indeed be manufactured in limited numbers, bumping up the price due to the scarcity of the product.
The phone looks incredible, and the rumored features are spectacular, so we’re expecting a Samsung device that would hopefully rock the Android world. And if the leaked photos and concept videos are anywhere close to the real thing, then it may warrant the astronomical price that was reported.
But, Samsung has to move fast because it’s not the only manufacturer aiming for the ‘first foldable phone’ title.
Competition
Just a few weeks ago, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer giant Huawei challenged Samsung in the race to deliver the first foldable smartphone. Although Huawei’s version of the foldable phone is not as popular as Samsung’s, the Galaxy F manufacturer is starting to feel the pressure, especially with Huawei CEO Richard Yu’s interview with the German news site Die Welt.
The Huawei executive said that the company is working on the foldable phone already and it will probably be released next year. Although Yu did not reveal any of the specs of the upcoming Huawei foldable phone, he did reveal new features that will probably be used in other Huawei devices to be released next year (including the foldable phone). These features include 5G, better AI features, real-time language translations, and the Kirin 980 platform.
The Huawei Mate 20 Pro will be launched on October 16, and it is the perfect opportunity for the Chinese smartphone giant to reveal its plans regarding the foldable phone. Until then, we’ll have to settle with rumors.