Galaxy X: All we know about the price, specifications and the release date of Samsung foldable phone

The era of foldable phone officially started. Samsung introduced the world to its first foldable phone this week, a device that would call the Galaxy X or the Galaxy F. This was not a typical ad with all the details displayed as they were for the Galaxy S9 or Note 9 unveiling. Instead, Samsung has teased its foldable phone through a short video and by raising a working prototype in the hand of an executive on stage.

Although Samsung has never displayed the foldable phone closely – not even behind the glbad of a museum – the device is very real. It is sufficiently conceptualized to win the support of Google. In fact, Samsung's project seems to have sparked official Android support for all foldable phones, no matter the manufacturer. Meanwhile, Samsung has gathered developers Wednesday afternoon to share some additional details, such as those of the phone. Screen sizes of 4.5 and 7.3 inches.

Despite the details, the brief appearance of the foldable phone on stage raised more questions than answers. Here's what we know – and what's next.

How does the phone call?

Samsung has not given the foldable phone a name, but rumors suggest that it will be called the Galaxy X or the Galaxy F. The "F" could mean "fold" or "flex". The "X" could mean "extra" or "10" because there are 9 Galaxy S phones available – although we were expecting to see a Galaxy S10 around March this year.

What's a foldable phone?

According to Samsung's definition, a collapsible phone is a device with a cellular connection (where the "phone" part) that looks like a tablet when it is completely open and can be closed. to look like your usual phone. Samsung's prototype has a tablet-like display that closes like a book, but FlexPai by Royole, another foldable phone, has a screen bending outward, which means that "the screen" is outside. There is no single definition.

ZTE has not made a foldable phone?

Last year, the ZTE Axon M was the first version of a foldable phone combining two separate phone screens via a central hinge. Samsung's collapsible phone (and Royole's, FlexPai) seem to have unibody screens folding in the middle. A magnet holds the FlexPai's screen in the "closed" position.

We can give the Axon M the opportunity to explore new ways of using a dual-screen device; Royole has already adopted some, for example, reflecting the content of both screens so that people on either side of a table can view the same video clip. ZTE could very well offer a collapsible (or "collapsible") second generation phone.

What is the advantage of a foldable phone?

There are two main advantages. First, a foldable phone can more than double the space available on the screen. For example, the Samsung model has a 4.5-inch screen that you will use when it is closed. Then, the interior opens on a screen of 7.3 inches. You could argue that you have the equivalent of three screens.

A larger screen gives you an enlarged viewing area, but it also unlocks various ways to use your device. For example, Samsung's foldable screen will allow you to perform multiple tasks simultaneously in three areas. ZTE's Axon M allows you to use the entire screen for an application, to load a separate application on each screen or to duplicate the same application on both screens.

What happens when you open and close the Samsung phone when using an app?

Like the Royole FlexPai, this foldable phone will automatically transfer the application or screen you are looking at in the "closed" position folded to the "open" position, and vice versa. We have seen some delay on the FlexPai, but we have not had a chance to see how Samsung will handle the transition.

What makes the Samsung monitor so awesome?

Samsung has created a new screen for its foldable phone, the Infinity Flex Display. The company said it had to change the usual layers that are part of any display (this is what illuminates the "screen" that you see on your phone). All screens consist of layers, but they are usually stacked and not moved. The Infinity Flex Display uses a new adhesive developed by Samsung to laminate display layers so that they can bend and bend hundreds of thousands of times.

The company also needed to make the Infinity Flex Display display thinner than any other mobile screen. It has reduced by 45% the thickness of the polarizer layer, which helps make the screen readable.

When will Samsung's foldable phone go on sale?

Samsung has announced mbad production of the phone in the "coming months". The foldable phone is expected to start selling in 2019. We expect Samsung to hold a separate launch event to present the details. Again, it was only an overview.

How much will it cost?

The short answer is that we do not know because Samsung did not announce it. However, it is easy to guess that it will be an expensive device. The Royole FlexPai foldable developer phone costs $ 1,318 for a device with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. The version with 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage costs $ 1,469.

Given that Samsung's Galaxy Note 9 for experienced users starts at $ 999, so it's unlikely that a state-of-the-art foldable phone easily starts at $ 1,500 or even more. Manufacturers like Samsung (and Royole) can be expected to justify high prices based on the entire screen. After all, they reason, you get a tablet and a phone in one – and the prices of phones are only increasing.

What is the life of the battery?

Samsung's goal is to give its phone a longer battery life than today's Galaxy smartphones, said Jisun Park, technical director and head of Samsung's mobile system software group. This is despite the fact that there is more screen active to empty the battery. The US version of note 9 lasted on average 19 hours and 20 minutes CNET Loop Video Dump Test.

Or is the battery anyway?

We do not have access to design details, but batteries do not bend. Expect a big battery on one side and many of the other components to balance the opposite side. One of the main grievances we had with the ZTE Axon M was that it did not feel balanced compared to the half containing the battery considerably thicker and heavier than the other half. Samsung will have to pay attention to that.

Is this image what the foldable phone really looks like?

Almost certainly not. Samsung presented a prototype model, explaining that the real parts were hidden inside. Samsung is not ready for the public – or competitors – to see a final drawing.

If there is one Ariane thread about the possible shape of the foldable phone, it's in the new One UI operating system. The company said the rounded rectangular edges that form a major design motif are designed to match the rounded edges of its devices. The foldable phone prototype has 90-degree edges and thick frames. We can anticipate a softer look.

What is the device made of?

The materials are a big problem as buyers have been conditioned to spend more on aluminum, ceramics and glbad. But the FlexPai uses a screen and a plastic case to gain flexibility and control costs, and the ZTE Axon M has exchanged quality camera and other components to stay affordable.

The foldable phone may have at least one plastic screen. At the request of the CNE, Park, of Samsung, suggested, during a session intended for developers, that the outside screen might have a different material than the one in the inside screen. Our hypothesis is that the 4.5-inch screen could be made from Gorilla glbad while the 7.3-inch inside could be made from plastic.

Samsung has not responded to a request for comment.

How it works?

In general, you will start using the foldable phone as you would with your usual phone and then open it when you want to take advantage of the larger screen space. Samsung has not communicated details about how hardware and software share messages.

Does it work on Android?

Yes, but there is more. Samsung has announced that the foldable phone, as well as future phones, will work on a redesigned version of Samsung's custom software called One UI. Samsung makes the One UI beta available this month, but only for users of Android 9 Pie. It is highly likely that the foldable phone will be launched with Android Pie.

What applications will work on the phone?

It's still early so we do not have a lot of application details. It's partly for this reason that Samsung has unveiled the device to SDC, its developer conference: invite developers to take over the phone. Samsung's internal applications, such as SmartThings, are likely to work on the device and long-time partner Flipboard has shown initial efforts on an app.

Since the main benefit is the ability to multitask – run three applications at the same time or simultaneously access more features of a particular application – it is up to developers to create applications. convincing that work seamlessly on the foldable phone. Samsung relies on application developers to innovate as well as with smartphone-compatible apps for Galaxy Note.

When you open the device, does the smaller screen become black?

For now, Samsung's design "turns off" the 4.5-inch screen and opens your application on the 7.3-inch indoor big screen, picking up where you left off.

What does Samsung's competition look like?

Small at this point, but the future is fierce announcement. The ZTE Axon M hull is not a major competitor, any more than the Royole FlexPai, even though it beat Samsung on a truly collapsible display. But we know that LG and Huawei have their own foldable phone projects. According to rumors, LG will be launched in January at CES 2019.

Will Samsung sell its folding screens to other manufacturers?

On Wednesday, at a SDC panel, a developer asked when Samsung would sell its display technology to its competitors. Samsung declined to comment on this possibility, but Samsung is one of the world's leading producers of display screens. It is likely that she will eventually sell the technology to competitors for her to use in her own devices.

Is this all for real?

A foldable phone may sound like a pipe dream, but it's a fantasy that can really come alive. Questions remain about the price, practicality and convenience of using a foldable device.

What comes after foldable?

"Our innovation pipeline includes expandable and roll-up screens," Samsung's Denison said Wednesday during the presentation.

Shara Tibken from CNET contributed to this story.

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