5 Things To Know About Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2
The foldable smartphone includes a number of design and feature improvements over the original Galaxy Fold.
Samsung is ready to launch its next $2,000 foldable phone, with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 set to debut later this month.
It’s the third foldable phone from Samsung. The original Galaxy Fold was priced at $1,980 and released in 2019—and was postponed for five months to fix issues uncovered about the initial version of the device.
[Related: 5 Things We Love About Samsung’s Galaxy Note 20 Ultra]
Samsung’s second foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip, launched in February and features a display that folds from top to bottom.
Now, with the Z Fold 2, Samsung says it’s combining the best of both approaches from its first two foldables—while making a number of other improvements around design and features.
What follows are five key things to know about Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 2.
Cover Display
One key upgrade for the device over the original Galaxy Fold is the inclusion of a full-size display on the cover. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 features a 6.2-inch cover display, compared to the 4.6-inch cover display on the Galaxy Fold. The Cover Display is Super AMOLED with resolution of 2,260 x 816 (386 pixels per inch).
Main Display
When unfolded, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 offers 7.6 inches of display space--up from 7.3 inches previously. The Dynamic AMOLED 2X display offers 2,208 x 1,768 (373 ppi) resolution, and now uses “Ultra Thin Glass” for a “more premium and refined feel,” Samsung said. The company also said the gap between the unfolded screens has been reduced on the Z Fold 2.
For multitasking on the unfolded main display, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 provides capabilities such as opening multiple files from the same app simultaneously, for viewing side by side, as well as the ability to drag and drop content between apps. Users also can now have up to three apps open at a time in the multi-screen experience on the device.
Design Updates
The body of the device is now thinner and more durable, Samsung said, while the hinge has been re-engineered from the original Galaxy Fold. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 thus is able to stand up at multiple angles like on the Galaxy Z Flip. The “Hideaway Hinge” also “fits seamlessly into the device body,” Samsung said.
Additionally, the Z Fold 2 includes the same “sweeper” technology as on the Galaxy Z Flip to keep out intrusion from dust and dirt.
Other Specs
Capitalizing on the rollout this year of more high-speed 5G networks, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 supports both sub-6GHz 5G connectivity and higher-speed, millimeter-wave 5G. The foldable phone is powered by the eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus—the first mobile processor to surpass a clock speed of 3 GHz—along with 12 GB of RAM.
The Z Fold 2 also has an “all-day” battery with a capacity of 4,500 mAh and 256 GB of internal storage. For the rear camera system, the Z Fold 2 includes three cameras—wide-angle, ultra-wide and telephoto--at 12 megapixels each.
Price And Availability
Samsung’s starting price for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is $1,999. Pre-orders start Sept. 2, with the device available on Sept. 18.
Buyers will also be provided with the Galaxy Z Premier Service--an “on-demand concierge support from a dedicated team of product experts,” Samsung said.