Samsung Is Still Trying to Make Folding Phones Happen
As part of its Galaxy Unpacked event on August 5, Samsung introduced two new Galaxy Note smartphones, two new tablets, a new smartwatch, and more.
Most significantly, the company debuted a new foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold2, with a fully redesigned hinge.
That device goes on sale beginning August 21, but Samsung hasn't given out any clues about the price just yet.
Samsung just unveiled seven new gadgets during its 2020 Galaxy Unpacked event today, and they just might make you think twice about turning your nose up at Android devices—especially if you're intrigued by the idea of a folding smartphone.
That's right: In a bid to ease some of the lingering doubts about folding phones, Samsung is trying again with the Galaxy Z Fold2.
Samsung also introduced two 5G-compatible smartphones—the flagship Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra—along with updated Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ tablets, the Galaxy Watch3, and Galaxy Buds Live at the event.
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The South Korea-based electronics company held the event virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic, just as other tech companies have been doing. Apple, for example, put on a virtual 2020 Worldwide Developers Conference back in June.
"Technology can help empower you in these times of uncertainty," TM Roh, head of Samsung mobile, said during the event. "So that you can work hard, so that you can play hard ... and so that you can live life to the absolute fullest."
Here's a closer look at everything Samsung announced today.
Galaxy Note 20 and Galaxy Note 20 Ultra
The Galaxy Note 20 and its bigger, flashier sibling, the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, were some of the expected stars of the show.
First, let's talk about their respective sizes. The Note 20 features a 6.7-inch screen, which is slowly becoming a standard of sorts in the "big screen" smartphone marketplace, considering the heavily rumored iPhone 12 will supposedly come in at the same size, making it the largest iPhone to date.
Not only will the Note 20 Ultra, which has a screen measuring in at 6.9 inches, become the largest device in the Galaxy family, but it will also be one of the largest smartphone displays—period—when you consider Apple and Samsung hold a combined 69 percent of U.S. market share.
Then, there's the triple camera array, which includes a 12-megapixel ultra wide camera, a 108-megapixel wide-angle camera, and a 12-megapixel telephoto camera capable of 5x zoom. It's sort of analogous to the three-camera array we saw with the release of the iPhone 11 Pro, but rather than a triangular array, the Galaxy Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra stack the lenses in a line.
The cameras supposedly deliver the best night shots yet, but we have to call out the full array for sticking out on the back of the phones, to the point we're afraid it will sit in your pocket in a strange way. The iPhone 11 Pro array, meanwhile, sits much more flush with the back of the phone, even if the lenses do make it look like a spider.
On the front, there's also the 10-megapixel selfie camera, which is slightly more capable than the Google Pixel 4's front-facing camera. That camera is only 8 megapixels, but not as great as the iPhone 11 Pro's front camera, which features a 12-megapixel lens.
These phones come in several eye-catching colors, including "mystic bronze," "mystic white," "mystic gray," "mystic black," and "mystic green." In the Note 20 Ultra, Samsung etched the back glass panel to give it a smooth finish, while the Note 20 features a special coating to reinforce the polycarbonate.
S Pen—which makes the Galaxy Note, well, a Note—also got a face lift. The research and development team has introduced AI-based point prediction to figure out which direction your line will go in to reduce latency. Plus, the screen has a 120-Hertz (Hz) display (as compared to 60 Hz), which makes the S Pen feel more reactive with the faster refresh rates.
Both handsets are 5G compatible and feature 128 gigabytes of storage space. They're available for pre-order now, with the Galaxy Note 20 starting at $999 and the Note 20 Ultra starting at $1,299. The Note 20 Ultra also comes in a 512-gigabyte configuration at $1,449.99.
Other features include:
📲 Outdoor visibility has been improved 25 percent.
📲 Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, the toughest glass used in smartphones today.
📲 Super Fast Charging delivers 50 percent battery life in just 30 minutes
Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+
Both devices feature a full-metal design, but are lightweight enough to carry around with you. The Galaxy Tab S7+ is actually the slimmest tablet of its size on the market, according to Samsung.
The Galaxy Tab S7 comes in at 11 inches, while the Galaxy Tab S7+ is 12.4 inches, making it the largest Super AMOLED display around. (That stands for Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diodes, A.K.A. the type of OLED display used in smartphones).
Both also feature a 120 Hz refresh rate, just like the Note 20 smartphone line, reducing latency with the S Pen. The pen is tucked inside a little trough next to the tablet's camera array. Each device comes in mystic black, mystic bronze, and mystic silver.
On the software end, one of the coolest improvements is the ability to open three windows at once. So you could hypothetically draw and take notes in one window, while watching YouTube videos in another pane, while also texting your friends on the side.
A new partnership with Xbox means Samsung users will get Game Pass Ultimate on their devices as soon as September 15—even on the Note 20 smartphone. Thanks to that improved refresh rate, the gaming should be pretty seamless. And yes, you can use your regular Xbox controller.
Both the Galaxy Tab S7 and the S7+ will be available this fall for $649.99 and $849.99, respectively.
Other features include:
📲 Later this year, Galaxy Tab S7 and S7+ users will be able to use their tablets as a second screen with any Windows PC.
📲 "Auto Hotspot" lets you tether service direct from other Galaxy devices right to the tablet when there is no WiFi around.
📲 Cloud-based gaming allows you to seamlessly switch between your Xbox, your Note 20, and your Tab s7.
Galaxy Buds Live
The new Galaxy Buds Live are the first "open type" wireless earbuds that fit entirely inside your ear. They're metallic and shaped like little kidney beans, so they sit snugly inside without a stem extending outward like AirPods and other third-party brands. The Galaxy Buds come in three colors: mystic white, mystic bronze, and mystic black.
Both the buds and the carrying case are made with fully recycled materials. The buds have a six-hour nonstop battery life, while the case provides another 21 hours of listening time on the go. Commands for the Galaxy Buds Live are fully customizable, which means you can program them to play a particular Spotify playlist all without your smartphone.
Samsung cut back the "low band background noise" by 97 percent so you won't hear that annoying outside buzz, but you also won't miss important outside sounds, like calls for your subway stop. Microphones in the buds also actively cancel outside noise for better phone calls.
The Galaxy Buds launch on August 6 for $169.99.
Other features include:
📲 If you need to listen now, you can charge the case for five minutes to get one hour of playback time.
📲 Charge the Galaxy Buds Live case directly from your Samsung Galaxy Note 20 smartphone by placing it on the back and letting it juice up wirelessly.
📲 You and a friend can both connect to the same device—maybe a Galaxy Tab S7 with a Netflix show playing—with your own sets of Galaxy Buds.
Galaxy Watch3
Inspired by "classic timepieces," the Galaxy Watch3 comes in two sizes and three colors, including a super-premium titanium model in mystic black. It still has the precision rotating bezel the Galaxy Watch is known for, but it's slimmed down for a more svelte look and feel.
This time, Samsung has focused on additional health metrics. It's certainly not a medical device, but the data can be helpful for general health monitoring, so if you spot abnormalities, you can chat with your health care provider.
New features measure the overall quality of your sleep, blood oxygen levels, and blood pressure. You can even take electrocardiogram measurements in certain markets. The watch can detect falls and alert pre-designated contacts. There's even a running analysis function to help improve your form and prevent injuries.
Galaxy Watch3 is available August 6, starting at $399 for the 41-millimeter size and $429.99 for the larger 45-millimeter option. If you want to tack on LTE service for standalone internet, it'll run you $449 for the smaller version, and $479 for the larger watch.
Other features include:
📲 You can pair your phone (and therefore, Galaxy Watch) to a Samsung smart TV to do a few guided fitness routines, tapping the watch to pause and replay.
📲 For true customization, you can take a photo of your outfit, and instantly generate a watch face that matches.
📲 In total, the watch comes with 120 fitness routines.
Galaxy Z Fold2
Try, try again. Samsung is ready for another go at its controversial folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip, which other companies have been copying, for the record. Clearly, there's interest in this space.
Due to a few, uh, snafus, we're pleased to see Samsung has fully redesigned the hinge. UTG, which stands for Ultra Thin Glass, is thinner than a human hair, but it gives the hinge the right mix of durability and flex.
With the Z Fold2, Samsung reconfigured the display layers so they play well with one another. The protective layer is at the top, with the UTG layer just beneath. Then comes the display panel and two more layers. Samsung has also optimized the adhesives for both warm and cold weather.
The hideaway hinge allows users to fold the device to 115-, 90-, or 75-degree angles, just like the Z Flip. A CAM mechanism inside allows two ridge-shaped pieces to slide against one another, and the resulting friction lets the device free-stand. To add strength, the CAM and elastic components are doubled up compared to the Z Flip.
But there's still a gap—and there has to be one if you want these parts to move. That means things can get inside, from dust to cookie crumbs. So Samsung tried out 100 ideas to keep the gap clear, and on the 108th try, the company came up with the "Sweeper," which, yes, is inspired by a vacuum.
The Z Fold2 comes in two colors, mystic black and mystic bronze, and the overall design is slimmer. Most importantly, the gap around that troublesome hinge is significantly smaller, making the entire device more compact and suited to your pocket.
Samsung says customers loved to use the front screen, so designers made it larger, coming in at 6.2 inches. When opened, the device is 7.6 inches. This device has the 120-Hz refresh rate, too.
The Galaxy Z Fold2 goes on sale August 21, but Samsung hasn't said what the price will be. Considering the original Galaxy Z Fold starts at $1,299, you can assume it will cost at least that much, but likely a few hundred dollars more. More details are coming in early September.
Other features include:
📲 The "intelligent battery" lasts all day.
📲 If you're feeling fancy, Samsung is once again partnering with New York fashion house Thom Browne to deliver a premium limited-edition Galaxy Z Fold2.
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