Samsung gave us a glimpse of the Galaxy Z Fold2 last month, but now we've got the full picture. The foldable follow-up to the original Galaxy Fold is going on sale from September 18, with pricing starting at US$1,999.
It looks as though Samsung has tried to make the Fold2 a substantial upgrade on the first model, while fixing some of the issues that the previous handset had along the way. The device still folds out to a single screen, but both the main display and the "back" display (on show when the phone is closed) are bigger: 7.6 inches rather than 7.3 inches, and 6.2 inches rather than 4.6 inches, respectively.
The hinge mechanism has been improved on the Fold2, Samsung says, as has the folding glass layer. The main display also gets a refresh rate upgrade, to 120 Hz, and the old "notch" (housing two forward-facing cameras) has been done away with, so it's one unblemished panel from corner to corner. The new phone is slightly thinner than the old one too.
Some careful design tweaks then, and the phone has also been upgraded under the hood, as you would expect. The Galaxy Z Fold2 comes running a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus chipset together with 12 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage (there's no memory card slot to expand that, unfortunately). 5G is on board as well.
The triple-lens, 12 MP + 12 MP + 12 MP rear camera on the back of the Fold2 offers 2x optical zoom and wide angle shooting, and looks to be similar in design to the camera fitted to the Galaxy Note20 (albeit with a lower overall resolution). There's a 4,500 mAh battery inside, another slight improvement over the original Fold, and the phone supports both wired and wireless charging.
"With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, we closely listened to user feedback to ensure we were bringing meaningful improvements to the hardware, while also developing new innovations to enhance the user experience," Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business at Samsung Electronics, said in a press statement.
Up to this point, foldable phones have very much felt like experimental devices rather than phones that substantial numbers of people would actually go out and buy. The Galaxy Z Fold2 will be looking to change that – though the asking price is still very high, more users will consider it if the hinge and folding mechanism can stand up to daily use. Having a full-sized secondary screen so the phone can be used properly when it's closed is going to add to the appeal as well.
Bronze and black are the color choices, with the option of custom hinge colors (silver, gold, red and blue) if you want to pay extra. If you'd like to spend even more money, there's a special edition of the phone produced in partnership with American fashion designer Thom Browne, and the distinct stylings of that device are going to set you back a hefty $3,299.
Product page: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2