Samsung presented its new Galaxy Fold line: three foldable smartphones including one with a new shape. Less rectangular, more compact, the new Fold8 has a screen that opens creating a 4:3 panel. The Fold8 is about the size of a passport.
The proportions change. In February of 2019in London, Samsung launched the first smartphone with a folding screen in the history of telephony. Or at least, the first slightly credible leaflet given that something had already appeared in the previous months but without too much luck. His name was Galaxy Fold and to hold it in my hand today it actually seems a prototype. The zipper did not close perfectly like today’s foldables: it left a gap that gave an asymmetrical effect to the closure. Not only that. Once folded it comes to measure 15.5mm in its thickest part. Not very comfortable. However, he won withwow effect of having the first device with a screen that can fold in your hand. Technology has evolved so what you look for that wow effect elsewhere. Seven years after the Galaxy Fold, again in London, Samsung launched the Galaxy Fold8a foldable smartphone with a form never attempted before.
Before we see it, some context. Smartphones with folding screens are divided into two categories. There are those that open like a bookthen with the zipper along the vertical edge. And there are those who open themselves to shellwith the zip therefore in the middle of the screen. Kind of like the old flip phones. Those that open like a book are usually dedicated to productivity or video enjoyment: A larger screen allows you to read better or view images more comfortably. The clamshell ones work harder on the comfort. Samsung today presented two models for these categories: the Galaxy Fold8 Ultra, an evolution of the model we tested last year, and the Galaxy Flip8. They’re pretty canonical updates. Every year, as with the other models, a new model is presented.
In addition to these models, Samsung has decided to present a third model: The Fold8. Technically it is the main model, but the taxonomy is not important. The important thing is the dimensions. Indeed, the proportions. The Fold8 is a foldable one that closes like a book: it has a zip along one of the edges that follow the vertical. Unlike the Fold8 Ultra however its screen it does not move vertically as we have been accustomed to but it stops a little earlier. It’s still a rectangle but less stretched towards the vertical. The exact measurements, when closed, are 81.9 x 123.9 mm. If you want to make a comparison we are talking about a device about the size of a passport. The screen when closed has an aspect ratio of 10:16 and measures 5.5 inches.
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The effect of this design can be seen once opened: the internal screen of the Galaxy Fold8 has a 4:3 aspect ratio by 7.6 inches which makes it great for watching films, YouTube videos and TV series. Not only that. If after opening it you hold it vertically you will find yourself in your hand device with dimensions similar to those of an ebookconvenient for reading newspapers, PDF documents or books. In short: the idea is to optimize this device to adapt it to the use of content.
Perhaps a little surprisingly, in addition to the Fold8 during the Samsung event smart glasses were also launched. It is a type of device on which Big Tech is focusing a lot. Meta has worked on several models with different collaborations, including the EssilorLuxottica from the Del Vecchio family. Here Samsung collaborates with two brands in the sector, Gentle Monster and Warby Parkerbut above all with Google. The collaboration between the two companies is already well-established, given that Samsung is the first operator of smartphones with an operating system Android. The platform on which these devices are based is in fact Android XR.
Galaxy Fold8 | Price and technical characteristics
Net of the proportions, the Fold8 retains almost all the technical characteristics of a top of the rangeeven in the price. It has everything four cameras: a frontal one from 10 MPone defined as main always by 10MP (it’s the one found inside when we open the screen) and two cameras in the rear photographic compartment, from 50 MP. One is the wide-angle camera, the other is an ultra-wide angle. We are talking about a device that remains thin, even when folded. Closed comes to 9.7mm, opened to 4.5mm. Of course, the challenge for smartphones with this size is the battery: here Fold8 he mounts two that arrive at 4,800 mAh: it should last peacefully until the end of the day but we will see well in the tests of the device. Prices start from 2,099 euros in the variant with 12 GB of Ram And 256 GB of internal memory to get to 2,699 for 16GB of Ram And 1 TB of internal storage. All new Samsung devices are up for pre-order starting today.
Galaxy Fold8 Ultra | Price and technical characteristics
The Fold8 Ultra it is the smartphone that in fact carries on the legacy of the entire range. We are talking about a more tried and tested model: a foldable book with a better known form factor. The external screen comes to 6.5 incheswhile the internal one widens to 8 inches. Compared to the Fold8, the ultra model gains a few millimeters of thickness: when closed it reaches a maximum of 8.9mmopen instead it stops at 4.1mm. In the first demonstrations it was shown how there are details that have changed slightly such as the curvature of the screen compared to the body. Compared to the previous model, it is a more comfortable thread when closing. The Ultra also earns points in the photographic sector.
On the back it houses three cameras, not two. A wide angle a 50MPan ultra-wide angle from 200 MP and a telephoto lens from 10 MP. Here we also find the Nightography function, a feature inherited from the Galaxy S series that allows you to work better with night photography. If you have professional ambitions in the video field, know that Fold8 Ultra can record in 8K with APV codec. Price starts from 2,299 euros for the 12GB Ram model with 256GB of storage memory and comes to 2,899 euros for the model with 16 GB of Ram and 1 TB of memory.
Galaxy Z Flip8 | Price and technical characteristics
The latest smartphone presented by Samsung is the Flipa device with a foldable screen and clamshell closure. It is compact: it weighs only 180 grams with a thickness of 6.1 mm. Once closed the screen comes to 4.1 inchesif open reaches instead 6.9 inches. Here Samsung is placing a lot of emphasis on the 50 MP camera with ProVisual Engine. Given the position (external but in the middle of the smaller screen) it allows you to take high-quality selfies. There remains an internal camera, 10 MP, but given the design of the device it can be useful just for video calls. In addition to the wide angle, Flip8 also has a 12 MP ultra-wide camera. Price starts from 1,379 euros for the model 12 GB of Ram and 256 GB of storage memory and arrives at 1,579 euros for the model with the same RAM but 512 GB of memory.
The new Samsung smartwatches: Galaxy Watch9 and Watch Ultra2
In its Unpacked, Samsung also launched two new smartwatches. Now there division of the two lines It’s pretty canonical. The line Galaxy Watch moves towards devices dedicated to a daily monitoring. A lightweight and comfortable design, sensors for different parameters and performance suited to a daily use. There are also AI-based features for read and better interpret the parameters collected. This year’s update of this line is called Watch9 and among the improved functions there is also that of monitor sleep apnea And monitoring your heart health score. The Watch Ultra line is dedicated to outdoor sports. The update of this line is the Watch Ultra2a smartwatch that can even withstand diving and reach up to 10 ATM. The certification is IP69K. Samsung has announced the release of the app by the end of the year Divingan app capable of also monitor the ascent rate for divers. Galaxy Watch Ultra2 starts from 749 euros While Galaxy Watch9 starts from 409 euros. Pre-orders here start from July 22nd.
