Last year, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold, the first foldable smartphone from the brand. Today at its Galaxy Unpacked event, it announced the official follow-up to that phone, the confusingly named Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2.
The new “Z” part of the name is likely a reference to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, another foldable device that earned more critical acclaim and a better commercial response than the Galaxy Fold. With the debacle surrounding the original Fold’s release, Samsung likely chose the name to connect this new phone more closely with the successful Galaxy Z Flip.
That all being said, let’s dive into what the Galaxy Z Fold 2 offers!
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: A design overhaul
Overall, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 operates just like the Galaxy Fold. In its closed state, the device looks like an incredibly thick “normal” smartphone, with a display, a front-facing camera, etc. You unfold the device like a book, which exposes the foldable inner display. This allows you to easily jump from a smartphone experience to a tablet-like experience.
Related: The Samsung Galaxy Fold review from Android Authority
Samsung did make some big design changes with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, though. Both the outer and inner displays are larger than what we saw on the Galaxy Fold, for a start. The 6.2-inch outer display, in particular, covers most of the front of the phone. This is a stark contrast to the downright small outer display on the original Fold. The large notch on the 7.6-inch inner display is also gone, with a display cutout taking its place. This just like how we saw it on the Galaxy Z Flip. However, the inner display has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is a nice upgrade.
Covering the inner display is ultra-thin glass (UTG), which should make it more durable than the original plastic covering of the Galaxy Fold. If you’ll remember, this was a huge problem for the Galaxy Fold and a major reason the launch was such a mess.
Inside, you’ll find a 4,500mAh battery, which is slightly larger than the one in the Galaxy Fold.
The rear camera module also got a complete redesign, with the new version looking very much like what we see on the Samsung Galaxy Note 20 series.
As with the original Fold, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a USB-C port on the bottom, and no headphone jack. The foldable will come in two colors: Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze. There will also, eventually, be a Thom Browne edition that will feature the iconic red, white, and blue aesthetic of the popular fashion brand.
Other unknown details
Samsung didn’t announce any other specs, pricing, or availability information for the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2. Instead, it committed to delivering more information about launch details on September 1, 2020. This is when pre-orders will begin.
Rumors suggest the pricing for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be similar to the nearly $2,000 price of the original Fold. We’ll need to wait and see what Samsung has in mind.
If the price is no concern for you, Samsung has a reservation system for the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Click here to reserve yours today.
