Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G: commercial launch and first hands on

So. Samsung's first folding smartphone has an official sales launch: on September 18. 2019 the Galaxy Fold 5G will be launched in Europe. This was announced by Nicole Ng, Product Manager for Samsung Europe, at Samsung's press conference at the IFA in Berlin.

A delayed start due to serious flaws

If Samsung's original plans had kept true, the Samsung Galaxy Fold would've been launched on April 26. 2019. But reports from early US testers caused the responsible South Korean manufacturer to go back to the drawing board. There's been talk of problems in essential functions such as dust particles slipping into the phone, which can damage it.

In fact, Samsung boss DJ Koh admitted that the Galaxy Fold hadn't yet matured and that a market launch had been hastily planned in lieu of an impending rivalry by the Huawei Mate X. Above all, it had been overlooked that foreign particles could enter the interior of the phone.

Now all errors have been eliminated and the phone has been re-worked. Among other things, the additional time was also used to integrate the fastest mobile radio standard currently on the market.

Known and new, but above all: 5G

5G is the talk of the town. Samsung had to master great technical challenges in order to finally compete with Huawei's 5G folding phones.

Samsung's folding smartphone is available in «Cosmos Black» and «Black Silver». So basically black and silver. The Galaxy Fold 5G is powered by a Snapdragon 855 with a 64-bit Octa-Core processor. A Qualcomm Adreno 640 takes care of the graphics. It also has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of internal memory.

The front camera and the inner front camera – the front camera you use when the phone is open – are both equipped with 10 megapixels. The three rear cameras, on the other hand, have one 16 and two 12 megapixel lenses. This guarantees detailed and razor-sharp images.

With a 4235 mAh battery, the phone should also have a long battery life. Samsung didn't publish any official numbers. Probably also depends on your usage habits.

At launch, Samsung sets the price at a grand total of 2,100 Euros. According to Samsung's own press release, Galaxy Buds and an Aramid fibre protective cover should be included in the box.

A first impression: anything new?

Thankfully, I got the opportunity to hold the phone in my hands before it hits the market. If only to find out what Samsung has been doing since April 2019.

The «Foldable» relies on the world's first 4.6-inch Infinity Flex display, which results in 7.3 inches when unfolded. According to the specs, it has a resolution of 2,152 x 1,536 pixels. And my first impression: this is insane. Especially when watching videos on Youtube, I start realising how small my own phone's display is. In fact, here's what Benjamin Braun, Chief Marketing Officer of Samsung Europe, said on stage less than an hour ago: «Customers are demanding ever larger screens that still fit into their trouser pockets. This is made possible by the Galaxy Fold 5G's form factor.»

He's right, kinda. Even when you strip away the marketing language.

The large user interface should also allow for fast multitasking – by using the «Multi Active Window» function. It allows up to three apps to run simultaneously. Fascinating. That's why it needs 12 GB of RAM. In the short time I was allowed to spend with the phone, I unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to edit footage, browse photos and chat with friends at the same time. Don't worry, that'll definitely follow in my review.

«App-Continuity» is really nice. This allows you to transfer what's on your front screen directly to the main display when it's opened. For example, Youtube videos won't stop just because you switch off one screen and instantaneously turn on another.

So far, so good. I barely have any more time left. But I'm still interested in what Samsung exactly did to solve the accusations made in April. I'm told that Samsung has made two main adjustments. The first concerns the display: the manufacturer is now installing an even larger protective film under the frame of the device. This was not the case with the old version; the layer was applied on the outside and was regarded by many users as transport protection and removed without further ado.

Samsung's second change involved reworking the hinge that holds the two halves of the Foldable together. As it couldn't close properly before, there was a gap where foreign objects and dust could penetrate and damage the smartphone. Thanks to new protective caps, the entire device has been strengthened and the problem solved.

In short: robust and fancy, but expensive

Samsung Europe Marketing Director Benjamin Braun is certain: The future belongs to Foldable-Phones. This is the only way to make displays even bigger without blowing up every pocket (my words). Understandable, and somehow believable. I was already convinced by the phone after only a few minutes. It feels very robust and stable. The quality of the display is magnificent: razor sharp and with bright colours.

The only thing Samsung needs to work on is the price. However, rumours already circle through the IFA halls in Berlin. I won't name any names, the next version of the Foldable is apparently already being worked on. And it'll be even cheaper than the Galaxy Fold 5G.

We’ll see.