Samsung to release 5G foldable smartphones in Korea in May

Galaxy S10 to hit market on March 8

Samsung Electronics took the cover off its first foldable smartphone Galaxy Fold in a bid to take on Apple’s iPhone in the premium smartphone market, in San Francisco, Thursday (KST). The firm also unveiled four next-generation Galaxy S10 smartphones ― the S10e, S10, S10+ and fifth-generation (5G) network-enabled S10 5G ― that sport new features such as in-screen fingerprint scanner and wireless reverse charging to charge other devices. The much-hyped Galaxy Fold will provide a new smartphone experience for users as the foldable smartphone offers a new way to multitask with apps, watch videos, play games and more, the firm said. “We created Galaxy Fold for those that want to experience what a premium foldable device can do, beyond the limitations of a traditional smartphone,” Koh Dong-jin, president of the firm’s IT & mobile communications division, said during a media event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The LTE Galaxy Fold will hit the market on April 26 starting at $1,980, while the Galaxy S10 smartphones will be available here starting March 8.

Following the announcement of new gadgets, the country’s mobile firms ― SK Telecom, KT and LG Uplus ― said Thursday they will receive pre-orders for the Galaxy S10 phones starting Feb. 25. The S10 5G will be available for pre-orders starting March 22. Koh said the Galaxy Fold will be an LTE version but Samsung plans to roll out a 5G-enabled version in Korea in May. Given the LTE version is priced at $1,980, Koh said he expects the 5G version will be between 2.3 million won ($2,047) and 2.4 million won ($2,137). He added Samsung is confident that it will sell more than 1 million of the Galaxy Fold. When folded, the Galaxy Fold only shows a 4.6-inch screen on the front. When it is unfolded, the device becomes a tablet with a 7.3-inch display. The phone can be unfolded smoothly like opening a book as the firm adopted a hinge technology with multiple interlocking gears. The fingerprint scanner is on the side where the thumbs naturally rest. The two batteries and the components are distributed evenly so that the phone feels balanced when holding it in two hands, the firm said. Combining two batteries, the Fold has a battery capacity of 4,380 mAh, 380 mAh more than the Galaxy Note 9. The Galaxy Fold also has 12 GB of RAM and 512 GB of storage.

There are six cameras ― three on the back, two on the inside and one on the front. With the Galaxy Fold’s powerful multitasking feature, users can use other apps during a video call. To ensure that apps and services work smoothly in the new gadget, Samsung said it has customized the software for the Galaxy Fold, working with Google and the Android developer community. With the Galaxy Fold, users can experience new ways of using a smartphone. The firm said it can be “an ultimate multitasker” as users can open up to three active apps on the screen so they can perform different kinds of tasks on the phone at the same time. The Galaxy Fold comes in four colors ― silver, black, green and blue.

The S10e, S10 and S10+ have three screen sizes: 5.8-inch, 6.1-inch and 6.4-inch. The S10 5G has a big 6.7-inch screen. One of the biggest differences from its predecessors is the firm’s unique Infinity-O Display, which has sensors and cameras in a hole-punch display. With the new type of display, Samsung could extend the screen to the very edge of the device. The S10 is also Samsung’s first device to feature an in-screen fingerprint scanner except the cheapest S10e, which has a conventional fingerprint sensor on the side. The Galaxy S10 phones are priced ranging from 900,000 won to 130,000 won. “Galaxy S10 builds on that incredible legacy, and delivers a breakthrough display, camera and performance innovations. With four premium devices, each built for a unique consumer in mind, Samsung is leveraging a decade of industry leadership to usher in a new era of smartphone technology,” Koh said.

All the Galaxy S10 smartphones support wireless charging and reverse charging, allowing users to charge a device by simply placing it on the back of the S10 phone. Camera-wise, the S10 and the S10+ offer triple cameras on the back, while the S10 5G has four cameras and the S10e has two. On the front, the S10+ and S10 5G have dual cameras while the S10e and the S10 each have a single camera. In terms of battery capacity, the S10e comes up with 3,100 mAh, S10 with 3,400 mAh, S10+ with 4,100 mAh and the S10 5G with 4,500 mAh. Besides new smartphones, Samsung also introduced new wearable devices ― Galaxy Buds wireless earbuds, smart watch Galaxy Watch Active and smart fitness band Galaxy Fit.

By Baek Byung-yeul

(Korea Times)