The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is Samsung’s successor to its original flexible screen smartphone, the Fold, which was released last year.
The Korean company used an online event to reveal new details about the upcoming device, including the introduction of a larger, 6.2-inch screen on the front of the device, up from 4.6-inches on the original Fold, as well as for the folding display which opens out from within the phone.
That flexible internal display is now 7.6-inches, compared to the 7.3-inch on last year’s device.
Last year, the original Fold was delayed after a flaw which allowed dirt into the hinge and could damage the screen was uncovered by early reviewers, and while Samsung made updates to that device at the time, the tech giant has upgraded its hinge system again on the Fold 2 to further prevent dust and dirt from getting into the phone.
The company says its “hideaway hinge” uses sweeper technology to repel dust particles from getting into the device, a system which has also been used in the firm’s Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year.
The improved hinge also allows the foldable screen to be opened up to multiple viewing angles for the first time on a Fold device.
In further upgrades, Samsung’s Infinity-O display, where a cut-out in the screen is used to house a camera lens rather than using a notch to house the cameras and taking up more of the screen.
The device will also support 5G.
Samsung UK and Ireland corporate vice president Conor Pierce said: “The journey to reach the next generation of smartphones is full of originality and innovation.
“With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, we listened closely to customers’ feedback to ensure we were bringing meaningful improvements to the device, while also developing new innovations to enhance the user experience.
“Further strengthened by our industry-leading partnerships with Google and Microsoft, we’re reshaping and redefining the possibilities of the mobile device experience.”
Industry expert Ben Wood, chief of research at CCS Insight, said the Fold 2 was a noticeable evolution of Samsung’s existing foldable product line.
“The Galaxy Fold 2 addresses all the major shortcomings of its predecessor, most notably the 6.2-inch external display,” he said.
“On the last version, it was extremely tricky to use the device as a one-handed smartphone so you ended up having to constantly open the phone to do simple tasks such as send text messages.
“The Galaxy Fold 2 is a significantly refined version of this flagship device. The larger external display lends itself to one-handed use in a similar manner to a ‘normal’ smartphone but you still have the benefit of the tablet-like 7.6-inch internal screen which is only marginally smaller than an iPad Mini.
“Add to that the new hinge which allows you to have the screen open at different angles and it’s a major step forward as the previous device was only really viable when it was fully open or closed.”
