Dramatic opening scenes to the highly anticipated Galaxy Unpacked 2020 saw the teasing introduction to the Galaxy Z Flip – the world’s first foldable display phone with a hole-punch camera.
It comes after months of speculation, leaks and rumours about the smart flip phone – but now, ChannelNews can reveal the details in full, straight from Samsung.
‘Last year, right here in San Francisco, we added a whole new dimension to the smartphone experience with the revolutionary Galaxy Fold. Today we’re taking another giant step forward,’ Head of UK Mobile Product Marketing, Rebecca Hirst, said.
(Photo: Galaxy Unpacked 2020)
‘We’re changing he shape of the future with the Galaxy Z Flip… With the world’s first hole-punch camera in a foldable display you get the same sprawling expansive screen you’ve come to expect from Samsung phones.’
Hirst said the Galaxy Z Flip is the embodiment of innovation and will give users an experience they’ve never had before.
‘This is no ordinary smartphone, it changes everything. Our phones shape, size and the very way we use it. That’s what innovation – true innovation is all about.’
(Photo: Galaxy Unpacked 2020)
The Z Flip comes with a 6.7-inch screen with hardly any bezel once opened and sports in a sleek, pearlescent aesthetic, giving the smartphone a ‘stunning’ affect.
‘When it’s closed it is a thing of beauty – it’s smooth, and sleek and symmetrical. At half its full size, it fits right in my palm and snuggly in my pockets,’ Hirst said.
‘The cover display shows me all the information I need at a glance. When I’m ready to use it all I have to do is flip it open and I get a full size with a 6.7-inch screen and hardly any bezel.’
The Galaxy Z Flip is ‘the ultimate smartphone experience’ available in three colours – Mirror Purple, Mirror Black and in select countries, Mirror Gold.
When closed, the small display screen enables owners to check the time, see alarms, receive text notifications or calls. As Hirst said, it puts the ‘essential notifications right there.’
(Photo: Galaxy Unpacked 2020)
‘With this phone we’ve done the impossible and created Ultra Thin Glass that folds… You might think that foldable glass would be brittle, but this glass is built to last.
‘It’s so durable you can fold and unfold your phone over 200,000 times. Every time you fold it, you’re not just bending glass – you’re bending the laws of physics.’
Additionally, Galaxy Z Flip users will also be given free access to YouTube premium.
‘The Galaxy Z Flip is beautiful when it’s closed, it’s beautiful when it’s open… These stylish colours change when the light hits them, so you’ll always be capturing attention and turning heads.’
Perhaps most fittingly for the digital generation is the ‘Hands Free Selfie Mode,’ where once the flip phone is half opened in Flex Mode, it automatically takes a selfie with the front facing camera.
‘Flex Mode changes the boundaries of what’s possible.’
(Flex Mode Demonstration. Photo: Galaxy Unpacked 2020)
The Hideaway Hinge is ‘the backbone’ of the foldable phone. It prevents dust and sand getting into the phone and getting under the display. It means no bulky, pesky drills where the phone needs to fold and instead creates a discrete fold.
‘This secure fibre shield protects your phone – you can make the most of this innovative technology,’ Hirst said.
The Galaxy Z Flip is available from Samsung online or select retailers starting at $1,380 on 14 February.
(Photo: Galaxy Unpacked 2020)
