Deformed Display Device - Samsung Galaxy Fold
The Samsung Galaxy Fold is the newest innovation in smartphone technology. On February 20th the phone was teased during the Galaxy Unpacked event. The Samsung Galaxy Fold is using a 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display, this screen allows the device to be folded into two so it can easily fit in your pocket, but also have the screen size of a tablet when folded out. When folded into the pocket sized version, there is a 4.6 inch screen in use, making a total of 2 screens. A small one on the back and a large in between the two halves of the phone.
The hinge mechanism behind the folding is a bunch of gears that work together to create a strong and crisp fold hidden in the back of the device. The device also has three cameras inside of it. Two in the back, one being a 16 megapixel ultra-wide camera, and the other a 12 megapixel wide angle camera. In the front there is a 10 megapixel camera for selfies. Samsung said that the phone would be released in four different colours. Samsung is using a Qualcomm 7nm octa-core processor for fast speeds and 12GB of RAM. Samsung has included two batteries for its Galaxy Fold, that are separated by the fold for a total of 4380 mAh. This is a new technology so of course Samsung will force the price of this to around $2,628 CAD.
Samsung is allowing the device to run three applications at once and confirmed working with Google to make sure that Android 9 Pie works perfectly with this new way of browsing. In the demonstration, the Samsung Galaxy Fold was seen running many programs at once flawlessly. Switching from phone to tablet mode also looks like a very smooth transition and the OS looks like it makes it a very beautiful transition. But the phone definitely was made for people who want more screen space when consuming media, as the device looks a lot better in tablet mode than phone mode. In phone mode the screen is slimmer and the aspect ratio looks terrible.
This phone is definitely a huge leap in the smartphone industry, but depending on the quality of product, might spark a new age for smartphones. The phone was released on the 26th of April and many people have been complaining about the quality already. A lot of the time when you get a new phone there is already a pre-installed screen protector on the device, the Fold is no different. So many people have been peeling the screen protector off, but taking this sheet of plastic off actually kills the screen of the phone, causing black screens and coloured stripes on the sides. There are no instructions to tell you not to peel off the protective screen before you get to it.
This phone is definitely an interesting idea, but the way Samsung delivered it was not of the best quality. But that is to be expected in a new innovation of phone technology. The hinge still being weak and most of the problems being the the screen. I would not buy this phone or type of phone until it is developed well and is perfected, until I would spend my money on this.
I found this post very interesting as although I did have some kind of knowledge about some company finding this design efficient in the back of my head, your post further educated me on Samsung and how this design was brought to life. Samsung is well known for their ability to "pack" a phone with high performance tech specifications like the 12 GB of Ram which I found very surprising as for a phone, I could not image what any user would need 12 GB of ram for. But that being said Im sure it was needed and I know it couldn't hurt to have. My only issue that I found with this is Samsung's price. I cannot look at this from a marketing perspective because at first glance, the phone is cool and I would want one. That being said, the $2000-$3000 price for a phone is not something I would pay. Diving deeper into the new technology of a folding phone, I simply don't think the "hype" behind this (by educated tech personnel) is going to apply to samsung's demographic of users who simply want a working phone. Going back to the early 2000's, flip phones and slide up phones became a task as even the slightest bit of physical "labour" to use the phone to its full potential (the flip up or slide up) was found as "a lot of work" and everyday users did not like it. As the phone development "race" continued, when Touch screen was introduced and no flip up or slide up was needed, many users were persuaded into buying and liked the newer generation of phones at that time. I think Samsungs overall effort towards developing phones, should be credited, but from a business stand point, I cannot agree that this introduction to the folding phone, was necessary or will be as successful as Apple's iphone / Samsung's phones Galaxy when the age of Flip and slide up phones were invented.
ReplyDelete-Braeden Khargie (ASM201-01), TA: Molloy #63
DeleteYour article was very interesting and informed me on the technology field. When I think of Androids in general, I usually think of cheap quality and bad camera specs. The first part article proved me wrong, and I even considered getting a Samsung myself. However, as I continued to read, it was just as a I expected (no hate to Samsung). I feel as if Samsung rushed this project. The specs seems to be great, but the reviews the product is receiving is unpleasant. The main problem I have with this phone is that it's really expensive. Of course I'd expect a phone with those specs to be expensive, but Samsung didn't use them to their best abilities. What's the point of spending $2000 if the product doesn't even satisfy the consumer? I hope they revised their model because overall it is an amazing idea. If Samsung can pull it off properly, then they will change the face of technology.
ReplyDeleteI recall watching a review on the Fold a while back and the guy tried to be as optimistic as possible. You're right to call it a leap, because it definitely is something that none of us really expected. Not only is the idea intimidating, the product sounds like an experiment more than it is an invention. Although the phone has many promising features, its hard to convince consumers that the pros outweigh the cons. If anything, this Samsung phone is for critics to review, and people to decide whether to buy. Though it seems like people are avoiding the loss already. Hopefully, Samsung works quick to create a better and improved model.
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