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This article will be regularly updated with new information on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (this is a preview article) — both official teasers and credible leaks, rumors, and insider claims — as it becomes available in the run-up to the release of the upcoming Android smartphone. The last update was made on July 13.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has to be one of the most anticipated phones of 2020. This handset was expected to be called the Galaxy Fold 2, but Samsung opted for a different name. The phone will be called the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and there’s a reason for it. Samsung wanted to further differentiate its foldable phones, so it included the ‘Z’ branding in there. The company did that first with the Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year.
So, at the moment, it seems like the ‘Z Flip’ brand stands for its clamshell foldables, the ones that fold vertically. The ‘Z Fold’ name is for the horizontally-folding devices. Also, the Galaxy Z Flip is considerably smaller than the Galaxy Fold, it is basically a phone that folds. The Galaxy Fold is larger, it’s more or less a tablet that folds. We’re expecting the second-gen model to deliver a similar form factor, more on that soon.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has been leaking for a while now, bit by bit. This handset is expected to launch at the beginning of August, so we’re expecting more info in the coming days. Samsung did a good job of keeping the most important aspects of it secret, though, as the real-life images didn’t leak just yet, nor did we see legit leaks of the most important specs of this phone. That being said, let’s check out what we do know, or think we know… thus far.
It will look much more attractive than the Galaxy Fold
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will probably arrive with a similar size as the Galaxy Fold, but it will be quite different at the same time. How? Well, its outer display will be much larger. The Galaxy Fold’s outer display was quite small at 4.6 inches. It had extremely thick top and bottom bezels, as the Fold is quite narrow and tall when folded. Well, the unit on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is supposed to have really thin bezels, as it will take almost the entire front side of the phone, when folded… reportedly. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 bezels will be only 3.8mm thick, allegedly, while the display camera hole diameter will be 4.8 inches. That display will have a centered display camera hole, by the way.
The outer display will be much larger than on the first-gen phone
Speaking of which, the outer unit on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is reported to measure 6.23 inches, so it’s much closer to displays on regular phones these days. That panel will measure 2267 x 819, and it will be a 60Hz LTPS display. That information has been shared by Ross Young back in April, he’s a well-known display analyst. He also said that the main display on the device will measure 7.59 inches, and we’re looking at a 2213 x 1689 panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. This will be an LTPO display. Both panels will be of the OLED variety, though.
The inner display will also have a display camera hole, but it will be moved to the side a bit. It will still be at the top, but it won’t be centered, but halfway towards the top-right corner. Both displays on the phone will be flat, while the inner one will come with UTG (Ultra Thin Glass) panel. The outer will include Gorilla Glass protection, probably 5 or 6. The phone will once again be quite tall and narrow when folded, which is something people really liked when it comes to the first-gen Fold. Its main camera module will probably sit in the top-left corner of its back. More on that in the camera section. The hinge will be similar to the one on the original Fold, quite probably. It will be hidden away when the device is unfolded, and shown when it’s folded. A well-known concept designer created a concept of the phone based on leaks, so you can check out what’s expected in terms of the design.
Powerful specs and larger displays
We’ve already touched on specs a bit, in the display section, but there’s more to talk about here. So, the device will feature a 7.59-inch 2213 x 1689 120Hz panel on the inside. On the outside, we’re looking at a 6.23-inch 2267 x 819 panel. Well, all those pixels will be pushed by the Snapdragon 865+, allegedly. That processor hasn’t been announced just yet, but Qualcomm will probably make it official soon. All of Samsung’s upcoming flagship-level phones are expected to utilize that chip, and the company is planning to announce five of them at the beginning of August.
That being said, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 may adopt the Exynos 990 (or yet-unannounced Exynos 992) in some markets. It remains to be seen. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will include plenty of RAM. Its predecessor shipped with 12GB, so the Z Fold 2 will probably include at least as much. Samsung will probably also include 512GB of internal storage, and we’re not expecting a microSD card slot. The device’s battery (capacity) leaked as well, quite recently. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will, allegedly, include a 4,365mAh unit. Truth be said, it will include a dual-battery setup, so we’re looking at a 2,275mAh + 2,090mAh setup here.
25W charging will be included
Speaking of batteries, the device will support faster charging than its predecessor. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to feature 25W wired charging. For comparison’s sake, the first-gen model included 15W wired charging. The Galaxy Fold also came with 15W wireless charging, and 9W reverse wireless charging. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is also expected to offer wireless charging, and reverse wireless charging, but we don’t know how fast will it be. It will probably be the same as on the first-gen model.
Android 10 will come pre-installed on the device, along with Samsung’s One UI 2.5 skin. The device is expected to offer 5G support, as is every other Samsung flagship that will launch in August. We’re still not sure if the phone will feature a side-facing fingerprint scanner, or an under-display one. A side-facing one makes more sense, as on the original model, as there are two separate displays included here. Stereo speakers will be included, as will a Type-C port on the bottom.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will adopt a similar camera setup to the Galaxy S20+
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 camera information surfaced back in April. Granted, things may have changed since then, but let’s assume they did not. That information also came from Ross Young, by the way. He said that the phone will feature three cameras on the back, 12, 16, and 64-megapixel units. Dual optical image stabilization was also mentioned.
Mr. Young did not give out the exact sensor info, nor lens info, though. If we had to guess, we’d say that the phone will feature the same 12-megapixel main sensor that is included on the Galaxy S20+. The one with an f/1.8 aperture, and 1.8um pixel size. The same 64-megapixel telephoto camera may also be included. That 16-megapixel sensor is probably an upgrade over the Galaxy S20+’s ultrawide camera. Those are our guesses, at least.
In terms of the front-facing camera, ti’s quite possible that the same 10-megapixel unit will be included. That 10-megapixel camera from the Galaxy S20+ includes a 26mm, f/2.2 aperture lens, and 1.22um pixel size.
The S Pen stylus will not be a part of the package
Those of you who have been looking forward to using an S Pen with the Galaxy Z Fold, well, that won’t happen. The device will not include an S Pen, and technical limitations seem to be why. This phone’s display seems to be the main culprit, as the phone will feature a UTG display with a plastic layer on top. The regular display on the Galaxy Note 20 series will be far better, and be able to handle extra hardware for the S Pen. The S Pen may be included with a Fold-branded phone in the future, but not with the Galaxy Z Fold 2.
The device is coming on August 5, and it’s tipped to cost less than $2,000
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 entered mass production back in May. A report back then claimed that it will arrive in August, and that seems to be accurate. This handset will become official on August 5, along with the Galaxy Note 20 series. In addition to those four devices, the Galaxy Z Flip 5G will also launch. Samsung had already confirmed the launch date, but it did not mention any of these devices by name.
In any case, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will have limited stock on arrival. That is not surprising considering it’s a foldable smartphone, the same will happen with the Galaxy Z Flip, actually. Now, in terms of pricing, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is tipped to cost between $1,780 and $1,980, at least according to Ross Young. We don’t know when exactly will the phone become available, but don’t expect it to go on sale right after the launch event.