Samsung launches its Galaxy Fold smartphone with a BENDY screen – release date, images, specs and price

SAMSUNG'S long-awaited foldable smartphone is finally here – and it's called the Galaxy Fold.

The bendy gadget was unveiled at the Samsung Unpacked event alongside a range of Galaxy S10 smartphones.

The Galaxy Fold is a tablet sized device that bends in half like a book.

It quickly folds down into a smartphone form that fits in your pocket.

“Today, Samsung is writing the next chapter in mobile innovation history by changing what’s possible in a smartphone,” said DJ Koh, who heads up Samsung's mobile division.

“We created Galaxy Fold for those that want to experience what a premium foldable device can do, beyond the limitations of a traditional smartphone.”

Samsung Galaxy Fold – what is the Samsung foldable phone?

For years, Samsung has been teasing its work on a folding smartphone.

The idea is that you can own a large tablet-sized device, which then folds in half and becomes pocketable.

While folded, you'd be able to use the gadget as a normal smartphone – effectively giving you two devices in one.

Samsung officially announced the device during a press conference in November 2018, holding up a shadowy gadget in a dark room.

Sadly, Samsung failed to provide a clear picture of the device, give any details about it, or even name it.

Fast-forward to February 20, and the firm has now revealed everything there is to know about the once top secret gadget.

Galaxy Fold release date – when is Samsung's foldable phone out?

At its Unpacked event, Samsung said you'll be able to get your hands on the Fold from May 3 in Europe.

It'll come out a little earlier in the US, hitting shelves on April 26.

The firm did not say when pre-orders would open, but it's safe to assume they'll go live this week.

Galaxy Fold specs - Samsung foldable phone design and features

The handset is supposed to bridge the gap between smartphones and tablets, and could revolutionise mobile design forever.

The technology is described as an Infinity Flex Display – in the form of a tablet that packs down to smartphone size.

And up to three separate apps will be able to run simultaneously.

You're looking at a 7.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED for the main display, with a 4.6-inch HD+ Super AMOLED for the cover display.

There's a triple camera on the back (just like the Galaxy S10), with a 10-megapixel f/2.2 snapper on the cover side.

You also get a front dual-cam for selfies to boot.

The phone is powered by Qualcomm's 7nm Snapdragon 855 chip, and you'll get 12GB of RAM and 512GB of UFS3.0 storage.

However, there's no MicroSD slot – although the internal storage will be more than enough for almost all users.

There's a 4,380mAh battery on board, which is actually comprised of two separate batteries that have been linked.

The phone supports both fast-charging and wireless-charging, and it runs on Google's latest Android 9.0 Pie.

Galaxy Fold price – Samsung foldable phone price

The bad news is that the handset will cost a pretty penny.

Brits can expect to pay about £1,800, which is about £350 more than the top iPhone XS Max model.

And aside from wacky luxury brands, it's the most expensive mainstream smartphone we've ever seen.

Expect ludicrously high monthly payments on contract…will £100 a month become the new normal?

Samsung has already been beaten to the punch by the Royole FlexPai, a bona fide folding smartphone seen at the CES 2019 tech show in Las Vegas.

If you want a more conventional smartphone, check out our list of the best Android phones you can buy today.

And if you have no idea what phone to buy, our iPhone vs Android guide may give you a helping start.

What do you think of Samsung's folding smartphone? Let us know in the comments!

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