Regardless of whether or not it’s a commercial success, no phone is likely to receive as much buzz as the Galaxy Fold in 2019 (at least not until Apple announces its latest iPhones). As one of the first mobile devices with a foldable display, Samsung’s Galaxy Fold will be something of a niche product at first, but could help pave the way for the next major shift in phone design. But before it can do any of that, we need to get our hands on it.
Despite the fact that the Fold is due out in just over a month, Samsung hasn’t let anyone handle the device yet. But that didn’t stop YouTuber phoneoftime, who shared a video of the AT&T variant of the Galaxy Fold powering on and being used on Monday. It’s as comprehensive of a hands-on video as we’ve seen to date.
All we’ve really seen of the Galaxy Fold up to this point are carefully produced marketing videos from Samsung and shots of the phone from the MWC. What immediately stands out is just how prominent the crease in the center of the phone is when it’s unfolded. Until we have a chance to touch the phone ourselves, it’s not possible to judge it, but it’s clear the technology to make a totally seamless folding phone has yet to be perfected.
We also get a closer look at the cover display, which is the biggest differentiating factor between the Galaxy Fold and Huawei’s Mate X foldable phone (which we actually got to touch). It’s still jarring to see a small, undersized display on a flagship smartphone, even if the design of the device necessitates its existence.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy Fold on April 26th in limited quantities for $1,980.
