Update: January 27, 2020 (4:10 PM ET): We've updated the article with the most recent rumors on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip's potential launch date and pricing information.
Read on for all the details!
Original Article: January 24, 2020 (3:20 AM ET): Samsung's upcoming foldable smartphone — the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip — will take the Galaxy Fold vertical. This clamshell design harks back to flip phones of old, competing toe-to-toe with the upcoming Motorola Razr reboot.
Samsung apparently confirmed the device at a secret meeting during CES 2020. We expect the company to announce the Galaxy Z Flip February 11, 2020 at its Unpacked 2020 event alongside the Galaxy S20 series of devices.
Read also: Samsung foldable devices with glass displays hinted by new supplier investment
With that being said, here are all the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip rumors we've seen so far. We will update this post accordingly as soon as we know more information about the device's price, specs, design, and other features.
Samsung Galaxy Flip Z name and launch date
The device was first believed to be called the Galaxy Fold 2. Then Samsung referred to the device as the Galaxy Bloom in the aforementioned secret CES meeting. We thought this seemed like a codename more than an actual marketing name for the device, and a tweet by leaker Ice Universe affirmed our suspicions. The tweet revealed the possible new name and a self-made logo for the device.
Galaxy Z Flip pic.twitter.com/WKA5mpICVE
— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) January 12, 2020
The name gives us some insight into Samsung's branding plans for its new smartphones. It's entirely possible that this Z moniker is a one-off name for the flip-open foldable phone, or it could represent a new series of devices, though, this is not the first time Samsung has released a Z series of devices.
The company used to launch Tizen-based smartphones under that name up until 2017. However, the Galaxy Z title is brand new, as the older series was prefixed only with the Samsung brand name (Samsung Z3, Samsung Z4, you get the drift).
Related: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 could hit stores before S11 series
As far as a release date is concerned, we believe Samsung will announce the Galaxy Z Flip at its Unpacked event February 11. According to Korea's Yonhap News outlet, this new foldable will be available for sale "immediately" after the event. On the other hand, a recent tweet by tipster Max Weinbach claims the device will launch February 14. Weinbach's tweet doesn't say when Samsung would initially announce the device, though we assume it would still be at Samsung's Unpacked event in this scenario.
Either way, we will be happy as long it doesn't follow the footsteps of the Galaxy Fold. If it does, who knows when we will get the device in our hands.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will tout a vertical folding design, akin to old school flip phones, as the name alludes. Samsung Mobile chief DJ Koh explained that the phone's design is inspired by Lancome's makeup compacts. The company thinks this design choice will help it reach its target market — 20-something women.
We also expect Samsung to build the device out of premium materials such as glass and metal. On Twitter, teen leaker Ishan Agarwal claimed the device would sport a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, and a few leaked photos posted on Weibo (h/t Ice Universe) seem to back that up.
The photos above reveal a few things about the device, including a centered hole-punch selfie camera, a uniform bezel surrounding the display, and a tiny display near the dual rear-facing cameras that's visible when the device is closed. They also reveal a USB-C port and speaker grille at the bottom, though there doesn't seem to be a headphone port on this device.
That tiny display up front measures just one inch, according to a recent rumor, and can be used to check charging status and battery info. You'll also presumably be able to use it as a viewfinder for the camera.
Not too long ago, tipster Max Weinbach claimed the display would feature an ultra-thin glass layered with a plastic layer to prevent scratching, unlike the Galaxy Fold's entirely plastic display. This rumor first surfaced all the way back in October and has popped up a few times since, so it has some weight behind it.
Samsung was very smart with the Galaxy Z Flip (just got word this is the name.)
They are using ultra thin glass and plastic. Samsung will be layering a plastic over the ultra thin glass for extra protection. If it gets scratched, it's only the plastic and not the display.
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) January 14, 2020
There are also rumors the device will come in two color variants — black and purple — though we've only seen photos of a black device. All-in-all, the Galaxy Z Flip looks like just another high-end Samsung device that happens to fold, not that we are complaining about that. The premium, yet familiar chassis looks like it will give us something unique to look forward to while still maintaining the company's design language.
Max Weinbach, in a recent tweet, claimed the Galaxy Z Flip will also come with a side-mounted capacitive fingerprint sensor.
Samsung Galaxy Flip Z specs and features
Though the Galaxy Flip Z may look premium, we don't suspect it will tout premium specs. An unconfirmed report from MySmartPrice claims the Galaxy Z Flip will feature Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 SoC.
No matter how much we would love the device to rock the latest Snapdragon 865, this decision would make sense for a couple of reasons. First, Samsung has been working on the device for several months, so the 855 could have been the latest offering when development began. Second, according to tipster Max Weinbach, the Galaxy Z Flip is expected to come with a rather lackluster battery capacity — as small as 3,300mAh.
The Galaxy Flip Z has a 3300 mAh battery. Along with the Snapdragon 855, this should be pretty ok in everything. About the same battery live as the mid size S10.
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) January 14, 2020
Another tweet by leaker Ishan Agarwal claims the battery could actually come in at 3,500mAh, but that's not much better.
More confirmations on Galaxy Z Flip: 6.7inch Dynamic AMOLED Displya, 12MP Main Camera (not 108MP, obviously). 10MP Front Camera and 256GB Storage as told earlier. One UI 2.1, 3300mAH or 3500mAH Battery (some confusion regarding that). Black and Purple colours. https://t.co/U4GA46Qj1r
— Ishan Agarwal (@ishanagarwal24) January 20, 2020
Max Weinbach also claims it'll come with 15W charging support, as well as wireless charging and reverse wireless charging.
Agarwal's tweet also reveals a few other possible pieces of information about the device. The Galaxy Z Flip's primary shooter should come in at 12MP, while the second rear camera should sport a 10MP sensor.
Unfortunately, that means you shouldn't expect 8K recording if it is indeed equipped with these specs. On the other hand, we can expect other Samsung camera features to land on the device, though, such as 4K/60fps recording and a night mode.
Related: More Samsung Galaxy Z Flip specs surface: Don't expect 108MP camera
A conflicting rumor from Max Weinbach claims the Galaxy Z Flip will come with dual 12MP rear-facing cameras (one wide, one ultra-wide).
We also expect the device to rock 256GB of storage, though we aren't sure if it will be expandable, and we haven't heard any word of its RAM configuration. We also don't know anything about the device's screen resolution, though we expect it will come in at 6.7-inches. As far as software is concerned, we expect the Galaxy Z Flip to come with Samsung's latest One UI 2.1 atop Android 10.
Another interesting feature we could see on the device is the ability to lock the display at a 90-degree angle, meaning you might not need a kickstand or tripod if you want to use Skype, watch videos, or take a picture/video hands-free. This handy little gimmick seems silly at first, but it could open up a whole new realm of possibilities for the device.
Pricing and availability
Rumors for the device price seem very inconsistent at this point. A Bloomberg report claims Samsung wants to make the new foldable cheaper than the Galaxy Fold, but given the Fold's $2,000 price tag, that shouldn't be too hard.
According to Korea's Yonhap News outlet, the handset could come in around the "mid-$1,000 range." A recent tweet by tipster Max Weinbach reiterated this rumored price point, also claiming the device could even be a timed AT&T exclusive, though it should still be available unlocked.
Just head from a new source:
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip will likely launch on February 14th. It retails at $1400. It's possible it is an AT&T exclusive again, but this time it might be a timed exclusive. It will also be available unlocked.— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) January 27, 2020
On the other hand, the Korea Herald claims the device will come in at ~$845. Either way, we can expect the price of the Galaxy Z Flip will land well below its predecessor.
Read also: Samsung's clamshell foldable could be actually affordable
The Galaxy Z Flip passed through the FCC on January 24, 2020, signaling an imminent launch date.
As far as availability is concerned, all signs so far point to the company wanting to make the handset more accessible than the Galaxy Fold. We expect Samsung will release the handset worldwide, though that's just speculation. We can at least safely assume the Galaxy Z Flip will be available in South Korea and the US, though it's likely it won't be limited to these markets.
That's all we've got when it comes to rumors related to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip release date, design, specs, features, and pricing. Be sure to bookmark this page as we will update it with new rumors as they pop up.
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