Samsung Galaxy Z Flip might be available from only one U.S. carrier (Nope: Sprint and AT&T on day one)
Remember when the rumors called for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip to be priced in the range of $800-900? Last week, XDA's Max Weinbach disseminated a tweet that put a dagger through the heart of many by suggesting that the price for the flipper will actually be €1400 in Europe. And today, Weinbach passed along some more information about Samsung's next foldable once again via his Twitter account (@MaxWinebach).
The Galaxy Z Flip should be introduced during the next Samsung Unpacked event that will be held on February 11th. It will be unveiled at the same time as the manufacturer's first flagship models for 2020, the Galaxy S20 family. According to Weinbach, a new source says that the phone will be released on February 14th and will be priced at $1,400 USD. Perhaps the most surprising part of the tweet says that the phone might be an AT&T exclusive, although that might be the case for a short-term period only. The Galaxy Z Flip will also be available unlocked.
UPDATE: A new tweet from Max Weinbach says that his source was incorrect about AT&T exclusivity. The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to be available from AT&T and Sprint on day one.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will be 4G LTE compatible only
Earlier today, we told you that based on the FCC documentation, Sammy's new foldable will not work over 5G networks. However, it could be compatible with LTE bands for all four major providers; on that basis, we expect any exclusivity in the states to be for a limited period only. With the Motorola razr coming to Verizon next month as a carrier-exclusive model, it is possible that AT&T wanted an exclusive of its own, at least for a period of time.
Tweet from XDA's Max Weinbach reveals a possible AT&T exclusivity for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Last week, a separate tweet from Weinbach indicated that the Galaxy Z Flip will be powered by the overclocked Snapdragon 855+ and will sport a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED "Samsung Ultra-Thin Glass" screen with a crease. It also will have a 21:9 aspect ratio making it perfect for viewing streaming videos in landscape. The phone will lock at two positions, 90-degrees and 180-degrees, and might come out of the box with 12GB of memory and as much as 256GB of storage. Dual 12MP cameras (wide and ultra-wide) are said to be on board and there will be a very small 1-inch external display.
The latest rumored specs call for the Galaxy Z Flip to be equipped with a battery in the range of 3300-3500mAh and a 15W charger. Speaking about charging, not only will the Galaxy Z Flip support wireless charging, it will also support reverse wireless charging, a feature that Samsung calls Power Share. This feature will allow a Galaxy Z Flip owner to put a compatible device on the back of his phone and charge it wirelessly by sharing the battery inside his handset. For example, let's say you're at the bar and someone is telling you a sad story about how his wireless Bluetooth Samsung Galaxy Buds are about to run out of battery power. The Galaxy Buds' wireless charging case would be placed on the back of the Galaxy Z Flip allowing the phone to charge the batteries inside the accessory's case.
Speaking of the Galaxy Buds, Weinbach also had some information today on the yet to be announced Samsung Galaxy Buds+. According to another tweet he sent, the Galaxy Buds+ will be priced at $149.99, $20 more than the price for the non-plus model available since last year. The new model could come with a 50% larger battery that would double the battery life from 6 hours between charges to 12 hours. While they won't have Active Noise Cancellation like rival earbuds are equipped with, they will have Active Noise Isolation. This reduces ambient sounds through the use of extra earcup padding and other physical barriers. Not only won't they let unwanted noises in, they also prevent those around you from listening in to your playlist or whatever it is that you are listening to in private.
Render of the Samsung Galaxy Buds+
The Galaxy Buds+ are also expected to be unveiled on February 11th.
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