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The Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G specs, price, and release date are official: 120Hz display, $1999

By Georgi Zarkov

Updated: Sep 01, 2020, 9:49 AM

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Ever since the first Galaxy Fold was introduced, we knew that the second one will be the one to look forward to. The first attempt at a new type of product is often flawed and the Fold was no exception. It got delayed, and some of its parts redesigned but even then it was seen more as a novelty rather than a phone that can replace your daily driver.

Well, the Galaxy Fold is now a thing of the past. Samsung learned its lessons from it and is ready with the next generation: the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Improved in almost every way, the Z Fold 2 is a phone that will make plenty of people seriously consider embracing the foldable experience.

Trade-in and save up to $800 on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 at Samsung

So, what is Samsung enticing people with? Let’s take a look!

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 price and release date

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 price: $1999
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 release: September 18, pre-orders start September 2

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be available in Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze, in around 40 markets including the U.S. and Korea, on September 18, 2020, with pre-orders from September 1, 2020 starting with select markets including the U.S. and Europe.

The starting price in the US hovers around $1,199, but that is with a general trade-in for your old top-shelf phone from Samsung. At retail, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 price would be just shy of two grand in Europe and in the US without the trade-in deals or other incentives.

Customized options will be available for users on Samsung.com in select markets 24 with four distinct colors for the hinge: Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Metallic Red and Metallic Blue. The Galaxy Z Fold2 Thom Browne Edition will be available for pre-order beginning September 1, 2020 in select markets with general availability on September 25.

Reserve Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 design and display(s) size

Although the concept of the Z Fold 2 is essentially the same as that of the original, a device that opens like a book to reveal a large internal display, there’s no mistaking this one for the previous Fold no matter the angle you’re looking at it from.

At the front, the ridiculous 4.6-inch display is replaced by a 6.2-inch punch-hole one with 2260 x 816 pixels resolution that properly fills up the whole front panel. This change alone will make the Z Fold 2 a lot more desirable as there’s no functionality sacrifice compared to standard phones when you have that display at your convenience.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G specs, price, and release date are official: 120Hz display, $1999

On the back, there’s a very elegant camera module that contains three of the phone’s five cameras. Camera bumps are usually more of an eyesore on phones, but the one on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 looks exquisite.

But what matters the most on the Z Fold 2 is what it keeps inside. And that is a 7.6-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 2208 x 1768 pixels. The diagonal of the screen is now longer than that of the original Fold, but the aspect ratio of the display is not closer to a square. The change results in a display that has a surface area larger than the older one, and it not only folds, but comes with the 120Hz adaptable refresh rate of the Note 20 Ultra.

What’s even better about this new display is that it lacks the massive ugly notch of the previous one. Instead, there’s a tiny hole for the camera that you’ll be using for conference calls. Sure, it’s not in the ideal position, but we’ll gladly accept it.

The durability of the display was a big concern with the first Fold and Samsung has made sure the new one is as strong as possible while remaining flexible. It now has an ultra-thin layer of glass on top for extra rigidity against scratches. Overall, the design of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 looks extremely refined and worthy of a super-premium smartphone, though it is still a chunky monkey when closed.

Now onto the insides!

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 specs

Samsung finally revealed all the information about the Z Fold 2, and, as you might imagine, inside the Z Fold 2 there’s pretty much nothing but the best. The phone is powered by Qualcomm’s latest and greatest Snapdragon 865+. The plus version of the 865 is clocked slightly higher and offers better GPU performance which will be needed to drive all those pixels the internal display has.

The system chip is paired with a hefty dose of LPDDR5 RAM, 12GB to be exact. The base storage has been reduced to 256GB this time around, but there is a 512GB version, and it’s the fastest type available right now: UFS 3.1. Of course, 5G is a given on a device of that class, completing the fast-speed package.

The battery capacity is also increased, although just slightly, to 4,500mAh. With the bigger displays, there might not be much gains in battery life, but there is fast SAmsung charging to take care of this.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 cameras

A modern flagship is nothing if it doesn’t have great cameras. With the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung is betting on a set of trusted cameras rather than experimenting with massive sensors and periscope cameras that will drive the price even higher.

The main camera is a big-pixel 12MP sensor with optical image stabilization and phase-detection autofocus. Taking the role of a telephoto camera is another 12MP sensor that allows for 2x optical zoom. Finishing up the trio of rear cameras is the 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera. Nothing fancy, but knowing Samsung, the three 12MP cams will work in perfect sync to produce great photos.

For selfies and video calls, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is equipped with two 10MP cameras, one for used when the phone is closed and another when you have it unfolded.

The picture quality will largely depend on Samsung’s camera software, as usual, but it has plenty of experience in that area so far, so we expect results that are right up there with the top performers. Stay tuned for our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 camera review samples to confirm the verdict.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 app interface and multitasking features

Seamless Multitasking – Use advanced Multi-Active Window 11 to control your screen layout with more ease and flexibility. Experience more productivity now that you can open multiple files from the same app at the same time and view them side by side. With an improved Multi-Window Tray, you can open multiple apps at once with the integration of App Pair and the Edge Panel to enjoy added convenience. With drag and drop, you can simply drag text, images and documents from one app to another for instant transfer. Or quickly screen capture in one app and transfer the captured image into another seamlessly with Split Screen Capture.

Optimized App Interactions to Support Your Flow – Choose the most optimized UI on the Main Screen to suit your needs. Quickly and easily switch layouts between a large screen

layout or traditional phone layout in the Settings.

Optimized App Display– Maximize every moment in your daily life and upgrade the viewing experience of your favorite apps, including Gmail, YouTube and Spotify. Use the Main Screen with Office apps in Microsoft 365 to mimic the tablet experience. For example, use Microsoft Outlook to its true potential by viewing your inbox on the left side with current

conversations at the same time. Draft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets or PowerPoint presentations with PC-like toolbar arrangements.

Is the Galaxy Z Fold 2 worth it?

A lot of people will say that this is what the original Galaxy Fold should have been. But when you're developing a brand new type of product, certain mishaps or wrong decisions are bound to happen.

What's important is that Samsung has clearly taken into consideration users' feedback and made the improvements people wanted to see. Of course, there are still some technological limitations we'll have to endure, but the Fold line is moving in the right direction at a rapid pace. Which only makes us more excited about what we'll see in the future.

Get $100 off the unlocked Galaxy Z Fold 2 from Samsung