Samsung launches foldable phone

Samsung East Africa Head of Integrated Mobile Charles Kimari explains the features the new Galaxy Z fold 2 in Nairobi on September 4, 2020.

Photo credit: Salaton Njau I Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

  • This device allows wireless charging, with a battery capacity of 4500mAh that can support over 11 hours of continuous YouTube streaming or 3D gaming compared to 7 hours of the previous version.
  • This device gives you the freedom to do tasks like reading, typing, editing spreadsheets, video streaming, and gaming on a bigger screen.

Man’s relationship with devices in the digital era can be described as inseparable as life gradually drifts to digital platforms.

Owning a deluxe smartphone now ranks higher in people’s list of status symbols to quench the thirst of living the ultimate life. And the device that can boost one's self-actualisation levels is the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 that will be landing in Nairobi in the next few weeks for the first time since its release in Seoul, South Korea on September 1.

Starting September 18, lovers of super devices made using state-of-the-art technology can visit select stores countrywide to pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold2, an improvement of the previous folding smartphone from Samsung.

Fast device

Asking what is so special about the new phone? Kenyans love a fast device so it comes with 12GB of RAM, while enabling you to store heavy videos or high resolution graphics in a 256GB internal memory.

It has five cameras! Three at the back, each of 12 megapixels; a telephoto with long focus lens, a regular camera and one that allows you to take ultra-wide photos. The inside panes have a camera each but of 10MPs.

The glamorous feeling of these cameras is that they are all enabled to give you 4K high resolution video recording. You can take clear photos in both normal and low light environments, with added sharpening while indoors. You can take high resolution video screen grabs that match regular photo standards.

This device allows wireless charging, with a battery capacity of 4500mAh that can support over 11 hours of continuous YouTube streaming or 3D gaming compared to 7 hours of the previous version.

The Galaxy Z Fold2 is the most anticipated foldable phone to hit retail shelves this year, improving from last year’s Galaxy Fold, and now has a full-size 7.6-inch interior screen, giving users far more screen space.

The gadget has a thinner gap between the display and re-engineered technology between the hinge, making it more durable and allowing 200,000 folds, not forgetting its little rubber brushes inside that expel dust and dirt. The Galaxy Z Fold2 is not waterproof, but it comes with ‘Anti-Erosion Waterproof Coating”.

Larger screens

As users keep asking for larger screens that can fit inside the pocket, a smartphone that can fold is the ultimate answer since tablets are too big.

This device gives you the freedom to do tasks like reading, typing, editing spreadsheets, video streaming, and gaming on a bigger screen.

In fact, it is a mini laptop that allows you to multitask as you wish. You can reply to emails as you participate in a Zoom meeting, while leaving the back screen still functional, and someone can watch a movie from that end simultaneously.

The Z Fold 2’s new external screen is 6.2-inch diagonally and measures 2,260-by-816. This is contrary to the previous Fold whose 4.6-inch external screen felt uncomfortable for many users.

Then there is the Flex Mode where you fold the device into an L-shape like a laptop and apps like YouTube will display the video on top while the controls, comments and similar videos come on the bottom pane.

The smartphone comes with a nano SIM slot and an eSIM (embedded SIM that is stored digitally in the phone). I also realised that Wi-Fi calling is enabled but your device needs to be unlocked first.

The 282 grams device can be locked and unlocked using your face or fingerprint and supports the current 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) network as well as the infamous 5G network which will be activated in Kenya early next year. This is a phone that takes care of the future.

Sh240,000

Kenyans will part with Sh240,000 to own the device that also allows wireless screen sharing with a sound and voice capabilities that will massage your ears.

Often, smartphone review critics will be sceptical about expensive gadgets but the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is worth the amount given its futuristic features.

It is a phone that interacts with every aspect of your life, breathing inspiration into your daily tasks without the worry of it getting lost or stolen. With its three auto switching screens, it gives left-handed users the comfort they so much lack in other phones.

 “Once you purchase [the phone] you are required to register it on Samsung Knox Guard. Anyone who steals it can be traced because of a 24-hour cyber monitoring feature in it,” Charles Kimari the Samsung East Africa Head of Integrated Mobile says.

After sales services that come along the device in Kenya will be a premium leather case, a one- year accidental damage warranty that will ensure screen replacing is done at a subsidised price, top user priority on Samsung Care+, free delivery and free training on how to handle the gadget.

It has a one-year accidental damage warranty that covers the phone. This will give users peace of mind that if they accidentally break the screen or damage the device, they are covered through the Samsung Care+ package that allows them significant discounts on screen repair.

Innovation

It is a device of a niche market, and just like last year when the Galaxy Fold sold out in three months, the same will be expected this time round with the company promising to ship more units.

“Last year we sold the Galaxy Fold so fast because the consumers know the value in the product. This means that the phone actually fills a gap in the market. With the new one we want to encourage people maximise their potential by doing all they can on one device. This year, we will stock three times more units to meet the expected demand,” said Mr Kimari.

Mr Seok Min Hong, Managing Director, Samsung Electronics East Africa said the journey to reach the next generation of mobile is full of originality and innovation, and is driven by user feedback.

“With the launch of the Galaxy Z Fold2 user feedback was at the heart of every meaningful improvement and upgrade that we made on the device with the aim of ensuring that we enhance the overall user experience,” he remarked.

The gadget is made for the premium customer who is looking for a pocketable phone that doubles as a tablet, allowing multiple tasks at greater efficiency and convenience.

 “We are changing the face of technology every day, this phone is for the person who wants to do more, it’s for the person who is looking to integrate the phone and tablet into one device, it’s for the person who is always on the go,” said Mr Kimari.

The Z Fold2 will be made available in both ‘mystic black’ and ‘mystic bronze’ colour options, with a customisable option for the hinge color.