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Full Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 display specs reveal a number of major upgrades

By Adrian Diaconescu

Updated: Apr 27, 2020, 7:47 AM

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Samsung Android

First-gen Samsung Galaxy Fold

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many tech companies to delay or altogether cancel a number of major events in recent months, but although it seems unlikely that Samsung will be able to hold its next product announcement in front of a live audience, the Korea-based giant reportedly has every intention to stick to its original Galaxy Note 20 launch schedule.

Alongside the "mainstream" S Pen-wielding powerhouse, a second-gen Galaxy Fold is also expected to see daylight in August or late July, and surprise, surprise, this flexible newbie could come with a built-in stylus as well. That's at least according to a wealth of new information shared on Twitter by Ross Young, the Founder and CEO of a Texas-based firm called Display Supply Chain Consultants.

The origin of the info is not entirely clear, but judging from the name of Young's aforementioned company, we're guessing these "leaks" are gathered from supply chain sources, although it's probably wise to take everything with a grain of salt for now.

A bigger, better, and significantly faster main display for the Galaxy Fold 2

While we all appreciated the innovation and versatility of last year's first Galaxy Fold variant, we can't say the screens were the best Samsung ever offered. The main display came with a decent but far from impressive resolution of 2152 x 1536 pixels, which will purportedly be enhanced to a 2213 x 1689 pixel count on the fast-approaching sequel.

The gaming experience will be vastly improved at 120Hz

In combination with a little more screen real estate (7.59 inches compared to 7.3 inches), that will yield a modest upgrade in dpi (dots per inch) density from 362 to 372, which is still a far cry from the mind-blowing 511 dpi of the Galaxy S20 Ultra, for instance.

But the most significant improvement is expected in the refresh rate department, where the Galaxy Fold 2 could jump from its predecessor's conventional 60Hz speed all the way up to the 120Hz smoothness of the entire S20 family. It remains to be seen if Samsung will also restrict Galaxy Fold 2 users from activating the 120Hz mode at a higher than Full HD resolution. That might depend on the battery size, which stays very much up in the air for the time being.

Punch hole, ultra-thin glass, and S Pen input

It's looking less and less likely that Samsung will be able to hide the front-facing shooter in plain sight on the Galaxy Note 20 to achieve the perfect all-screen design, as the company reportedly "wanted to go with an under panel camera" on the Galaxy Fold 2, but that engineering feat "isn't ready yet." As such, both the main screen and the so-called cover display on the Fold 2 are tipped to embrace a hole punch design, although the details on the positioning of said holes and things like actual camera specs are not out yet.

The Galaxy Z Flip uses UTG and a plastic protective film

Perhaps more importantly, Ross Young challenges previous rumors, claiming the Galaxy Fold 2 will indeed come with an S Pen that "fits in with the Note series and enhances the tablet experience"... while further impacting the appeal of the Galaxy Note 20. And even more importantly, the Galaxy Fold 2 is essentially guaranteed to borrow Samsung's proprietary UTG (Ultra-Thin Glass) technology from the Galaxy Z Flip in a bid to resist scratches and drops much better than the far too fragile OG Fold.

Unfortunately, Samsung will still need to apply a protective cover film on top of the UTG that's likely made from plastic, although a "new hard coat with excellent scratch resistance" could be in the pipeline to improve the durability and premium aspect of the foldable device.

An entirely revamped front display

If the main screen on the Galaxy Fold is somewhat underwhelming by ultra-high-end standards, the cover display is outright disappointing, measuring 4.7 inches in diagonal, sporting a middling resolution of 1680 x 720 pixels, and coming with huge top, bottom, and side bezels.

Bezels begone

Believe it or not, the Galaxy Fold 2 could jump all the way up to a 6.23-inch front display with a more than decent resolution of 2267 x 819 pixels, a conventional 60Hz refresh rate, and a modern hole punch design.

The only problem? The LTPS (low temperature polysilicon) backplane technology suggests this might actually be downgraded from a Super AMOLED to an LCD panel, unlike the main display, which uses something called LTPO (low temperature polycrystalline) backplane technology that all but guarantees we're dealing with a high-quality AMOLED once the Galaxy Fold 2 is unfolded.

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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.