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The Galaxy Fold's successor (not the Galaxy Z Flip) could debut before summer

By Joshua Swingle

Updated: Jan 28, 2020, 12:40 PM

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The Galaxy Fold's successor (not the Galaxy Z Flip) could debut before summer

The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s next foldable smartphone and, although it’s scheduled to arrive one year after the Galaxy Fold, it turns out the device isn’t actually a direct replacement for the latter.

Samsung is instead planning to position it as a cheaper take on the foldable format. But if new information is anything to go by, a true successor to the Galaxy Fold shouldn’t be too far behind this new product.

The Galaxy Fold 2 or Galaxy Z Fold will debut in Q2 2020

The person responsible for several Galaxy S20 leaks and a set of live Galaxy S20+ photos, Max Weinbach, says Samsung’s “true Galaxy Fold successor” has been scheduled for the second quarter of 2020.

An exact announcement date has yet to be provided, but the information means Samsung is hoping the unveil the new product at some point between early April and late June. Shipments, on the other hand, could start a couple of months later if history is any indication.

Little is known about the smartphone itself right now, but preliminary details suggest it will arrive equipped with a large 8-inch internal display that could adopt a different aspect ratio that’s more suited to media consumption and split-screen apps.

The first-generation Galaxy Fold, for reference, features a 7.3-inch internal display and a 4.6-inch external panel. There’s no word on the size of the new model’s external screen, but an increase is to be expected in order to make it more useful to buyers.

Samsung is expected to further refine its controversial hinge design to improve durability. Speaking of which, the Galaxy Fold 2 or Galaxy Z Fold is reportedly going to benefit from a layer of ultra-thin glass much like the Galaxy Z Flip that should reduce the frequency of scratches.

These reassurances will allow Samsung to integrate its popular S Pen stylus into the package. Whether the accessory is identical to the Galaxy Note 10’s or a preview of the Galaxy Note 20’s alternative remains to be seen, however.

The Snapdragon 865, 5G, and a 108MP camera are expected

Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 865 is expected to power the Galaxy Fold’s successor in both the United States and international markets. The device is, therefore, going to be noticeably faster than the original and support 5G networks as standard.

Samsung is expected to fit the phone with the Galaxy S20 Ultra’s camera setup as well in an attempt to justify the ridiculously high price tag that’s expected. If true, users will be able to benefit from a powerful 108-megapixel primary sensor that uses “nona binning” technology to create higher-quality shots.

Other expected cameras include a 48-megapixel periscope shooter that supports 5x optical zoom, up to 30x lossless zoom, and an incredible 100x digital zoom as part of a feature marketed as Space Zoom.

A 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle shooter should accompany alongside a Time-of-Flight sensor for improved portrait photography. Last but not least, buyers can expect to find a 40-megapixel selfie camera.

This could be part of Samsung's plan to ditch the Galaxy Note

Samsung reportedly has a long-term plan to merge the Galaxy S series with the Galaxy Note lineup and create a single range of flagships launched during the first quarter of each year. The Galaxy Note’s vacated release slot in summer would, in turn, be occupied by a foldable smartphone.

The South Korean giant doesn’t appear to have any plans to do so this year, but its upcoming devices do suggest the company is slowly preparing for it. The Galaxy S20 series, for example, could easily be confused with the Galaxy Note 20 range if it featured S Pen integration.

Furthermore, the addition of S Pen to the second-generation Galaxy Fold suggests Samsung is testing out the market. If the response is largely positive, it could pave the way for future models to replace the Galaxy Note series entirely or perhaps be marketed under that brand.