Came the day. Three months after its announcement, Samsung presented its new range of smartphones on Tuesday, including the Galaxy Fold, the first folding screen device of the world's largest telecommunications manufacturer.
Before hundreds of journalists in San Francisco, the South Korean telecommunications giant showed the new device that will go on sale on April 26 with a price in the US. of US $ 1,980.
According to the company, there will be an LTE and 5G version of the Galaxy Fold.
But it was not all: Samsung also introduced three Galaxy S10 phones and its first 5G technology, which features the company's largest non-folding screen and promises faster data speeds when the networks of that technology are available.
The line also includes the introduction of a lower cost model, after recording "less than expected sales" with its S9 range.
At the event, Samsung announced that it is using a new 7.3-inch Infinity Flex screen for its Galaxy Folder, which allows the phone itself to have a screen the size of a tablet that can be folded to fit in a pocket.
The main screen operates at a resolution of 1536 x 2152 and, when folded, a smaller 4.6 inch (840 x 1960) is used for phone mode.
The phone uses a 512 GB memory of Universal Flash Storage 3.0 (eUFS) for fast speeds, along with a 7 nm processor and 12 GB of RAM.
Samsung has even built two batteries for its Galaxy Fold, which are separated by the fold but combined in the Android operating system.
But the success of this phone is still in doubt.
"In theory, the folding elements are very attractive: they pack a giant screen into a small design, but in reality, consumers do not know exactly how they will work and the applications for them are still not very developed," said Neil Mawston of the firm. Strategy Analytics research.
"You can look back on the history of the dual-screen folder phones launched by ZTE and NEC and others, and they have not sold particularly well, mainly because of the price and lack of distribution, so there is good potential, but still a lot of uncertainty, "he added.
The Galaxy S10
As it transpired, the new range S10 and S10 + will cost approximately the same as the phones they replace.
But the S10e implies that the Galaxy S range now starts at a lower price, albeit with lower specifications that match.
"Having a 5G variant is strategically important for Samsung, as it leverages Apple and helps maintain brand strength and perceived technological leadership," said Ben Wood of consultancy firm CCS Insight.
"But when it comes to consumers, unless you have a good reason to buy a 5G phone this summer, one of the other three S10 phones is probably a better investment and will be viable for use for many years," he added.
The launch occurs days before the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, a commercial event in which Samsung's rivals will unveil their own phones.
The global smartphone market shrank in 2018, but Samsung's sales saw a particularly sharp decline when Huawei and other Chinese manufacturers attracted customers.