Samsung unveiled a new smartphone on February 21st. 'Galaxy S10' which is the next-generation smartphone lineup of Samsung was introduced first. The Galaxy S10E, S10 and S10 + are equipped with the latest technology such as Infinity-O Display, enhanced camera, in-display fingerprint sensor. In addition, the Galaxy S10 5G is expected to be popular in a variety of industries as it has a faster next generation communication technology.
However, the most important thing of this event was a foldable smartphone 'Galaxy Fold'. If you fold the screen, you will see a 4.6 inch display. The user can hold the smartphone with one hand. If you unfold the screen, you will see a 7.3 inch display. You can use a big screen like a tablet PC.
In the past, Chinese companies launched foldable smartphones. However, the products were not good enough. On the other hand, the Galaxy Fold used materials which is developed by Samsung and is much thinner than other foldable smartphones. And a lot of new technologies are applied to the foldable display. These allow the user to fold the screen gently like a book.
The 'Galaxy Fold' is expected to make a big difference in the smartphone industry. A lot of media are saying "a sophisticated product and it will become an attractive smartphone". Some people say that Samsung has shown ‘innovation’ in the smartphone industry. I believe there are a lot of possibilities because it is a technology that can meet the user's conflicting needs, such as better portability and larger screen size.
However, there are still challenges. Finding the answer to the question 'Where will you use the foldable smartphone?’ You can imagine two things. 1) You can do multiple things at the same time by splitting the inner screen. 2) You can use the app on the cover display, then if you want to use that app on the inner display, you can do it by just unfolding it. It's a useful feature, but it's not strong enough.
Samsung seems to have been able to bring the foldable smartphone long before. According to media reports, Samsung said they would not release a foldable smartphone until it gets true innovation. I don’t think software technologies that they applied to ‘Galaxy Fold’ are sufficient for the solution that Samsung has been struggling. Hardware technology deserves praise. However, in terms of software, I think that it is not innovative enough.
It is possible that ‘Galaxy Fold’ could be something like ‘Curved Display Smartphones’. Curved display smartphones have only one different thing. The curved screen. Other than that, they were the same. The price of ‘Galaxy fold’ is also a stumbling block. It is at least $ 1,980.
The key for the future is whether existing apps will support the screen size of 'Galaxy Fold', and whether various contents will be created for these technologies. Will 'Galaxy Fold' show innovation in the smartphone industry? It depends on innovative software.