Galaxy Z Fold 2: Samsung introduces $2,000 folding smartphone

Price makes it the South Korean giant's most expensive phone

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 aims to overcome the difficulties Samsung has previously faced with folding phones (Samsung)

Samsung has introduced its latest folding smartphone, which will set customers back $1,999 (£1,799).

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is Samsung’s successor to its original flexible screen smartphone, the Fold, which suffered a delayed release last year following issues with its folding mechanism.

The South Korean company used an online event to reveal new details about the upcoming device, including the introduction of a larger, 6.2-inch screen on the front of the device, up from 4.6-inches on the original Fold, as well as for the folding display which opens out from within the phone.

That flexible internal display is now 7.6-inches, compared to the 7.3-inch on last year’s device.

Last year, the original Fold was delayed after a flaw which allowed dirt into the hinge and could damage the screen was uncovered by early reviewers, and while Samsung made updates to that device at the time, the tech giant has upgraded its hinge system again on the Fold 2 to further prevent dust and dirt from getting into the phone.

The company says its “hideaway hinge” uses sweeper technology to repel dust particles from getting into the device, a system which has also been used in the firm’s Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year.

The improved hinge also allows the foldable screen to be opened up to multiple viewing angles for the first time on a Fold device.

In further upgrades, Samsung’s Infinity-O display, where a cut-out in the screen is used to house a camera lens rather than using a notch to house the cameras and taking up more of the screen.

The device will also support 5G and will go on sale on 18 September.

“The journey to reach the next generation of smartphones is full of originality and innovation,” said Samsung UK and Ireland corporate vice president Conor Pierce.

“With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, we listened closely to customers’ feedback to ensure we were bringing meaningful improvements to the device, while also developing new innovations to enhance the user experience.

“Further strengthened by our industry-leading partnerships with Google and Microsoft, we’re reshaping and redefining the possibilities of the mobile device experience.”

Industry expert Thomas Husson, a principal analyst at Forrester, said the Fold 2 was a noticeable evolution of Samsung’s existing foldable product line but that Apple is unlikely to follow Samsung into folding phones when it unveils its new line of iPhones later this month.

“The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a technology jewel that seems to erase all initial defects of Samsung’s first foldable phone,” he told The Independent.

“Its high price means this new flagship product will remain niche and a way to showcase Samsung’s tech innovation. The consumer benefits of a flex screen and of an all-in-one hybrid product are not strong enough to establish a new product category yet.”

Additional reporting from agencies