Samsung will reportedly not proceed with the plan to include the S Pen in the Galaxy Fold 2, in order to achieve the goal of reducing the smartphone’s weight compared with its predecessor despite a larger screen.
With the removal of the S Pen, the Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to weigh around 229 grams, or just over 8 ounces, according to a blog post on South Korea’s Naver platform, via SamMobile. This will make the device about 40 grams — or about 2.8 ounces — lighter than the Galaxy Fold, while the S Pen will remain unique to the Galaxy Note series.
The blog post also claims that the Galaxy Fold 2 will launch with the Martian Green and Astro Blue color options, which were originally announced for the Galaxy Fold last year but did not push through as Samsung’s first foldable smartphone was delayed. However, similar to Samsung’s other Galaxy flagships, the availability of variants will be different across regions.
The Galaxy Fold 2 is expected to feature a larger screen of about 8 inches, compared with the 7.3-inch display of its predecessor, South Korea’s ETNews reported. The smartphone will retain the side-to-side opening of the Galaxy Fold, unlike the clamshell-style opening of the Galaxy Z Flip.
Samsung will reportedly unveil the Galaxy Fold 2 alongside the Galaxy Note 20 in August. Mass production of the parts for the Galaxy Fold 2 will start in the middle of May, followed by mass production of the smartphone between June and July.
The Galaxy Fold 2 will aim for a lower price with a 256GB model, compared with the Galaxy Fold that launched at nearly $2,000, according to SamMobile. This move is partly due to the relative success of the Galaxy Z Flip, which rolled out with an about $1,400 price tag.
Foldable smartphones
Samsung’s second foldable smartphone after the Galaxy Fold was initially thought to be the Galaxy Fold 2, but it turned out to be the Galaxy Z Flip, which was released in February with a $1,380 price tag.
Flexible screens unlock new possibilities, and that includes more foldable smartphones from Samsung and other manufacturers in the future. However, the economic recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic may push ultra-premium devices such as the Galaxy Fold 2 beyond the budget of most potential customers, and it remains to be seen what kind of effect the health crisis will have on the future plans of smartphone makers.
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