Samsung Galaxy Z Flip - All the rumors in one place (Updated Feb. 10) - Android

Update: Official Samsung commercial confirms some design choices. A special edition device could be on its way too.

Update: February 10, 2020 (11:35 AM ET): We got a look at a few Samsung Galaxy Z Flip commercials that reveal a new possible special edition design variant and confirm a few existing rumors. We also heard yet another rumored price point for the device. See the roundup below for more!

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Original Article: January 13, 2020: Samsung’s upcoming foldable smartphone — the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip — will take the Galaxy Fold vertical. This clamshell design harks back to flip phones of old, competing toe-to-toe with the upcoming Motorola Razr reboot.

Samsung apparently confirmed the device at a secret meeting during CES 2020. We expect the company to announce the Galaxy Z Flip February 11, 2020 at its Unpacked 2020 event alongside the Galaxy S20 series of devices.

Don’t miss: The Galaxy Z Flip stars in first hands-on video

With that being said, here are all the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip rumors we’ve seen so far. We will update this post accordingly as soon as we know more information about the device’s price, specs, design, and other features.

Samsung Galaxy Flip Z name and launch date

The device was first believed to be called the Galaxy Fold 2. Then Samsung referred to the device as the Galaxy Bloom in the aforementioned secret CES meeting. We thought this seemed like a codename more than an actual marketing name for the device, and a tweet by leaker Ice Universe affirmed our suspicions. The tweet revealed the possible new name and a self-made logo for the device.

Galaxy Z Flip pic.twitter.com/WKA5mpICVE

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) January 12, 2020

The name gives us some insight into Samsung’s branding plans for its new smartphones. It’s entirely possible that this Z moniker is a one-off name for the flip-open foldable phone, or it could represent a new series of devices, though, this is not the first time Samsung has released a Z series of devices.

The company used to launch Tizen-based smartphones under that name up until 2017. However, the Galaxy Z title is brand new, as the older series was prefixed only with the Samsung brand name (Samsung Z3, Samsung Z4, you get the drift).

Related: Samsung Galaxy Fold 2 could hit stores before S11 series

As far as a release date is concerned, we believe Samsung will announce the Galaxy Z Flip at its Unpacked event February 11. According to Korea’s Yonhap News outlet, this new foldable will be available for sale “immediately” after the event. On the other hand, both a recent tweet by tipster Max Weinbach and a report from WinFuture claim the device will launch February 14. Neither source says when Samsung would initially unveil the device, though we assume it would still be at Samsung’s Unpacked event.

Either way, we will be happy as long it doesn’t follow the footsteps of the Galaxy Fold. If it does, who knows when we will get the device in our hands.

Design

Ajunews

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will tout a vertical folding design, akin to old school flip phones, as the name alludes. Samsung Mobile chief DJ Koh explained that the phone’s design is inspired by Lancome’s makeup compacts. The company thinks this design choice will help it reach its target market — 20-something women.

We also expect Samsung to build the device out of premium materials such as glass and metal. On Twitter, teen leaker Ishan Agarwal claimed the device would sport a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen, and a few leaked photos posted on Weibo (h/t Ice Universe) seem to back that up.

The photos above reveal a few things about the device, including a centered hole-punch selfie camera, a uniform bezel surrounding the display, and a tiny display near the dual rear-facing cameras that’s visible when the device is closed. They also reveal a USB-C port and speaker grille at the bottom, though there doesn’t seem to be a headphone port on this device.

That tiny display up front measures just one inch, according to a recent rumor, and can be used to check charging status and battery info. You’ll also presumably be able to use it as a viewfinder for the camera.

Not too long ago, tipster Max Weinbach claimed the display would feature an ultra-thin glass layered with a plastic layer to prevent scratching, unlike the Galaxy Fold’s entirely plastic display. This rumor first surfaced all the way back in October and has popped up a few times since, so it has some weight behind it.

Samsung was very smart with the Galaxy Z Flip (just got word this is the name.)

They are using ultra thin glass and plastic. Samsung will be layering a plastic over the ultra thin glass for extra protection. If it gets scratched, it’s only the plastic and not the display.

— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) January 14, 2020

We initially heard rumors that the device will come in two color variants — black and purple — but until recently we had only seen the black variant. Thanks to WinFuture, we have a new set of renders showing off the possible purple colorway.