Samsung Galaxy Fold preorders ended in a day, or at least, the first phase of the reservation process is over now. The company did warn that even before starting reservations there would be limited supply. However, there is good news for those who wanted one and weren’t able to preorder the phone last week.
Other options for Galaxy Fold preorders
Max Weinbach of XDA Developers received a tip from another developer that it is possible even now to buy the foldable phone directly without having to make a reservation. The developer, who goes by the Twitter handle Oden (@odensc), linked a Samsung website that allows consumers to buy the T-Mobile and AT&T variants of the Galaxy Fold.
Who says you needed to reserve the Galaxy Fold. You can legit just go to https://t.co/jSw3DxSbjR and buy it without an email. @odensc_ again found this again. Fucking genius.
— Max Weinbach (@mweinbachXDA) April 15, 2019
The phone can be bought in 24 monthly payments of $82.50 each. Oden also revealed that AT&T and T-Mobile have just 4,500 Galaxy Fold units each available.
If you don’t trust this website, there are other options as well. Although the Galaxy Fold preorders are sold out, interested buyers can register their email address with Samsung to receive a notification when more inventory is available.
“Due to high demand, we are unable to accept any more pre-order reservations. We will alert you when Galaxy Fold is available,” reads the message on the Galaxy Fold preorder page.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold will also be available in select stores starting on April 26. In the United States, the Galaxy Fold would be available in some AT&T, Best Buy, T-Mobile and Samsung Experience stores.
T-Mobile has already announced a bundled deal in which Fold buyers will receive a pair of wireless Galaxy Buds earbuds and a carbon fiber case for free. Galaxy Fold sales will start online on April 25th at 9 p.m. Pacific. As of now, only the Space Silver variant of the phone is available.
Galaxy Fold specifications
Samsung’s revolutionary Galaxy Fold features a 4.6-inch external display with 840 x 1960 resolution. Upon opening the device, the screen expands to become a 7.3-inch OLED display with 1536 x 2152 resolution. The phone is powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset and comes with 12 GB and 512 GB of storage. Further, the device will sport a triple-lens rear-facing camera with 12MP + 16MP ultra-wide + 12 MP lenses with 2x optical zoom and a dual-lens selfie snapper. The handset will feature a 4,380 mAh battery and come with Android 9 Pie pre-installed.
One notable feature packed in the Galaxy Fold is a new hinge system that utilizes “multiple interlocking gears” to create an almost hidden folder. There is also a plastic outer casing and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner.
To increase the utility of both screens, Samsung has added an App Continuity feature, which opens the app in the main internal display when the user switches to tablet mode. In tablet mode, the user can run three apps simultaneously for a multitasking experience. Google is also making efforts to optimize Android OS support for the foldable phone.
Samsung’s Galaxy Fold comes with an ultra-premium price tag of $1,980. Its price tag is one reason Samsung has limited supply. However, from a technology point of view, the phone is a major example of how technology has progressed over the years.
Other than Samsung, Huawei will also be offering similar foldable features in its Mate X device, which was announced in February. There is no information on whether other major players such as Apple are working on a foldable or not. However, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company could very well focus on a foldable iPhone, given the fact that Apple procures iPhone screens from Samsung.
Galaxy S10 5G coming “soon”
Samsung plans to launch a 5G version of the Galaxy S10 starting in May. According to the Korean firm, preorders for the device will begin “soon.” Verizon will have the exclusive right to the phone until some time in the second half of the year. After the exclusivity period ends, other telecom majors such as AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile will also start offering the Galaxy S10 5G.
Travis Warren, senior vice president and head of carrier sales and operations for Samsung Electronics America, said, “This is a pivotal moment for U.S. consumers—two new groundbreaking devices are coming to market that, each in their own unique way, will change the future of the mobile landscape.”
Warren added that Samsung has been designing Galaxy devices to open up a host of opportunities for users, and the Galaxy Fold and Galaxy S10 5G will take the legacy to a whole new level.
5G will offer faster data rates and very low latency, which will help the devices communicate almost real-time. In theory, 5G can offer up to 10 gigabits per second, which is ridiculously faster than most home internet connections. Thus, 5G will not only improve communication between smart devices but also enhance the mobile gaming experience. As of now, 5G coverage is limited to select regions and won’t be available to the masses until 2020.
