Samsung just revealed a new foldable smartphone during the Oscars - here's what we can tell about it from the short ad
- Samsung played an ad during the Oscars ceremony revealing its brand new, never-before-seen, foldable smartphone.
- Leaked footage and rumors about the phone have been rife, but we know that Samsung will reveal more details during its February 11 event, where the company will also announce its new premium flagship smartphone.
- Samsung's new foldable smartphone appears to have a tiny screen on the exterior for minor things like notifications and a dual-lens camera system. And from the looks of it, it could also prop itself up in a half-open position for things like hands-free video calls.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Samsung revealed a new foldable smartphone in an ad during the Oscars on Sunday night.
The new foldable wasn't given a name during the ad, but it is rumored to be called the "Galaxy Z Flip." The company will announce more details during its Unpacked event on February 11, where the company is also expected to reveal its new premium flagship smartphone.
Samsung hasn't uploaded the ad onto its social media channels, but Business Insider was able to obtain screenshots of the product.
The new foldable smartphone has a clamshell design, much like the new Motorola Razr. From the looks of it, it will have a dual-lens camera system on the rear, and the exterior of the phone has a tiny screen next to the camera for quick bits of information and notifications. It also appears to be touch-sensitive.
The ad showed how a user could swipe on the tiny exterior screen to answer a phone call.
From the ad, it's suggested the new foldable will be able to prop itself up and keep its half-open position for hands-free video calls.
It also appears the new Samsung foldable has a gap between its two halves when it's folded shut, which is a carry-over from the Galaxy Fold's design. To note, Motorola's developed a hinge that lets its new Razr go gapless.
There was also fine print towards the bottom right of the ad when it aired, which said: "You may notice a crease at the center of the main screen, which is a natural characteristic of the screen." Indeed, Samsung's Galaxy Fold had a visible crease where the screen folded, which goes to show just how nascent foldable smartphone screen technology is at the moment.
Apart from those few little details, little else is known about Samsung's upcoming foldable smartphone. We'll surely find out a lot more during Samsung's event on February 11.