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The Samsung Galaxy Fold isn't just a smartphone; it unfolds to become a 7.3-inch tablet.
The Galaxy Fold was set to roll out in April 2019, but Samsung postponed the launch after a number of early reviewers experienced issues with the device.
The Galaxy Fold is now available to customers in South Korea, and will launch in France, Germany, Singapore, and the UK on September 18.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold looked to be one of the most impressive smartphones of 2019, but it got off to a rocky start.
The Galaxy Fold was scheduled to launch in April, but Samsung indefinitely delayed the release after a number of reviewers encountered hardware problems with the folding screen. On September 5, Samsung announced a new launch date - but only in a few countries.
The Galaxy Fold is available now in South Korea, and will launch in France, Germany, Singapore, and the UK on September 18. Samsung says it will arrive in the US "in the coming weeks" - rumor has it that we'll see it on September 27.
While US customers can't yet purchase the Galaxy Fold, you can sign up at Samsung and Best Buy, or keep an eye on AT&T, to receive an email when the phone is in stock. That means you can be among the first to order the phone when the release date arrives.
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That's right: For the price of the Galaxy Fold, you could buy two iPhone 11s and still have almost $600 left over.
That said, many sellers offer trade-in deals that can alleviate the cost. If you're upgrading from a relatively recent device that's in good condition, you can likely get up to $600 off your Galaxy Fold purchase.
Where can I buy the Galaxy Fold?
When it comes to Samsung phones, your best bet is usually to order from Samsung directly. The manufacturer tends to offer excellent deals on its phones (particularly when it comes to trade-in credits), and is also likely the retailer offering the most color and carrier options. In addition, while we can make educated guesses as to who else will be stocking the Galaxy Fold, Samsung is the only company that we know for sure will sell it.
It's not clear yet whether Samsung will be offering pre-orders or selling the phone outright. If you sign up, you'll be the among the first to know either way.
Unfortunately, carrier choices are somewhat limited. AT&T and T-Mobile were originally slated to offer the phone, but T-Mobile backed out of the deal in July. AT&T hasn't explicitly re-confirmed that it's selling the Galaxy Fold following T-Mobile's jumping ship, but the company does have the device listed (as "Out of Stock") on its website.
This doesn't necessarily mean that Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile users won't be able stick their SIM cards in unlocked versions of the phone. Some unlocked phones can still accommodate some unsupported carriers (I've been using the Verizon-exclusive Pixel 3 via AT&T for the past year), but it's not guaranteed. If you're not an AT&T user, confirm that you can use the phone on your plan before you buy it.
Best Buy was also on board to sell the Galaxy Fold in April, but has not officially re-confirmed its plans. You can sign up to buy the phone on its website.
Sign up to buy the Galaxy Fold at Samsung
Sign up to buy the Galaxy Fold at Best Buy
Buy the Galaxy Fold (at some point) at AT&T
What is the Galaxy Fold?
In the first batch of Galaxy Fold reviews, some critics complained of screen malfunctions and other hardware problems. (Business Insider did not experience any such issues). Despite the impressive specs, reporters largely recommended against buying the phone until the issues were resolved ("I have never used a device with this many problems that I have liked this much," noted The Verge's two-star review.)
Samsung went back to the drawing board, and debuted a revised version of the phone on September 5 at IFA 2019. We haven't gotten to test out the new device yet, but reports from the conference indicate that it looks much better: The crease, which our reviewer decried, is now less pronounced, and the screen is more stable and better-protected.
Even so, the nearly $2,000 price tag is likely more than most folks want to spend on a phone. But if money is no object, or you're willing to shell out for a luxury device, the Fold looks to be a more justifiable purchase than it was in April.
Most notably, the Galaxy Fold has one of the best smartphone screens out there, with a 7.3-inch display with 2,152 x 1,536 resolution. That's not too far off the size of the 7.8-inch iPad Mini, with a better resolution (and crisper picture, according to Business Insider's side-by-side test) to boot. The massive screen is nifty, and a split-screen mode allows you to run up to three apps at a time.
The battery is quite good as well. The Galaxy Fold lasted a full two days in our battery test, which included a combination of web browsing, video, and gaming at less than half brightness.
Into the nitty gritty: The Fold has 12GB RAM, which is the same as Samsung's beastly Note 10 Plus, and better than just about any other smartphone on the market (the iPhone XS Max has 4GB). Devices with more RAM can smoothly run more apps at once, so it's extra-important in a phone for which multitasking is a calling card.
You're also getting a decent camera setup, combining a 16-megapixel ultra-wide-angle lens, a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens. For Samsung die-hards: Yes, that's the same setup as that of the Galaxy S10, so don't buy the Fold just for the camera.
We'll be updating this page with more information about buying the Galaxy Fold as it's available, so check back if you're interested.
