Business Info - issue 139

01732 759725 magazine 15 Continued... SMARTPHONES Samsung has expanded what it is possible to do with a smartphone and created a whole new category of mobile device, with the eagerly awaited introduction of the Galaxy Fold. Featuring the world’s first 7.3-inch Infinity Flex Display folded into a compact device with a 4.6-inch cover display, the Galaxy Fold gives users the best of both worlds – a compact device that unfolds to reveal Samsung’s largest ever smartphone display. In its folded state, the phone can be slipped out of one’s pocket to make and take calls and text messages using just one hand. Or, it can be opened to provide a larger screen area for higher quality viewing or work with multiple apps. DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics, says the foldable display gives users a powerful new way to multi-task, play games and view presentations, digital magazines, movies and AR content. He said: “Today, Samsung is writing the next chapter in mobile innovation history by changing what’s possible in a smartphone. Galaxy Fold introduces a completely new category that unlocks new capabilities never seen before with our Infinity Flex Display.We created Galaxy Fold for those who want to experience what a premium foldable Joining the fold device can do, beyond the limitations of a traditional smartphone.” Eight years of innovation Galaxy Fold is the result of eight years’ innovation in material, engineering and display technologies since Samsung revealed its first flexible display prototype in 2011. These include: n New display materials: to create an internal screen that can be folded, not merely bent, Samsung developed a tough, flexible polymer layer and made the display around 50% thinner than that of a typical smartphone; n A new hinge: Galaxy Fold opens smoothly and naturally, like a book, and closes flat and compact with a satisfying click, thanks to a newly designed hinge with multiple interlocking gears hidden within an elegant enclosure; and n New design elements: Samsung rethought every element of the Galaxy Fold, from the fingerprint scanner, which is now on the side where one’s thumb naturally rests, to the even distribution of components and batteries so that the phone feels balanced in one’s hand. Multi-tasking made easy In addition, Samsung has created a user experience (UX) exclusively for Galaxy Fold – and worked with Google and the Android developer community to ensure there are apps and services that support it. Highlights include the ability to open and work on three active apps simultaneously, so that you can make a video call, say, while working on something else, and the ability to make seamless transitions between the device’s two displays. As you open and close the Galaxy Fold, apps will automatically show up where you left off.When you’re ready to take a photo, make edits, or take a closer look at your feed, just open the display for a bigger canvas to work on. In order to support the intensive use envisaged for Galaxy Fold, Samsung has incorporated high performance hardware for work and entertainment, including a next-generation AP chipset and 12GB of RAM; a Dynamic AMOLED display and AKG stereo speakers; and a six-lens camera system (three in the back, two on the inside and one on the cover). Other notable features include the ability to charge a Galaxy Fold and a second Qi-compatible device simultaneously, viaWireless PowerShare, when connected to a regular charger; and support for existing productivity solutions like Samsung DeX for a PC-like experience, the Bixby personal assistant, Samsung Pay, Samsung Health and Samsung Knox for data security. www.samsung.com/uk Samsung creates new category of device with launch of the Galaxy Fold Evolution before the revolution Foldable displays are not the only development in smartphones. Here, Futuresource Consulting highlights key trends for 2019 and beyond Despite the increasing homogeneity of smartphones, flagship vendors continue to differentiate themselves through clever engineering of cameras, screens and AI. Smartphone cameras now have various methods for capturing and editing high quality photographs in daylight and at night time. At the hardware end of this competitive landscape are Samsung’s 2018 handsets, which rely on dual aperture hardware more commonly found in high-end DSLRs: in low light, the aperture widens to capture as much light as possible; and in direct sunlight it narrows. Optical image stabilisation and the ability to alter the bokeh give the consumer more control over their photos at a hardware level. The Apple iPhone XS is more of a software-oriented camera. A dual lens arrangement and large sensors are still necessary, but the magic happens in its Neural Engine and faster HDR sensors, which capture two pictures within one-thirtieth of a second and stitch them together almost instantaneously. This raw material is passed to the Neural Engine, which analyses the frames to balance the exposure and stabilise discrete elements of the image, such as 3D facial features. Post-photo, the consumer has retrospective professional-level control over bokeh and depth effects. One final noteworthy handset is the Google Pixel 3. Unlike other flagship smartphones, the Pixel relies exclusively on Samsung : Galaxy Fold ISSUE 139