Samsung Reveals Upcoming Foldable Phone During Academy Awards

In an Academy Awards TV advertisement that hinted at the features of the new device, Samsung unveiled its new foldable phone. The new device, which is rumored to be called the Galaxy Z Flip, seems to open upwards instead of outwards like the Galaxy Fold, CNBC reported.

The phone also appears to have a display on its exterior that shows the identity of callers and could possibly let them answer the call while the phone is closed. The commercial showed the phone in black and purple colors.

The tech company will hold its yearly “Unpacked” event on Feb. 11, where it typically unveils its new signature smartphone devices. The news outlet said it is likely that additional details on the firm’s second foldable device will be released at that time.

In other news, a myriad of videos, screenshots and images of Samsung’s Galaxy Home Mini have made its way to the internet, according to The Verge. Samsung had reportedly noted in the past that the device would be released on Feb. 12, which is one day after the rollout of the Galaxy S20.

The leaked information specifically highlights the speaker’s IR blaster functionality, which can be used to control televisions, fans and set-top boxes from as far away as 40 feet. The leak also sheds some light on possible limitations. The speaker seems to be powered by micro USB instead of USB-C and doesn’t possess a 3.5-mm line-out port, for example. However, it seems the Galaxy Home Mini will support features that one may expect from smart speakers, including alarm setting and news reports.

In January, it was reported that a day after its rivals in Cupertino registered record-high revenue and earnings results, the team at Samsung had something less of a victory march when it reported its earnings for Q4. The company saw its fourth-quarter operating profit decrease by 34 percent to 7.16 trillion won ($6 billion). Overall revenue was up 1 percent to 59.88 trillion won ($50.6 billion).