Samsung Galaxy Fold, S10 and 5G phones unveiled at Unpacked event
Samsung has revealed its latest S10 smartphone in San Francisco
Here is a hands-on first look at the Galaxy S10, S10 Plus and S10E
The Korean giant has unveiled a folding phone, the Samsung Galaxy Fold
Samsung has launched a new 5G smartphone
Why Samsung's folding phone could be a blueprint of the future
Samsung has unveiled a highly-anticipated folding phone that doubles as a tablet, which the Korean company hailed as the biggest development in smartphones in a decade.
The Samsung Galaxy Fold, launched alongside four other smartphones on Wednesday evening, functions as a typical smartphone but can unfold like a wallet to create a 7.3-inch touchscreen.
The device, which will be released in April, will cost at least $1,980 (£1,516), making it by far the most expensive smartphone on the market.
When fully unfolded, the device will be able to simultaneously run three different apps on the screen. The Galaxy Fold will also boast six cameras: three in the back, two on the inside and one on the front.
After spending nearly five years developing the technology underlying its foldable-screen phone, Samsung is clearly hoping for a big payoff.
"Get ready for the dawn of a new era," declared DJ Koh, who oversees Samsung's smartphone division. The new phone, he said, "answers sceptics who said everything has already been done."
Samsung also unveiled the latest version of its flagship smartphone line, the Galaxy S10, releasing three models that cost between £669 and £1,099.
The phones - the cheaper S10E, the S10 and the S10+, echo the features in other recent models.
Each device in the S10 lineup boast fancy cameras, sleek screens covering the entire front of the devices and at least 128 gigabytes of storage.
The new phones are able take wider-angle shots than previous models and can charge other devices, including wireless headphones and smartwatches.
But those improvements aren't a big leap from the smartphones released during the past few years by Samsung, Apple and other top manufacturers.
The smartphone-maker also teased its largest phone yet, the S10 5G, which offers 6.7 inch display and promises to be the future of smartphone connectivity. The phone will be available later this year, when 5G networks, that offer faster mobile data connections, come online.
The company is hoping 5G support will give the edge over Apple, which is not expected to unveil a 5G phone until next year. All these devices are capable of wirelessly charging other Samsung phones and accessories.
That's all for tonight
That's it for another Unpacked. The Telegraph will have more reaction from San Francisco overnight and a full review of the S10 in the coming days.
One more thing...
Events like #Unpacked2019 are boring, but in its credit Samsung is bringing the pain here with this new device line up. It has got the jump on Huawei and Apple right now.
— Matt Field (@matthfield) February 20, 2019
Que sera, sera
The presentations are winding down, and Samsung has left us with their vision of the future in their latest commercial featuring the classic song made famous by Doris Day.
But there's more to come, keep up to date with the latest Samsung news here and follow @JamesTitcomb on the ground as he elbows everyone out of the way for a first look at the folding phone.
Samsung's 5G phone
The Galaxy S10 5G is being introduced with a fanfare - a 6.7 inch display that promises to be the future of smartphone connectivity.
This is the biggest screen on a Galaxy device. It comes with a 25-watt charger, so it will charge a lot faster. It has a 3D depth-sensing camera.
Verizon customers will be the first to receive the handsets.
New smartwatch with a full week's charge
Samsung's new Galaxy watch features a battery that lasts up to a week and can continually analyse your stages of sleep - this is a huge part of the company's push into healthcare.
They include heart monitors and "continuous stress tracking when life gets overwhelming".
Galaxy Buds with Bixby
Samsung has just launched wireless, Apple-style earbuds. Hot take from the Samsung stage: "They are so cool".
They feature a high efficiency chip set for which allows for 5 hours of calls on a single charge. They are also Bixby-enabled, so you can interact with them remotely and give them instructions (and why wouldn't you?). They will be available from March.
Incidentally, Bixby can now apparently tell the difference between the Queen's English and English from Queens (cue laughter from stage). Samsung's AI assistant also understand three different languages.
S10 price starts at £799 and will be available from March 8
The Samsung Galaxy S10 will start at £799, up to £999. The S10 Plus will start at £899 with a £1,099 version. The S10E will begin at £669.
You can find pre-order details on the Samsung Galaxy S10 here.
Samsung bets on Instagram feature with the S10
The S10 presentation featured Instagram chief executive Adam Mosseri, who presented an "Instagram mode" that will allow users to quickly post any photo onto the social media site.
Of course, there was a rather awkward selfie on stage with DJ Koh....
Tim Cook's spent the last year bashing Facebook so Instagram has helped develop an "Instagram mode" that's built into the S10
— James Titcomb (@jamestitcomb) February 20, 2019
Here is everything you need to know about the new S10
Matt Field has gone through all of the bells and whistles of the new phones here - here are the highlights and how they differ from the S9.
S10 specs
First photos of the Samsung S10
Here's the S10
The S10 introduction has come hot on the heels of the Samsung Galaxy Fold. But what does it bring to the table? Read Matthew Field's guide to the new devices to find out more.
Forget the £1,000 smartphone.
We've gone from $1,000 phones to $2,000 phones in 18 months
— James Titcomb (@jamestitcomb) February 20, 2019
"Samsung just announced the price of the fold - $1,980 and up - and the crowd here literally went 'ooooooooh'" like a pantomime," says James Titcomb.
The era for smartphone innovation is not over
Samsung chief executive DJ Koh said that the company will prove critics wrong with the lineup of products and services launched this evening. He said:
"The Galaxy Fold breaks new ground not just because it defines categories. It breaks new ground because it answers sceptics, who say that everything has been done, that the Smartphone is a mature category in a saturated market, we are here to prove them wrong"
"Today marks a new beginning, a shift.
"The next decade of progress and innovation. I am excited by what we have achieved, but I am even more excited by what we have enabled."
Samsung Galaxy Fold: Price and availability
The new device will cost $1,980 (£1,516) and will be available from April 26.
Six cameras, but kind of clunky
Here's the Galaxy Fold. My problem with this is it's just looks super clunky as a phone which is how you're going to use it 90% of the time pic.twitter.com/i4AqlcsX9I
— James Titcomb (@jamestitcomb) February 20, 2019
Galaxy Fold: the specs
The new Galaxy Fold has a 9nm processor and 12GB of RAM, making it one of the most powerful smartphones on the market (and ever). It has 512GB of on board memory. Because the phone folds up like a tablet from essentially two “smartphone” bodies, it has a dual battery, one in each side of the device that link together.
Samsung has claimed that the Galaxy Fold will fit in the palm of the hand when it's folded.
Galaxy Fold, revealed
It's here - within a couple of minutes of the launch, we've seen the first official photo of the foldable phone. The first official description is "It's gorgeous".
Samsung has called the new device part of a “whole new category” and confirmed the name: Samsung Galaxy Fold - with a 7.3-inch folding infinity display that folds the phone out into a tablet.
Samsung says it has invented a whole new hinge system with “multiple interlocking gears” that are hidden away.
And... here we go
It's kicked off in San Francisco, with some distinctly creepy music. It looks like they are starting with the folding phone...
Watch it live here
The expert's take
We've been stuck in a camera race, Peter Jarich of analyst firm GSMA Intelligence argues, as smartphone makers have struggled to stand out with a "series of black rectangles".
"If you're trying to convince people to buy, then foldable is the way to go, " he says. "This is all taking place at the same time as 5G. Will this have 5G? Doubtful."
Could Samsung launch the iPhone killer?
Samsung’s launch today could provide the smartphone market with a much-needed jolt this year. In January, Samsung was forced to issue a profit warning as sales fell 11pc and profits dropped dropped 29pc on the back of slowing phone and chip sales; just days after Apple chopped its sales forecast due to an economic slowdown.
So can the S10, a foldable phone or a 5G device turn the tide? One market analyst told us this evening that the smartphone market is so competitive that Samsung can’t afford not to try. “What if this were the next big thing and they missed out on it?”
Live from San Francisco
James Ticomb (@jamestitcomb) is up and running from the launch in San Francisco. First thoughts?
"Samsung has to pull off the trick of convincing us that the S10 matters and is worth buying, and that phones these days are so boring that you need one that folds in half."
I'm at Samsung's Galaxy event in SF, where they are about to announce WiFi pic.twitter.com/l2mTFVlleG
— James Titcomb (@jamestitcomb) February 20, 2019
A folding phone is on the cards
Rumours ahead of the launch included a foldable phone, nicknamed Samsung Galaxy X or Galaxy F (for fold), which was teased back in November. It would be a first for the technology company and could be a game-changer in the smartphone market.
But that’s not all. Several rivals are rumoured to be launching 5G smartphones at Mobile World Congress next month, which could prompt Samsung to release a rival product today.
Here’s what we know so far
Samsung's main new phone tonight is expected to be the Samsung Galaxy S10. It is due to feature some "very significant" design changes, according to Samsung's mobile chief executive DJ Koh. You can read all the rumours here - but we’re expecting more cameras, more memory and a larger display.
Welcome to our live blog
Hello to everyone from London and San Francisco, where we will cover the latest smartphone launch from Samsung this evening. Follow @jamestitcomb for live updates from the launch.