Samsung Galaxy S20 & Z Flip Announced
Last night, Samsung announced their new smartphone range for 2020. I missed it because I was out not drinking beer last night with a friend. So this morning, I’m catching up with the news via the Verge’s ‘everything in 6 minutes’ video.
First up, the presenter cooly and crisply announces that Samsung are not just changing the future. Because that’s so 2010s. They’re changing the shape of the future.
While I’m wondering if the future can even have a shape, let alone have that shape changed, and what shape would the future have been if Samsung hadn’t changed it… she continues. There’s a flip phone, but with a foldable screen. That must be the Z Flip.
Z Flip
She reveals a “full size 6.7 inch screen with hardly any bevel”. And that foldable screen will open and close up to 200,000 times… before it goes to shit (I added the last bit). Well, I just think it’s a bit awkward isn’t it? “Here’s our shiny new high tech future shape changing phone” and then put a limit on how long it will last.
Especially as none of us count how many times we take our phone out and use it before we get a new phone. At least we know what the shape of the future will be… the shape of a buckled Samsung screen. But the presumption is 200,000 times will more than enough, I guess.
The phone costs $1380 she announces. That’s $0.0069 per fold, folks.
Galaxy S20, S20+ & S20 Ultra
We have a new presenter who announces the Samsung S20, S20+ & S20 Ultra. And now we have the moment we’ve all been waiting for: 8K video. The 8K video capability will allow you to shoot a clip of video and then scroll through it to select the best still frame. The Idea is that you can turn these 8K video frames into high resolution photos.
Choose the perfect moment and with a click you will get a 33 megapixel photo.
Pro Mode is back
Pro mode for video will return for the new Samsung Galaxy range. This means you can now get manual control over video shooting with the native app (something Samsung removed from previous models).
Enhanced Super Stead mode
Samsung say they have improved the inbuilt stabilisation (Super Steady mode) to give us ever smoother videos. This is done with a combination of AI and an anti-rolling stabiliser.
Huge Memory
Adding a microSD card can increase the memory of the Galaxy S20 range up to 1.5TBs. This is great for smartphone filmmakers. But if you’re intending on shooting 8K I guess that new memory space will get eaten up just as quick as before.
108 Megapixel Camera
The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra has a 108 Megapixel camera. To aid low light photography, the Samsung software will merge 9 pixels into one.
100 X Zoom
The S20 Ultra’s camera module incorporates a periscope (that’s why it’s thicker). When light enters the tele lens, it’s refracted at an angle producing a powerful zoom effect.
Whatever shape the future is, it’s definitely folded.
The periscope allows a physical zoom of 10 X. However, when combined with digital zoom it can magnify up to 100 X.
Price Reductions on S10 range
Great news for those unable to stretch to these new Galaxy phones. Samsung are reducing the prices of their S10 range.
What are your thoughts?
Will you be getting one of these new Samsungs to shoot 8K video? Let us know in the comments.
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