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Galaxy Fold video on YouTube shows a pronounced screen crease

If legit, this YouTube video of the Galaxy Fold is our first true glimpse of Samsung's foldable phone.

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2 min read

In February Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold, its first foldable phone. It was exciting, but the Fold was only put on display -- and not in anyone's hands. A video on YouTube tech vlog phoneoftime uploaded Tuesday appears to show the foldable device in the hands of a real live person, demonstrating how it transforms from tablet to phone and back again. 

One thing you'll notice, other than the background audio of what sounds like a daytime soap opera ("You knew. You knew and you never said anything!") is a visible crease running down the middle of the device when it's in tablet mode. The crease is quickly becoming a flashpoint for foldable phone design. Critics point to the crease in plastic (polymer) screens used on foldable phone as a weakness that looks unattractive and could disrupt a seamless experience when playing games or using apps in the full-screen (unfolded) mode. A crease also suggests to detractors future wear and tear on the screen. 

The video also provides a glimpse of gesture controls using Samsung's One UI interface, and a large notched area that houses some of the Galaxy Fold's cameras. You might notice, too, that the Fold's bezels look particularly wide when it's closed in phone mode. You can hear the two sides click into place when it snaps shut, suggesting a magnetized closure mechanism.

This YouTube clip shows the Galaxy Fold's 4.6-inch external display. Unfolded into tablet mode, that turns into a 7.3-inch screen. The Fold sports no fewer than six cameras, two batteries and a hefty price tag of $1,980 (roughly £1,500 or AU$2,800). It's set to be released in the US on April 26.

CNET did not independently verify the authenticity of the video, which leads viewers through the boot-up process on AT&T's network, and flips the phone over to show a bar code sticker on the back.

Close up with the Galaxy Fold's original screen, notch and hinge

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The Galaxy Fold will come in Cosmo Black, Space Silver, Astro Blue and Martian Green colors. This model will be joined later in the year by a 5G version, which presumably will be more expensive.

Samsung, though the first major player to officially announce a foldable phone (it was preceded last December by the Royole FlexPai), isn't the only brand with skin in the game. It's got heavy competition from the likes the Huawei's Mate X and TCL's DragonHinge. Motorola, too, is rumored to launch a foldable Motorola Razr.

Samsung did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Read more about the Galaxy Fold here.

Published March 19 at 5:25 p.m. PT
Update, March 20: Added more detail.