SAN FRANCISCO -- By unveiling the Galaxy S20 series and Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, Samsung has introduced some fresh technologies and features that could possibly be benchmarked by competitors.

The flagship Galaxy S20 series boasts the enhanced camera system among others.

The Galaxy S20 introduces an entirely new camera system -- powered by AI and with the biggest image sensor yet -- to bring out the best in every image and every moment. 

With larger image sensors available on the Galaxy S20 series, camera resolution is significantly increased for more detailed images with added flexibility for editing, cropping and zooming. The larger sensors are designed to take in more light, enabling users to get richer image quality even in low light situations.

The S20 and S20 Plus feature a 64-megapixel main camera, while the S20 Ultra sports a 108MP camera.

Among others, Samsung boasts the nona-binning technology for the first time, applied for the S20 Ultra version, which automatically adjusts the camera system to receive more light for better picture quality with tiny pixels in low-light conditions.

All of the Galaxy S20 and Z Flip phones feature “Single Take” mode.

The mode, powered by artificial intelligence algorithms, lets users capture multiple photo shots in different modes by taking a single shot at once. Users can capture more than five photos and video in different modes, such as live focus, cropped and ultra wide.

With the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung has introduced the new Hideaway Hinge system that allows phones to stay open at a range of angles like a laptop screen.

Backed by a dual CAM mechanism, the Hideaway Hinge is a work of engineering art that ensures every flip and fold is smooth and stable at the angle range between 70 and 180 degrees.

And to prevent dust or foreign substances from penetrating the hinge system, Samsung has used nylon fibers crafted by a micro-height-cutting technology.

Galaxy Z Flip is also the first foldable device featuring the Infinity Flex Display with Samsung’s proprietary bendable Ultra Thin Glass, making it more robust against external scratches. 

Although the glass material does still show a crease in the middle of the folding display, the flatness of the display has been improved by 30 percent compared to the predecessor Galaxy Fold that uses colorless polyimide film as the display cover layer.

The Galaxy Z Flip has newly introduced “Flex” mode in close partnership with Google.

It is a custom-built user experience for Galaxy Z Flip’s unique forward-folding form factor.

While the device is freestanding at a convenient angle for users, the display automatically splits into two 4-inch screens so users can easily view images, other content or videos on the top half of the display, and control them from the bottom half. Flex mode allows users to easily watch and navigate YouTube, for example, streaming a video clip on the top while searching for other videos, reading descriptions and writing comments in the bottom. 

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)

Korea Herald correspondent