Galaxy Fold: Pictures, price, release date – and why Samsung says its new bendy phone is the future

Samsung has unveiled a foldable smartphone, named the Galaxy Fold.

The phone maker showed off the device to the tune of Pure Imagination from Charlie and The Chocolate Factory at its Unpacked event in San Francisco.

"The size of our screens are still limited by the size of our devices. Until now," said Samsung Senior Vice President of product marketing Justin Denison. "When the device opens up, your world does too."

The South Korean electronics giant first teased the innovative device in November, during an event that largely took place in the dark.

Despite several images of the foldable phone leaking in recent days, the Galaxy Fold has remained shrouded in secrecy ever since.

The Galaxy Fold features a total of six cameras: Two on the front, one on the back and three on the inside.

"It's a smartphone, a tablet, and a camera that fits in your pocket," Mr Denison said.

Samsung Electronics CEO DJ Koh added: "Occasionally, a new device is introduced that overturns expectations and sets this industry on a new path.

"[The Galaxy Fold] breaks new ground because it answers skeptics who say everything possible has been done, that the era of smartphone innovation is over, and that the smartphone is a mature category in a saturated market."

Samsung is not the only phone maker to have developed a folding smartphone, with Huawei and Xiaomi among the major manufacturers to hint at similar devices.

Chinese startup Royole has already unveiled its own version of the foldable technology with its FlexPai smartphone.

The prce of the Galaxy Fold will start at $1,980 (€2,000 in Europe) and the release date will be on 26 April in the US and 3 May in the UK.