Samsung revealed its new folding smartphone, called the Z Flip, with an advert broadcast during the Academy Awards on Sunday.

The phone was expected to be revealed at Samsung's Unpacked launch event in San Francisco on February 11. But following a string of leaks and rumors, Samsung chose to get ahead of the story and debut the phone during a TV ad.

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Although not revealing much about the phone's specifications, the handset is clearly shown throughout the ad. This is a smartphone with a folding display, but which opens and closes like a clamshell flip phone, instead of like Samsung's first attempt at a folding handset, the ill-fated Galaxy Fold.

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Called the Galaxy Z Flip, the new phone shares its form factor with the recently revived Motorola Razr, but with a smaller, simpler external display which we think will mean a lower price than the $1,500 Razr.

As Samsung discovered last year with the postponed launch of the Galaxy Fold, folding phones with their complex hinges and flexible, plastic screens are inherently fragile.

They also feature a crease in the middle of the screen where it folds open and closed. To warn potential buyers about this, small print on the Galaxy Z Flip advert stated: "You may notice a crease at the center of the main screen, which is a natural characteristic of the screen."

The advert also shows the phone is available in at least colours, black and purple, and how the small external display is full color and used to show notifications like incoming calls. It also looks like the small screen is touch-sensitive, as it shows sliders for accepting or declining an incoming all - although we imagine opening the phone will answer the call too.

The phone is also shown in a half-open position, and how it can be sat down and used as a hands-free camera for selfies or video calls.

As for the main launch event, Samsung Unpacked 2020 takes place tomorrow, February 11 and is expected to feature the Z Flip, plus an entire family of Galaxy S20 smartphones. The event kicks off at 11am PST and will be live streamed on

Samsung's website

.

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