Samsung recently unveiled the second iteration of its first foldable device called the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Details about the new device remain sparse. The company announces that it will release more information on September 1, including the price and pre-order details of the Z Fold 2 Original Galaxy Fold remains an intriguing phone that you can actually buy right now (get the Galaxy Fold for $ 1,980 at Best Buy). I bought one last year and spent the day reporting on everything from the folding hinge to the display. The judgment? I liked the Galaxy Fold more than I thought. I unpacked it the morning after waiting in line at Samsung's London store since 5:30 am the day it was released. After spending the day playing around with its jazzy hinge design, I noticed a couple of things on the phone. Read on for last year's report on 24 hours spent on Samsung's first leaflet.
First, there is no noticeable protective layer that you could possibly mistakenly peel off. This was one of the Main flaws in the first design of the phone;; A film was placed over the display that looked exactly like one of those layers that you love to peel off when you get a new phone. It was actually a crucial part of the design, and some journalists did early review samples of the fold peeled it off which ruined the display.
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The lack of a visible movie in the updated version means that Day 1 is less likely to ruin your expensive phone. Samsung has also sealed the edge of the display more securely with plastic caps where the two places it folds, hopefully this will stop dust particles getting under the surface (another pain point from the first round).
The original design had a gap between the hinge where the Galaxy Fold folds and the two arms of the screens. This is now reduced. In addition, there is no additional metal plate to be seen under the display to reinforce the fragile plastic screen. However, Samsung assures us that it is there.
However, beyond these design changes, the phone remains unchanged. The hinge feels smooth and the phone closes satisfactorily like the snappy cases you get with your glasses.
Galaxy Fold Redesign: This is how Samsung repaired its foldable phone
But what about the crease in the display? Well it is there and there is no escape. Capture the reflections from ceiling lights the right way and you can easily see ripples on the surface instead of the smooth glass surface you see on every other smartphone.
It can be a bit off-putting at times. I've found that most of the time when you're watching a dark video, it's a problem, which makes overhead light reflections - and therefore the crease - more noticeable. But it's only the reflections that get you noticed; The display itself doesn't warp, and it doesn't change color or brightness when it folds.
If you're watching a bright video or if you're in a dark room with no reflections from the ambient light, you won't notice it. I certainly didn't do that while watching several Carfection YouTube videos in our dimly lit studio. The same was true of an episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix. I honestly couldn't see a crease and instead enjoyed the content on a giant screen.
There's a notch in the top left corner of course (assuming you keep it in landscape and portrait in the top right corner). I'm pretty used to nicks and clippings from recent times now iPhones and the Galaxy S10 PlusSo that really wasn't a problem for me and didn't affect my ad. If you don't like notches on other phones, you probably won't love it here either. At least there is much Screen that the notch takes up relatively less space than other devices.
Later that day, I was navigating London's labyrinthine Soho neighborhood trying to find an office for a meeting. In the taxi on the way there it was great to see google maps on that huge screen. On the street, however, I didn't want to carry a massive - and expensive - device so openly, so I closed it and used the 4.6-inch outdoor display.
For me this display is just a little too small. It's okay to see incoming calls, change music in Spotify or use it as a camera viewfinder instead of looking like a sucker taking pictures on a tablet. But its small size means you need to have accurate fingers to tap it. Sending a quick reply to an email or WhatsApp message is tricky, especially if you are walking around. However, often it is not convenient to open the phone to full tablet mode either.
It's frustrating as that outer screen looks compressed. I would have loved to see it pushed further to the edge and given enough space to use it as a standalone device. For now, it's best viewed as a stopgap until you find a moment to turn it into real tablet mode.
It was my first day with the phone, so I'll reserve the right to judge processor performance, camera quality, and battery life until we could run a lot more tests. Read more about the phone's performance in our detailed Galaxy Fold test. And here is ours Review of the original design of the Galaxy FoldYou can find out a lot more about what it's like to use a foldable phone on our sister site Tech Republic.