With the Galaxy Fold, Samsung delivered a device that especially showed the potential of a folding phone. However, the promise was not fulfilled for more than 2,000 euros. Does the successor Galaxy Z Fold 2 do that?
To get straight to the point: the Fold 2 is the best folding phone you can buy at the moment. Many negatives that were in the first Galaxy Fold have been resolved. Especially in the field of hardware much has improved. And yet this Fold 2 is not yet a phone that is recommended to everyone.
There are again two screens, a smaller screen on the outside and a larger, tablet-like screen on the inside. Both displays have improved. First, the smaller screen has been stretched to 6.2 inches. The previous model had a not very useful 4.6 inch screen with large screen edges at the top and bottom. The change makes the Fold 2 look less like a prototype than the first.
With the larger screen at the front, the device can be used as a ‘normal’ smartphone this time without opening it, although the ratio of 25 to 9 is very narrow. The advantage is that you operate the phone more easily with one hand, the disadvantage is that typing with two thumbs still feels too delicate.
If you unfold the phone, the 7.6-inch tablet screen will appear. There is no notch for the camera this time. It has now been placed in a hole in the screen, just like on the outside. The edges are also thinner. In terms of finish, Samsung has also made real steps on the inside compared to the first Fold. The fold in the middle is unfortunately still visible and tangible.
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A stronger hinge
This tablet mode is still a bit awkward in terms of ratio. Just like the first Fold, its successor also offers an almost square screen. As a result, you gain little space when you watch videos in full screen, for example, because of black bars above and below the image. Many apps have also not yet been modified, which makes them look bloated. Fortunately, some apps, such as Slack, can use the tablet version of the app.
Where does the screen excel? For example when multitasking. Putting apps side by side is useful. For example, you can watch a presentation on one half of the screen, while you talk to colleagues about it via a chat program on the other half. In addition, the image has a refresh rate of 120 frames per second, which makes scrolling through apps and playing games look smoother.
Samsung has further improved the hinge in the device. It is stronger, so that the phone can also remain half open like a laptop. There are a number of useful things to do with this in the software. For example, you can put it away to watch YouTube on the top half of the folding screen, while you read the comments below, for example. You can also put the phone away to make a time lapse, while you see the controls on the bottom half. These additions make the folding function a bit more versatile.
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Battery and cameras
Also, do not be afraid that the battery will drain quickly. The phone is equipped with a total of 4,500 mAh of battery. With normal use you can use it for a day without any problems.
The phone has five lenses, two of which are selfie cameras in the screens, for video calling, for example. In addition, he has three on the back. These are a standard, wide angle and zoom lens. The options are slightly less than the cameras from Samsung’s Galaxy S20 released earlier this year. For example, functions such as a hundred times zoom and the option to film in 8K resolution are missing. The Galaxy Fold 2 can zoom and film up to 10 times in 1140p, which is more than enough for most people. There is little else to criticize about the quality of the photos.
Specifications Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
- Front screen: 6.2 inches (2,260 by 816 pixels)
- Screen inside: 7.6 inches (2,208 by 1,768 pixels)
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+
- Working memory: 12GB
- Storage: 256GB
- Rear cameras: 12MP standard, 12MP wide angle and 12MP zoom
- Front camera: 10MP
- Camera inside: 10MP
- Battery: 4,500 mAh
- Weight: 282 grams
- 5G support: Yes
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Conclusion
Samsung has released the best folding phone so far with the Galaxy Fold 2. The device feels robust, in terms of specifications it is a top device and the larger screens make the Fold 2 much more usable than its predecessor.
Still, for 2,000 euros (20 euros cheaper than the first Fold) you do not yet buy the fully developed folding phone that you might expect. The screen in collapsed mode is still too narrow to work well and not all apps are ready for the larger square screen yet. The screen is also not completely folded flat, which makes the device thicker, and the fold can still be felt. In that regard, there is still room for improvement and the Fold 2 remains a phone ahead early adopters with a large wallet.
3.5 out of 5 stars.
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