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I bought and reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Fold a year ago, and found it to be an engineering marvel worth considering. I then spent a month with the Fold before giving it up largely due to the price of some of the compromises I had to make.
This morning I unpacked the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 and am in awe of the design and quality improvements made by Samsung.
Samsung is clearly a company that listens to customers and with the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 significant improvements have been made to this unique folding smartphone. It’s still priced at $ 2,000, so there’s a lot to consider before purchasing the new Z Fold 2 and with competition from the new Microsoft Surface Duo, business users are getting a couple of high-powered devices to help them perform their business. job.
Too: Samsung Galaxy Fold review: 2019’s most innovative phone approaches the Holy Grail of a device
The remaining details of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 were revealed earlier this week with pre-orders now available. Samsung sent me a Z Fold 2 this morning for a 14-day review period and the timing is perfect as my Surface Duo device arrives. in the end. Of the next week. Before that, I’ll explore all aspects of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, so if there’s anything you want me to try, leave a comment below.
Unpacking experience
As a professional engineer with machine design classes in my academic background, I am fascinated by Samsung’s engineering skills. There is no doubt that Samsung is a leader in mobile innovation, and the intricate details the company explores to create and refine its products are impressive.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes in a black box with colorful elements. Slip on the outer sleeve and a box inside is revealed. Open the two halves to reveal the Z Fold 2, the charger, and the USB cable. It would have been great to see the new Buds Live bundled with such an expensive phone, just as they did with the Galaxy Buds in the first generation Fold.
The Z Fold 2 test device is Mystic Bronze and while it’s not my personal color preference, it’s well done on the Z Fold 2 with the matte-finish hinge, edges, and glass in this color. This year no cases are included either.
Too: One month with the Samsung Galaxy Fold: productivity unfolded
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Specifications
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus
- Main screen: 7.6 inches, 2208 x 1768 pixel resolution (373 ppi), dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display, 22.5: 18 aspect ratio
- Cover screen: 6.2 inches, 720 1680 pixels resolution (399 ppi), Super AMOLED, 21: 9 aspect ratio
- Operating system: Android 10
- RAM: 12GB LPDDR5
- Storage: 256 GB internal storage, UFS 3.1
- Cameras: 12MP f / 2.4 rear telephoto lens, 12MP f / 1.8 wide angle camera and 12MP f / 2.2 ultra wide angle camera (123 degree field of view). 10MP f / 2.2 selfie camera on the main screen. 10MP f / 2.2 front camera on the lid.
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / ax (2.4 / 5GHz), Bluetooth 5.0, GPS / Galileo / GLONASS / Beidou, NFC, MST
- Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, Capacitive Fingerprint Sensor, Gyro Sensor, Geomagnetic Sensor, Hall Sensor, Proximity Sensor, RGB Light Sensor
- BatteryNon-removable 4,500 mAh with fast wireless charging. Two batteries make up this capacity. Wireless PowerShare is also available.
- Dimensions (folded): 68 x 159.2 x 16.8mm (hinge) –13.8mm (warp).
- Dimensions (unfolded): 128.2 x 159.2 x 6.9 mm (frame) –6.0 mm (screen)
- Weight: 282 grams
- Colors: Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze
- Custom Hinge Color Options: Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Metallic Red, and Metallic Blue
Samsung conducted market research and surveys after the launch of the Galaxy Fold last year. It found that 34% of Fold users were using two apps at the same time compared to just 4% using other typical smartphones. Fold users increased their video consumption by 71% compared to using their previous phones. This type of video consumption shows that people were using Fold in a similar way to tablet users. The game also increased by 35%.
Too: Sold the Fold: Samsung’s groundbreaking device has room for improvement
Hardware
The first thing you notice about the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the drastic change in the outer display. The Galaxy Fold had a 4.6-inch exterior display with huge bezels. In the Z Fold 2 we see a large 6.2-inch Super AMOLED screen with a resolution of 2260×816 pixels. While I found some use with the smaller outer display, with the Z Fold 2 users will have a very similar experience to a standard smartphone.
Opening the Galaxy Z Fold 2 reveals another significant improvement, the huge 7.6-inch main screen. The large sensor block and camera that sits on the top right of the Fold is now gone with a small 10 MP shooter now on the right panel. The bezels have been significantly reduced by xx% compared to the Galaxy Fold, giving the Z Fold 2 an ultra-modern look and feel.
Speaking of feel, the Z Fold 2 incorporates Samsung’s innovative Ultra Thin Glass material. The glass is installed under another layer and a protective cover so that the screen feels the same as last year’s Galaxy Fold.
As for the main display look, Samsung now has its 120Hz adaptive refresh rate display here for you to experience flawless screen performance.
Too: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: $ 1,999 for a device that has made progress, but not enough
software
Hardware upgrades are just what Samsung Fold users were looking for and the only other features I’d like to see in the future are some level of water resistance and S Pen compatibility. So with near-perfect hardware on the Z Fold 2, it’s up to the software to convince me that the Z Fold 2 is worth $ 2,000.
After using the Galaxy Fold and then a couple of LG devices with dual-screen displays, the LG V60 and LG Velvet, I have several expectations for dual-screen and folding devices. I occasionally used multiple apps on the Galaxy Fold at once, but felt that Samsung wasn’t maximizing the productivity aspects of the software. LG’s dual-screen experience is compelling with widescreen apps, one-screen keyboard, one-screen gamepad, and more. However, there are still plenty of opportunities to improve the dual-screen experience there as well.
Samsung announces Flex Mode with App Continuity for enhanced software experiences. It provides a multi-active window and one of the main functions that I will try with applications that help me get the job done.
Price and availability
Unlike most Samsung phones, there are very few options for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 with a single RAM and storage capacity model. There are two colors, Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze, priced at $ 1,999. Customers can choose the color of the hinges with four options available.
Original Galaxy Fold and Z Flip users can trade in their existing device worth up to $ 800. You can also save up to $ 650 on other devices. Samsung also has a Guaranteed Buyback program where you pay 50% in 20 payments and then get 50% once you return the device.
There is also a Thom Browne model available, as part of a larger package that includes a Galaxy Watch 3, Galaxy Buds Live, and custom accessories with Thom Browne design and colors. Prices and availability for this package will be announced shortly.
Initial use experiences
Last year I traveled eight hours round trip to buy the first Galaxy Fold, without having seen it. In fact, I’m sorry to get rid of that device because it was almost perfect for my life as a mobile tech reviewer and engineer, where it served as a capable smartphone and tablet in one device. It would be less expensive to buy a tablet like the Galaxy Tab S7 and a phone, but the engineering put into Samsung’s folding phones is hard to ignore.
I’m grateful to have the opportunity to test this year’s Z Fold 2 before launch, and after just one day, you may be hitting the pre-order button this week. I’ll be spending two weeks with the Z Fold 2, but so far it seems to be an amazing update to the Fold.
I have two weeks with the Z Fold 2, unless I make my own purchase decision. Feel free to interact with me here or at Twitter as I work to create a complete review of this unique and expensive phone.
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