Updated: September 25, 2020 12:24:41 pm
First look at the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
Almost a year after the first Fold, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is here too. While the original Fold was slowly pushed to become the pinnacle of Android luxury, the Fold2 will want to do better, both in terms of acceptance and performance. After a few hours of playing around with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, here are five things that caught my eye. This is by no means a complete review and is a cursory first look at the best.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 Price in India: Rs 1,49,999
one. Best second screen: The Fold offers a second screen on the outside when the phone is folded. And for all practical purposes, this is the screen you’ll react to first, taking calls, framing images, and even doing a quick search. So the best new thing about the Fold2 is this cover screen, which is now much larger than before. At 6.23 inches, it’s as tall as the biggest smartphones, but not quite as wide. The Fold had a 4.6-inch screen that now feels woefully inadequate compared to the new one. Unsurprisingly, the new Super AMOLED display is sharp and bright and performs well in bright sunshine too. The front camera here is also a hole punched in the screen.
At 6.23 inches, it’s as tall as the biggest smartphones, but not quite as wide. (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
two. Better folding: The fold of the Fold2 itself feels better and smoother. Samsung had some initial hiccups with the Fold and while they were fixed, it was clear that this was a new form factor to deal with. The Fold2 looks like a more mature design. The hinge is smoother and the folding mechanism appears much more robust. However, you still need to apply a little pressure to open the crease and that’s a bit difficult with one hand.
The fold of the Fold2 itself feels better and smoother. (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
3. Best Design: The design feels more metallic and premium. The entire body now has an anodized finish which is quite good and again gives the feel of a phone that is designed to last. Plus, such robust quality just legitimizes this new form factor. The camera bump is also more similar to the S20 series and thus blends in with the rest of Samsung’s flagships, again adding to the premium look and feel.
The design feels more metallic and premium. (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
Four. Better cameras: The first Fold had a cutout in the larger screen to hold the front camera. The Fold2 uses a hole-punch camera on the screen. Now, take a step back and understand what this means. It has a perforated camera on a screen that folds up. This is a testament to the versatility of ultra-thin glass, as well as the confidence Samsung now has with the foldable form factor. The triple camera setup is different too and has bumps like the Galaxy Note 20. It’s also as good as the Note 20 and one of the best you’ll find on an Android phone.
The triple camera setup of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 has bumps like the Galaxy Note 20. (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
5. Better usability: With the original Fold, the user interface was surprisingly smooth and there was no learning involved. I have a feeling that there are a few tweaks that have made the Fold2 easier to use. For example, while using the rear cameras with the phone unfolded, you can have the photos you’ve taken appear on the side for a preview. I really loved this feature. Also, the carryover from the cover screen to the larger one on the inside is very smooth and seamless, especially when you decide to watch a video on the larger screen.
Samsung brings a few tweaks that have made the Fold2 easier to use. (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
Things to keep in mind with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2
Well the Fold2 is better for sure. But that doesn’t mean that the crease of the folded display is gone. You do notice that when the screen is dark and you have light falling on it from certain angles.
The crease of the folded screen still remains. (Express photo: Nandagopal Rajan)
The Fold is a bit heavier than before. But thanks to the excellent grip that the folded Fold2 offers, you shouldn’t have any trouble managing the phone.
No, you can’t remove the plastic cover from the inner screen, and sometimes you notice it’s there.
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