Since the announcement of its arrival on the market, the foldable smartphone knows its enthusiasts and detractors. Those who expect it praise the technology that had to be used to obtain a foldable screen. The others expect an announced fragility of this same technology. Whether one is for or against it, it does not matter.
What is certain is that the Samsung Galaxy Fold is causing a lot of ink to flow, even before its real release date, because the device is long overdue. This phone of a new kind was, for the moment, available only in Korea since the beginning of the month. Beating Huawei to the post, Samsung can claim to have brought the first foldable screen smartphone to market. A world first, then.
Galaxy Fold: A Unique Look
To those who are afraid that the screen is fragile, Samsung opposes the fact that the Galaxy Fold, by unfolding and closing, ” self-protects. ” The phone brand has spent more than 10 years refining its phone, improving the resistance of the folding screen and its closure with each prototype. The user, therefore, does not have to fear damaging it, even outside of conventional use.
For this, Samsung has concentrated much effort on the hinge that allows the folding smartphone to be opened. Samsung estimates that its folding phone can thus be opened more than 200,000 times. Dust, the enemy of this type of device, can also not enter any gap. Fortunately, Samsung has thought further about design by displaying a 7.3-inch screen. To protect the latter, Samsung has equipped its phone with a screen protector that cannot be removed; for the durability of the device.
As it previously offered a removable protector, Samsung has learned from its mistakes. Those who tried to remove it still blame themselves: The smartphone no longer worked. At the level of the control buttons, the lock but also ringtone volume are easily accessible above the fingerprint sensor. This is located at the bottom of the phone, whether open or closed. This sensor acts as a button to use Samsung’s assistant instantly.
A USB port and one of the 2 loudspeakers complete the lower part of the device. However, we can regret not finding a headphone jack on the Galaxy Fold. Concretely, does the look of the Galaxy Fold appeal? It attracts, of course, to its inventiveness and technology. As for the colors initially announced, they would only be 2 instead of 4, which limits the buyer. It is also difficult to ignore its flaws.
Unlike current smartphones, thin and light, which you slip into your back pocket, you can blame it for a thickness that can put off ( 1.7 centimeters ) and 276 grams on the scale. The technology makes it take 100 g compared to the brand’s previous model. Its screen is either foldable, which gives it a massive, unattractive appearance.
The Foldable Screen Itself
We should probably say “the screens” because the Fold has two. The first, when the phone is closed, is the first AMOLED screen with a size of 4.6 inches, with a very marked outline, which is a downside. Smartphones have increasingly accustomed us to very thin profiles, even almost non-existent. If we want to talk about its strengths, we can boast of its brightness and the fact that it allows you to browse Android without opening the device and making calls.
As for the foldable screen, we can only marvel at the technology deployed: Ultra thin screen, unfolding thanks to composite polymer, the 7.3-inch screen allowing, thanks to HDR10+, to watch films and other videos. A crease can be seen when looking at the device from the side but less from the front. Will this defect, slightly perceptible, increase over time? Samsung says no, but we can’t say for certain.
The hinge on the back becomes completely invisible once the product has switched to tablet mode. It is impossible to fold the device outwards to preserve its integrity. On the other hand, and this is a shame, the screen must be constantly cleaned because fingerprints persist on the support. Excellent contrast and readability, even in bright outdoor light; it is also Samsung’s promise. Between strengths and weaknesses, this foldable screen leaves, in any case, not indifferent.
Galaxy Fold Features
As we said, using this smartphone in folded mode is possible to take calls and play games ( Unity game engine ). But as you might expect: Why buy a bigger folding screen phone if you don’t use it? Especially since whatever you display on the small screen will be displayed in real-time when you deploy the smartphone in tablet mode. In any case, everything that is preinstalled allows it. The rest will be up to the developers.
The advantage of the large screen is that it is possible to display two applications simultaneously, or even three, with a simple swipe of the finger and to make them move at your convenience. To do this, applications are reduced by 25%. This is probably also due to the tablet’s specific format, which is 4:3. For the user who would like to work with his Galaxy Fold, this makes it a very good, efficient, and functional tool. There is no latency, and the data is truly readable.
Question power, with the Galaxy Fold, you will not be disappointed. With a 7nm Octa-core processor, 512 GB of internal storage, and 12 GB of RAM: games and videos find their place with very pleasant responsiveness. The best modern technology has been condensed into this latest smartphone by Samsung, to the delight of lovers of high-tech products.
Photos And Autonomy
Like the Galaxy S10, the Fold is equipped with 6 cameras, three of which are on the back of the device. Photo enthusiasts will be in for a treat with a main sensor, a telephoto lens, and an ultra-wide angle. Regarding image sharpness, we are talking about a minimum of 8 million pixels for the rear camera to reach 16 million pixels.
The rendering of images is striking, and you have a truly precise vision of your final result. To take selfies, no need to unfold your smartphone. The camera on the front will be more than enough. But you can, of course, use others by deploying the screen. The 4.3 format, which can be a problem for certain applications, then takes on its full meaning for photographs. The storage keeps plenty of vacation photos and videos in this phone, making it a plural device, if necessary, for personal and professional life.
Two batteries punctuate this device for a capacity of 4380 mAh. Depending on the phone brand, we can expect a battery life of 12 hours, but the experience will allow us to verify this. Does the unfolded screen affect unloading? That remains to be seen again, but it may be so. Strong point: recharging all devices with wireless induction charging may interest the buyer.
Bonuses
We can also highlight the presentation care of Samsung, which delivers the device in an eco-responsible and pretty box where you will find the cable and the charging block of the phone. A Kevlar case offered by Samsung protects your new smartphone. Yes, the Samsung Galaxy Fold is expensive, but it should be noted that the buyer will also have one-year insurance, completely free on his device.
A strong point is knowing the purchase price of the device. The clumsy no longer have to hesitate; they will be covered for accidents and water damage. And where the bonus is, you will find in addition to your foldable smartphone Galaxy Buds wireless headphones. FYI bought them alone; these headphones cost almost 135 euros. Want even more? YouTube Premium is included for one year.
Release Date And Sale Price
We were expecting it for May 3 in Europe, and we had to wait until yesterday ( September 18 ) to be able to buy it in France. The price is unchanged following Samsung’s announcements, and it will therefore be necessary to pay around 2000 € to own the emblematic foldable smartphone. The price could still change between the model with 5G, but we do not know if it will be possible to benefit from this technology in France.
8-core processor, 512 GB of storage, and 12 GB of RAM | 5G connection | Qualcomm APQ8084 Snapdragon 855 graphics processor | Android Operating System | Designed with an ultra-light case | 7.3-inch AMOLED foldable screen and 2152 x 1536 px resolution | Dual 4380 mAh Lithium-ion Battery | Inductive charging | Fingerprint reader | Android 9.0 Pie Samsung Galaxy Fold, the balance sheet Of course, we have seen its flaws, and the Fold can be improved.
But here we are, witnessing a major advance in the smartphone world which tends to become static. The onboard technology is quite impressive and suggests efficient use of your phone. Better, it does more than help you make calls. Its tablet mode opens up endless work or plays possibilities, depending on the moment. A hybrid device in full mutation. If its purchase price makes it inaccessible for the moment, for some of us, its democratization, within about 5 years, will make it more affordable.
