Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Review: The Best Foldable Money Can Buy

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 was the phone I was the most looking forward to this year. And it's because we knew how much the visitor had inverse this device, compared to the original Galaxy Fold. We had also seen the changes evident in the Galaxy Z Flip (and Flip 5G), and so it was but a matter of time until the Galaxy Z Fold 2 came out.

And boy, when Samsung debuted the Galaxy Z Fold 2 earlier this month, information technology sure had a lot of changes. In fact, it feels like a totally different device. Non like a true successor to the Galaxy Fold smartphone it launched last year. Which I wrote virtually last week.

Now that I've had time to use the Galaxy Z Fold 2 for a solid calendar week, it's time that I can put my thoughts into a review for the device. So let's get started. We'll offset with those displays.

Those displays are greatly improved

Perhaps the near important aspect of any folding telephone is the display. And the Milky way Z Fold 2 has two displays on-board, both of which are greatly improved from its predecessor.

The front end display is now nearly bezel-less. So while it is still very tall, you tin can actually use it. On the original Milky way Fold, the 4.6-inch brandish on the front end was laughable, and pretty much impossible to utilize. I constitute myself using the Cover Brandish a lot on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, and and so opening it to the larger screen when I needed more space.

That larger internal display is likewise much improved. The bezels are thinner, the huge notch on the right-paw side is likewise gone. It is as well an Infinity-O display like the front brandish. This is a FHD+ 120Hz display in here. And so information technology's not the most high-resolution display, but it'll get the job done. And that's what we need.

This display now uses Samsung's Ultra Thin Drinking glass or UTG, which we first saw introduced on the Milky way Z Flip before this twelvemonth. It makes the screen experience more natural when y'all're interacting with it. But it does still take a layer of plastic. Which is likely why the S Pen is non supported on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 – fifty-fifty though it would be great to have it on this larger brandish.

There is actually only one complaint that I have when it comes to the displays here. And that's the fact that neither of them actually accept a good aspect ratio. The front brandish is super tall. And then the internal display is almost a square. Which makes watching YouTube on it pretty tough. As you take huge black bars above and beneath the video. It's a bit better with multi-tasking, simply it's still not quite wide plenty to use two apps side-by-side, without one existence almost unusable, because it's and then narrow.

I'thou holding out hope that the side by side model will be a chip wider when closer, which should requite u.s.a. a better aspect ratio on both displays. Only nosotros likewise accept to remember that this is an early adopters telephone, and not your typical Galaxy Note 20 device.

A premium blueprint

Let's non get things twisted here. The Galaxy Z Fold ii is still a very early product, in a make new product category. Then that the design is non perfect, only it is premium. For instance, the telephone doesn't fold completely flat, so in that location is a bit of a gap almost the hinge. But it feels miles ahead of the original Galaxy Fold, and that'due south saying something.

Samsung used pretty much the aforementioned design language hither as information technology did on the Galaxy Notation xx series. Giving it a glass back, with the same Mystic Statuary color and the same manner camera housing. It feels amazing in the hand. And the swivel is as well a lot more sturdy now. It doesn't crunch like the original Galaxy Fold does. Of grade, part of this is due to the Flex Way that is included in the Galaxy Z Fold ii. And that allows you to open it up halfway, instead of all the way.

Bombardment life was actually amazing

The battery life on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 was actually a lot more than impressive than I was expecting information technology to be. With the same apps installed, it performed better than the Milky way Note 20 Ultra did. With the aforementioned sized battery. Not to mention the fact that the Galaxy Z Fold ii had a second display as well.

As always, everyone's experience here is going to be unlike. But I was able to get five hours of on-screen fourth dimension pretty easily. Now the merely matter with Samsung'due south software though, is that the battery stats run for the unabridged twenty-four hours, non an entire cycle. And so if you charge it to total in the middle of the day, your cycle doesn't restart. It continues. Which means I could have probably gotten more than five hours on a charge.

Of course, that software feature actually merely bugs us reviewers, so Samsung may never remove it. But for gauging battery life, it does make it a flake harder for us.

Nonetheless, battery life on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is pretty impressive, and you lot'll accept no problem getting through a day.

Samsung also includes a 25W charger in the box, which does a expert job at recharging this phone fairly chop-chop. It tin recharge information technology in a little over an hour. Which is actually nice to have in a pinch.

The Snapdragon 865+ does non disappoint

Inside the Galaxy Z Fold 2, we accept the Snapdragon 865+ along with 12GB of RAM (and 256GB of storage too). Which makes it a pretty speedy smartphone. And the Snapdragon 865+ does not disappoint. Of course, we saw the Snapdragon 865+ in the Galaxy Notation xx Ultra merely a few weeks ago, so we knew what to expect here. Merely still nice to see it performing well on a foldable.

The Milky way Z Fold two never slowed down one bit, even subsequently playing some heavy games. And speaking of games, playing something similar Asphalt nine on the Galaxy Z Fold 2'due south 7.vi-inch display is pretty incredible. Fifty-fifty with that weird aspect ratio, it notwithstanding looks amazing. And the Snapdragon 865+ stays pretty cool while playing too.

We always say how Samsung devices need a lot of RAM because of how heavy the software is. Well I don't think that'due south the case anymore. During this review of the Galaxy Z Fold two, and even while using the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, I never ran out of RAM or fifty-fifty came close to using all 12GB. I usually had 2GB of RAM costless. And unused RAM is wasted RAM, so that'southward skilful to run into.

1 UI is more optimized for foldables now

So final year, when the Galaxy Fold came out, Samsung was just starting to optimize its software for this new class gene. At present that they are over a twelvemonth into this, and 4 devices in, they've really made some big changes here.

We've talked about Flex Mode already. This allows you to use the phone equally sort of its own kickstand. Where it is open at a 90-degree angle (or wider if you want). And it will show half of the app on one side and the other half on the other. This sounds great, but in practise, information technology'due south not equally cracking. It's skilful for things similar YouTube. As you can watch a video, without holding your telephone. but for something similar the camera, it's a little less practical. Half of the screen is the viewfinder, with the controls on the bottom half. It will take some getting used to, but it'south non my favorite style to use the camera.

Not to mention the fact that Flex Mode is non available for most apps.

Split screen multi-tasking is getting there. It's still non perfect, but information technology is something I've used on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 more than than whatsoever other phone I've ever had. Using apps side-by-side is a much better thought than doing information technology above and below. Because of the size of this screen. It's also a bit more than natural. Of course, at that place are nevertheless some apps that don't work in multi-window – yes we're looking at you Instagram! But that's okay. About apps do, and that'south what matters. Samsung does also allow y'all to salvage a group of apps that you lot have in multi-window, so you can easily launch them over again. That's not a feature specific to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 though.

An S Pen would exist astonishing on the Galaxy Z Fold two, but nosotros know why it is not supported…yet. And that's considering the screen is still delicate. Samsung tells you lot non to press difficult on the inner display, because it is plastic, and that's not good for a plastic display. Which is why the S Pen is not supported, as it would kill that display. Hopefully in the future nosotros can get a S Pen toting Galaxy Z Fold device.

The photographic camera is meliorate than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

We've all heard the saying before, more megapixels doesn't hateful a better image. In fact, Marc LeVoy, the former head of Pixel Camera said that this calendar week in a new interview. And with the Galaxy Z Fold two, nosotros tin definitely see that beingness true.

The Galaxy Z Fold two has three rear cameras, all of which are 12-megapixels. There's the principal sensor, ultra-wide and so a telephoto sensor. Much dissimilar from the 108-megapixel sensors on the "Ultra" smartphones Samsung released this year. And I have to say, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 produces much improve images than the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. Even at 12-megapixels.

Think, the 108-megapixel sensor on the Galaxy Notation twenty Ultra is actually producing 12-megapixel images. It's basically taking nine 12-megapixel images and laying them on pinnacle of each other. And then you're not really losing detail when comparing the two. But the Galaxy Z Fold ii camera is just so much better. The autofocus and shutter speed are much better. And the Night Mode is pretty incredible.

But by far the best feature of this camera on the Galaxy Z Fold ii, is the power to utilise the rear cameras for selfies. The rear photographic camera on a phone is always going to be better than a front-facing camera. At that place's no manner around that, it'southward simply physics. But with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, you lot are able to flip the viewfinder to the forepart brandish, and come across yourself while y'all take a selfie with the rear camera. Just remember to look at the camera and non the display.

It's a little weird to take a selfie like that, and I wouldn't recommend vlogging that way, but it can be done.

Below are some photographic camera samples from the Galaxy Z Fold 2. These are all unedited and taken on Auto mode (or night mode). No pro mode was used in whatever of these pictures.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold two Camera Samples - Flickr

Should I buy the Milky way Z Fold 2?

I absolutely love the Milky way Z Fold 2, but it's price tag is still a bit hard to swallow. Though what does make it a bit easier to consume, is thinking virtually it this way. You're basically buying a smartphone and a tablet for this $1999 toll tag. Which brand sit virtually the same price equally buying a loftier-terminate smartphone and a high-end tablet. Merely it'due south one device, and the convenience might be the matter that makes this a purchase for you.

If yous're not one that uses a tablet often though, I would recommend waiting another generation or two. Expect for the technology to get even amend, and that will also drive down the price on these foldables.

I'yard definitely excited to see where foldables will exist in a year or ii. Samsung has made up so much footing in less than 18 months since the first Galaxy Fold was released. So I'm already hyped for the Galaxy Z Fold 3, and y'all can't fifty-fifty buy the Galaxy Z Fold 2 yet (only pre-orders until September xviii).