24 hours with Galaxy Fold: what it’s like to use Samsung’s first foldable phone for a day

Samsung recently unveiled the second iteration of its first foldable, named the Galaxy z fold 2. Details on the new device remain scarce. The company has announced that it will share more information, including Z Fold 2 pricing and pre-order details, on September 1. Original Galaxy Fold remains an intriguing phone, which you can actually buy right now (get the Galaxy Fold for $ 1980 from Best Buy). I bought one last year and spent the day with it so I could account for everything from the folding hinge to the screen. The verdict? I liked the Galaxy Fold more than I thought. I unpacked it in the morning, after standing in line at the Samsung store in London since 5.30am the day it was released. After spending the day playing around with its jazzy hinge design, I noticed a few things about the phone. Read on for last year’s account of 24 hours spent with Samsung’s first foldable.

First of all, there is no visible protective layer that you might be mistakenly tempted to peel off. It was one of major errors in the first design of the phone; a film was put on top of the screen that looked like one of those layers that you happily peel off when you get a new phone. It was actually a crucial part of the design, and some journalists who had First Fold exam samples took it off, which ruined the display.

The lack of visible film on the updated version means that there is less chance of destroying your expensive phone on day 1. Samsung has also sealed the edge of the screen more securely with plastic caps on both sides. points where it bends, which will hopefully stop the dust. particles below the surface (another pain point of the first round).

The original design had a space between the hinge where the Galaxy Fold folds, and the two arms of the displays. This is now decreased. Also, you can’t see an extra metal plate under the screen, which is meant to reinforce the fragile plastic screen, but Samsung assures us it’s there.

But beyond these design changes, the phone remains unchanged. The hinge is smooth to use and the phone closes satisfactorily like those eye-catching cases you get with your glasses.

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But what about the screen fold? Now, there it is and there is no escaping it. Capture the reflections from ceiling lights the right way and you can easily see the ripples on the surface, instead of the smooth expanse of glass you’ll see on any other smartphone.

This can be a bit off-putting at times. I’ve found this to be mostly a problem when watching dark video, making the reflections of the light above – and therefore the crease – more evident. But it’s only the reflections that get you noticed; the screen itself does not warp and there is no change in color or brightness where it bends.

If you watch a bright video – or you’re in a dark room with no ambient light reflections – you won’t notice. This is certainly not the case when I watched several Carfection YouTube videos in our dimly lit studio. The same was true for an episode of Breaking Bad on Netflix. Honestly, I couldn’t see any creases and instead could enjoy the content on a giant screen.

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There is, of course, a notch cut out in the upper left corner (assuming you are holding it in landscape orientation, and in the upper right corner when in portrait mode). I’m pretty used to the notches and cutouts now from the recent iPhones and the Galaxy s10 plusso it really wasn’t a problem for me and it didn’t spoil my viewing. If you don’t like the notches on other phones, there’s a good chance you won’t like it here either. At least there are so many a lot the screen that notch takes up relatively less space than on other devices.

Later that day, I was navigating the Soho district, a maze of London, trying to find an office for a meeting. In the taxi on the way, it was great to see Google Maps displayed on that giant screen. On the street, however, I didn’t want to carefully carry a massive – and expensive – device so overtly, so I closed it up and used the 4.6-inch outdoor display.

For me, this screen is just a little too small. It’s good for seeing incoming calls, changing music on Spotify, or using as a camera viewfinder instead of looking like a jester taking photos on a tablet. But its small size means you have to have precise fingers to type on it. Sending a quick reply to an email or WhatsApp message is difficult, especially if you are walking, but opening the phone to its full tablet mode is often not convenient either.

It’s frustrating, because that outer screen looks crushed. I would have loved to see it go further towards the edges, leaving enough room to make it usable as a standalone device. Right now, it’s best to think of it as a stopgap until you can find a moment to unfold it in true tablet mode.

It was my first day with the phone, so I reserved judgment on CPU performance, camera quality, and battery life until we could do a lot more testing. . Learn more about phone performance in Our in-depth review of the Galaxy Fold. In addition, here is our Galaxy Fold original design review, with much more detail on our sister site Tech Republic on what it’s like to use a foldable phone.

Close-up with the original screen, notch and hinge of the Galaxy Fold

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