Galaxy S10 vs Galaxy Fold: What's the difference?

This year is officially the year when folding phones take the stage for serious. At the MWC 2019, for example, which just ended Thursday, we learned that many new ambitions for folding phones were offered by Huawei, TCL and Motorola. And although Samsung is not the first to launch a foldable consumer phone (this honor would come back to the Royole FlexPai), it is certainly the biggest name to have thrown off its hat.

That's why, when Samsung introduced its Galaxy Fold at Unpacked earlier this month, it stole the bulk of the limelight from the other four phones (!) Announced by the company (including a phone 5G). Although many are intrigued by the Galaxy Fold, few of them will be able to buy it because of its price, its unusual design and its limited availability. Instead, Samsung's steadfast flagship Galaxy S10 will probably be the Galaxy phone that most people will buy.

Nevertheless, we would not be angry if you seriously consider both devices. The Galaxy S10 may be reliable and familiar, but the Fold represents what is bold and exciting. Read on to see other major differences between these two phones.

Design: Galaxy Fold inaugurates a new era

The biggest difference between the two Galaxy phones is their design. While Samsung has slightly changed the design of the Galaxy S10 compared to S9 (later), the Galaxy Fold represents a new form factor.

The Fold, though it's not already obvious by its name, has a foldable OLED screen. Once closed, it has a 4.6-inch secondary screen that serves as a "cache", with all the usual features of a phone. When you're ready for something big, the Fold opens the hot dog style like a book to a 7.3-inch tablet.

To realize this design without visible line on the screen, the Fold is endowed with what the company calls "the Infinity Flex screen". Essentially made from a sleek plastic material, the screen can bend and bend hundreds of times without breaking. With the help of Google's operating system, applications will switch seamlessly between display sizes.

The Galaxy S10, meanwhile, adopts a more traditional phone look. Although its design is familiar, it is not quite dull: its glass case is elegant and its thinner glasses make the screen even larger than its predecessor (5.6 to 6.1 inches). It also comes in a range of new colors (although not all are available in all markets), including a bright yellow, a pink and an iridescent white.

Camera: several cameras everywhere

The Galaxy S10 has a total of four cameras, which is enough for many casual users, thank you very much. There are three cameras at the back and one at the front. The rear configuration includes an ultra wide angle lens, a wide angle lens and a telephoto lens, while the front features a 10 megapixel camera.

The Fold, meanwhile, has six cameras. Six looks like an overkill camera, but if the idea is that users can take a photo, regardless of the configuration of the phone, it makes sense that the Fold has so much.

At the back, the Fold presents the same three-camera configuration as the Galaxy S10. The camera at the front is also a unique 10 megapixel camera. When you open the Fold as a tablet, you'll find two additional cameras: a selfie camera and an 8-megapixel depth camera.

This second camera is used for depth detection, which means that it will use the second lens, not software algorithms, to render a portrait image with the depth of field blur effect.

Price: from expensive to extremely expensive. Fun!

When Samsung unveiled the Note 9 last year, many hesitated to pay the high price of $ 1,000 (£ 899 and $ 1,499). But then, the Galaxy Fold arrived, he said, "Hold my beer" and it's been revealed to cost $ 1,980 (about £ 1,500 or $ 2,800 Australian).

In some ways, we understand why the fold is so expensive. The original design, two screens, a handful of cameras and a larger battery add up. Indeed, now that users keep their phones longer, such an innovative aspect may be enough to justify an expensive upgrade nowadays. In the end, it's as if you had two products: a phone and a tablet in one.

But the reality for most users is that they can not afford or be too afraid to use a $ 2,000 phone. For this money, you can use two generations of Galaxy S phones (if the prices remain relatively the same), or finance your next upgrades up to eight years (if you upgrade every two years) with four Moto Z phones at $ 500!

If you want to stick to a high-end Samsung device, the Galaxy S10 would be the most "friendly choice for your wallet". (Although I hesitate to call a phone at an affordable starting price of $ 900. For a Galaxy S phone even cheaper, consider the Galaxy S10E at $ 750.)

Since the Galaxy S10 has the same processor and most high-level specifications as the Fold, it will not be obsolete any more than the other. Finally, apart from not having a futuristic folding screen.

Other features: 5G, storage, battery and fingerprint scanner

• 5GThe next generation of high-speed mobile data will be deployed in 2019 and 2020 and many phones will be compatible with 5G. The Galaxy S10 has a different variant called S10 5G that will work on the network (the price remains to be determined, but it will probably be more expensive). Likewise, the Galaxy Fold will also have two versions, one that runs on 4G and another one for 5G.



• Fingerprint scanner: Although it has an unusual look, the Galaxy Fold's fingerprint reader is in a pretty traditional place: the power button on the side. Thus, users can access it whether the phone is open or closed. But the scanner Galaxy S10 is integrated into its screen, a rather new innovation that the OnePlus 6T, Oppo R17, Vivo X20 Plus UD and others have also adopted.
• Storage room: While the Galaxy S10 has two storage options (128 GB and 512 GB), the Galaxy Fold has only the last. It also does not have expandable storage, while the Galaxy S10 can store an additional 512 GB. This means that if you buy the S10 and the appropriate SD card, it can hold twice as much (more than 1TB!) As the Fold. It's a lot of pictures and videos.

• Drums: Both products are equipped with a wireless charging and can charge other devices (including phones), but with its larger screen, the Galaxy Fold naturally has more battery power: 4 380mAh on two batteries compared to the Galaxy S10's 3400mAh single battery. We do not expect the S10 to be left out; Each year, Samsung's flagship product is at the top of our list for optimal battery life.

Galaxy S10 vs Galaxy Fold

	Samsung Galaxy S10	Samsung Galaxy Fold
Display size, resolution	6.1 inches AMOLED; 3,040 x 1,440 pixels	Super AMOLED 4.6 inches; QXGA 7.3 inch + dynamic AMOLED
Pixel density	550ppi	N / A
Dimensions (inches)	5.9 x 2.77 x 0.31 in.	N / A
Dimensions (millimeters)	149.9 x 70.4 x 7.8 mm	N / A
Weight (ounces, grams)	5.53 ounces; 157 g	N / A
Mobile Software	Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI	Android 9.0 with Samsung One UI
Camera	16 megapixels (ultra wide angle), 12 megapixels (wide angle), 12 megapixels (telephoto)	16 megapixels (ultra wide angle), 12 megapixels (wide angle), 12 megapixels (telephoto)
Front facing the camera	10 megapixels	Two 3D depths of 10 megapixels and 8 megapixels
Video capture	4K	N / A
Processor	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855	Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
Storage room	128 GB, 512 GB	512 GB
RAM	8GB	12 GB
Expandable storage	Up to 512 GB	No
Drums	3,400mAh	4 380mAh
Fingerprint detector	On the screen	Walk button
connector	USB-C	N / A
Headphone jack	Yes	N / A
Special features	Wireless PowerShare; perforated screen notch; water resistant (IP68); Fast wireless charging 2.0	Foldable display; Wireless PowerShare; Fast wireless charging 2.0