Samsung launched its flagship foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold2, last September, and tech watchers have been frothing at the mouth since. Sleek, bold, and luxurious, the phone has been getting rave reviews from all over, from tech experts and people who live and breathe phones.
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But what’s it really like to own? To use it daily and constantly, as many of us mobile phone addicts do?
I had the opportunity to road test the phone for a couple of weeks and overall, I think it’s a solid, groundbreaking piece of technology, and one that not only stands up to the demands of everyday use, but actually improves and elevates the mobile phone user experience.
And this is coming from someone who has been a loyal iPhone user for years (I’ve been using the same iPhone 7 for about four years).
Here are a few things I loved about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2:
1| It feels solid and premium in the hand
I never got to experience the original Galaxy Z Flip, which reinvented the flip phone, but its successor sure does look and feel luxurious. The Galaxy Z Fold2 feels solid to the touch, if a bit heavy—9.9 ounces, or 280 grams, or just lightly less than a full can of soda.
When folded it acts as a typical mobile phone with a long, slim 6.2-inch full screen display. On the one or two times I actually wore pants to go out during this quarantine period, I had no trouble sliding it down my front pocket. I used it in this mode when checking messages, browsing through Twitter or Facebook, or responding to messages on Viber or Messenger.
The keyboard was a bit too small and the letters too close together, so I often tapped the wrong letter, but it wasn’t too much of a bother that it became an issue. Besides, if I wanted a bigger keyboard I just unfolded the phone, and things were instantly larger than life.
2| Unfolded, the phone straddles the line between mobile phone and tablet.
When stretched out, the main screen measures 7.6 inches. You can view videos in the cover screen, but unfolded, the content is clearer and richer. You don’t even notice the fold in the middle. This mode is also perfect for viewing spreadsheets, presentations, and, of course, images either for work or for posting on Instagram.
Some apps already support the switch from cover to main screen, meaning it will automatically adjust itself when going from one to the other so the shift is seamless. In other cases, however, the app will need to restart. Again, it’s no big deal, you can just open the app when you’re on the screen that you want to view it in. On the flip side, you can set which apps you can continue using in the cover screen when you close the main screen.
I’ve been watching movies and TV shows on streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hayu on the main screen and it’s much more satisfying than on a regular-sized phone. And for YouTube videos, the screen can separate between the actual video on the top half and comments on the bottom half. Also, Samsung has really outdone itself with the audio—stereo speakers really make a difference, and in this case, sound is crystal clear and I have absolutely no complaints.
One other nifty trick when using the main screen: you can open up to three apps in a split-screen mode. So you can have Facebook open while also responding to messages with your barkada on Viber, and searching something on Google, all together in one screen. Admittedly, it can get a tad confusing than just simply focusing on one app at a time, but it’s a nice to feature to have for the serious multi-tasker.
3| The battery life is unbelievable
My main complaint with my old phones was that I constantly had to worry about running out of juice when I’m out, which meant I needed to have my charger or a power bank at the ready at all times. I couldn’t even last a few hours without searching for a power source.
The Galaxy Z Fold2 eliminates that fear. Granted, we’re all pretty much stuck at home these days, but I noticed I could use the phone relentlessly for nearly two days (hours of Netflix, replying to messages, browsing social media, checking emails, etc.) and I still wouldn’t need to charge it.
4| You can do pretty neat things with the camera
Because of the lockdown, most of the photos I took using the Galaxy Z Fold2 are of my dog, and perhaps a few selfies. But I can definitely say they’re all really good. The phone has five cameras: two 10-megapixel selfie cameras and three 12 megapixel back cameras. The single take feature, which Samsung premiered on the S20, is also here, allowing you to take multiple modes of one 10-second shot and the phone just pulls up the best takes from that moment.
Samsung also thought of turning the cover screen into a preview pane that allows the subject of the photograph to see exactly what you’re seeing before you take the photo, allowing them to adjust their position or hair or smile.
5| It’s the ultimate phone for the digital native
There’s little fault to find in the Galxy Z Fold2. The cost might be prohibitive (although Samsung reported pre-orders for it were sold out when it launched in September), and there’s always the fear that something this pricey just isn’t worth it, but all in all, I think Samsung packed enough features in it so that you’re going to stick with it for years to come.
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It’s built for multimedia content (topnotch audio and crystal clear video); it runs on Google’s Android system, which, for someone who was used to Apple’s iOS for years, I realized really isn’t all that bad; it’s got tons of memory (256GB of storage, 12GB of RAM); it’s functional and cool. It’s a phone to get when you’re ready to trade up from the usual. Take it from someone who last changed phones four years ago.
The SRP of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is P109,990. It is available at Samsung stores or through mobile telecom partners Globe and Smart.
