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Galaxy Z Fold 2
Are you looking to try out your first foldable phone? If so, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is the right choice for your first trial. Aside the moto razr 2, the galaxy z fold 2 is the second device with 5G connectivity.
The question on so many lips is, is the galaxy z fold 2 5G worth buying? In this Samsung galaxy z fold 2 review, we attempt to answer this question as best as we can.
The Samsung galaxy z fold 2 is the upgraded version of the galaxy fold 1. It takes to account almost all the problems complained about in the fold 1 and addressed them in the galaxy z fold 2 5G.
Samsung Opted for a 6.2-inch cover display as a fix to the 4.6-inch front display of the fold 1. This gives you the opportunity to type and reply messages with ease.
When the device is unfolded, it feels like a 7.6-inch mini tablet. Samsung’s z fold 2 design gives you the impression of owning a regular smartphone as well as a mini tablet on one device. This impressive design makes the z fold 2 easily pocketable.
The fold 2 main display is more than just a big junk of screen. It features adaptive 120Hz refresh rate that kicks in when playing games, watching movies or going through social media feeds. Offering better visual performance than the 60Hz display on the fold 1.
The z fold 2 main screen is quite impressive enough that for a minute you forget about the faint crease down the middle of the display. Despite the introduction of Samsung’s Ultra-Thin Glass, the top layer is a plastic screen protector which feels soft to touch compared to the glass front cover display.
Flex Mode Feature
Samsung’s screen mechanism is coupled with a feature called Flex Mode. This feature automatically reshuffles the UIs of certain apps. It helps to declutter the camera app’s live preview at the top screen, while the controls appear at the bottom right. It also allows the last photo taken to show up at the bottom left corner of the screen.
The galaxy Z fold 2 is not waterproof or dust proof, meaning it can damage easily in water. The phone comes with a 25W fast charger and supports 11W wireless charging. The galaxy Z fold 2 also supports reverse wireless charging.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 price
The Galaxy z fold 2 has a starting price of $1,999/ £1,799/ AU$2,999. The device comes in only one model which comes with 256GB of storage and no microSD slot for expansion. in o
There are no Galaxy buds in the phone box. The phone is $20 cheaper than the fold 1 in the US. This is quite good given the fold 1 has 4G LTE while the fold 2 comes with 5G connectivity. However, in the UK, the fold 2 is £100 cheaper than the fold 1. This is because both devices come with 5G connectivity in the UK.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Design Review
The galaxy z fold 2 feels like Samsung’s vision for the future of smartphones. The amazing concept of the device gives you the opportunity of owning a smartphone and a tablet on one device.
Samsung made few modifications to its design. One of which is on the hinge. The improved hinge feature lets you prop open the inner display at any angle from 75 to 115 degrees. You can stop mid fold and still be able to use your device.
Samsung has also improved on the sweeper technology to better repel dust particles. The z fold 2 is not dust-proof but its weak spots are less exposed.
Given that this device is the combination of a smartphone and a mini tablet, size of some sort is expected to be an issue. In the case of the Galaxy Z fold 2, it’s the thickness of the phone when folded. When the fold 2 is folded, it has a thickness of 16.8mm which feels like holding two average sized phones in your hand at the same time. When unfolded it has a thickness of 6.9mm, which is about the thickness of most smartphones and tablets.
The galaxy z fold 2 has a weight of 282g. Surprisingly, it doesn’t feel as heavy as you would expect. It is a lot easy to hold when folded given its narrow shape.
Samsung opted for a side-mounted fingerprint sensor on the power button. The phone also comes without an S Pen which would have been super cool for a 7.6-inch display as this.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes in Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black. You can also customize the hinge color, but only if you buy the phone unlocked from Samsung.
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Display Review
There is more to the z fold 2 than its awesome design and impressive folding mechanism. Its size as well as the refresh rate has been improved in comparison to the z fold 1. Surely most z fold 1 owners will be wishing they had wait for the fold 2.
The new 6.2-inch cover display replacing the 4.6-inch cover display on the fold 1 is more usable. However, this change did not quite affect the size of the device drastically. The fold 2 6.2-inch display allows you to easily answer messages without opening the main display. However, typing with the screen may feel a little clustered.
The main display is perfect for playing games as well as preforming small office tasks such as editing a spreadsheet document. Its 7.6-inch screen is a slight improvement to the 7.3-inch on the fold 1.
Both screens on the fold 2 are sharp when it comes to their display. The adaptive 120Hz refresh rate on the display helps to conserve the phone’s battery life. The phone automatically switches between refresh rates depending on what you are doing to achieve this. For example, the screen reduces the refresh rate when doing something that requires less graphics such as going through social media.
For more display space, Samsung has replaced the oversized cutout at the top-right corner of the fold 1, replacing it with a single camera housed by a punch-hole cutout. This single camera does the same job as the two lenses on the z fold 1 and even better.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Cameras Review
The z fold 2 has a total of five cameras. They capture some of the best shots on a smartphone but not as compared to Samsung’s best, the Samsung Galaxy S21 series.
There are three 12MP rear cameras (regular, ultrawide and telephoto) as well as two 10MP cameras. One of the 10MP camera is located on the cover display, while the other is inside on the main display.
The Samsung galaxy z fold 2 cameras supports 2x optical and 10x digital zoom which feels like a downgrade considering its cost as compared to the much cheaper Note 20 Ultra with 5x optical and 50x digital zoom.
The galaxy z fold 2 gives you a better chance at a perfect vacation picture. Its 7.6-inch cover display serves as a means of alerting you about your position relative to the frame.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Interface Review
The galaxy z fold pushes the idea of using multiple apps simultaneously. Though this concept has existed for some time now, it is fully realised on the galaxy z fold 2.
Samsung executes this concept perfectly using a feature called Flex Mode. When the phone is unfolded at 90-degree angle, the screen is split allowing you to perform separate actions on both sides of the display.
On YouTube, you can watch video on the top part of the screen, while you scroll through comments or navigate to other videos on the bottom screen. Although the Flex mode is great, it is limited to a handful of apps like video calls, Google Duo etc. However, using split mode when the phone is fully unfolded to tablet mode will work just fine.
The rest of Android 10 and Samsung’s OneUI 2.5 overlay//interface work great. Also, Samsung’s App Continuity feature lets you customize which apps stay open on the cover screen even when you fold the phone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Performance Review
The Galaxy z fold 2 is one of the fastest Android smartphones in 2020. Its top-of-the-line Qualcomm’s snapdragon 865 plus keeps it at the top of the food chain when it comes to performance.
Everything about the galaxy z Fold 2 specs is cutting-edge except for the internal storage size. The fold 2 packs 12GB of RAM and is limited to 256GB of storage. It also does not have a microSD card slot for expanding your storage space beyond the provided 256GB. This is quite disappoint given the price you will be paying for this device.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 Battery life Review
Taking a look at the Samsung Galaxy z fold 2 battery, it makes use of a 4,500mAh battery which is an upgrade to the fold 1 4,380mAh battery.
The battery can take you for an entire day depending on what you do with the device. The adaptive screen refresh rate also helps you conserve battery by dialing things down to as low as 11Hz for simple tasks.
The galaxy z fold 2 5G is equipped with Samsung super-fast charging tech with a 25W charger. It also supports 11W wireless charging. It also uses PowerShare to wirelessly charge another Qi-compatible device like the Buds Live from the back of your phone.
Fold 2 Specifications
General
| Brand | Samsung |
| Model | Galaxy Z Fold 2 |
| Launch Date | 1st September 2020 |
| Form factor | Foldable |
| Dimensions (mm) | 159.20 x 128.20 x 6.90 |
| Weight (g) | 279.00 |
| Battery capacity (mAh) | 4500 |
| Fast charging | Proprietary |
| Wireless charging | Yes |
| Colours | Mystic Black, Mystic Bronze |
Display
| Screen size (inches) | 7.60 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Resolution | 1768×2208 pixels |
Second display
| Screen size (inches) | 6.20 |
| Touchscreen | Yes |
| Resolution | 816×2260 pixels |
Hardware
| Processor | octa-core (1×3.09GHz + 3×2.4GHz + 4×1.8GHz) |
| Processor make | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ |
| RAM | 12GB |
| Internal storage | 256GB |
| Expandable storage | No |
Camera
| Rear camera | 12-megapixel (f/1.8, 1.8-micron) + 12-megapixel (f/2.2, 1.12-micron) + 12-megapixel (f/2.4) |
| Rear autofocus | Yes |
| Rear flash | Yes |
| Front camera | 10-megapixel (f/2.2, 1.22-micron) + 10-megapixel (f/2.2, 1.22-micron) |
Software
| Operating system | Android 10 |
| Skin | One UI 2.5 |
Connectivity
| Wi-Fi | Yes |
| Wi-Fi standards supported | 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/Yes |
| GPS | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, v 5.00 |
| USB Type-C | Yes |
Sensors
| Face unlock | Yes |
| Fingerprint sensor | Yes |
| Compass/ Magnetometer | Yes |
| Proximity sensor | Yes |
| Accelerometer | Yes |
| Ambient light sensor | Yes |
| Gyroscope | Yes |
| Barometer | Yes |
Should I buy the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2?
Buy it if you:
- Want the best foldable phone available.
- Want to impress people with this next gen tech.
- Have the deep pockets needed to get this device.
- Want to have a whole new level of gaming experience.
- Want a foldable with the best display out there.
- Are trying out a foldable phone for the first time.
- If you are not obsessed with having the best camera experience.
The Final Verdict
The Galaxy z fold 2 5G is one of the foldables you should consider buying aside the moto razr 2. Though the moto razr 2 is an impressive phone, it is not as impressive when compared to the galaxy z fold 2. In terms of camera, performance and display, the galaxy z fold 2 is ahead.
The Samsung galaxy Z fold 2 is nothing but impressive from the premium design to its build. The spec of this phone is off the chart for a foldable device. However, it is quite safe to say that Samsung can do better given the amazing work they have been doing in the phone industry for so long.
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