Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 - Is this really the best smartphone? (2021)

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Here's what was covered

Initial Reaction

My first reaction was WOW holy shit this looks unreal. The first time you unfold the phone is quite magical. It really shows how much this technology has matured in just a couple years. The screen looks absolutely stunning when unfolded and the 120Hz refresh rate makes this phone really fly. The hinge is tight and feels quite assuring. It's got the perfect level of resistance to make you feel that it's not going to break. The glass finish makes it feel like an expensive showpiece. You think this is peak smartphone and if there's a thing as a perfect smartphone, this is it...

Then the reality starts to set in a bit. The phone's front screen, although nothing wrong with it is quite narrow. It's good for checking notifications, a bit of casual browsing, and making calls. But, it's quite bad when it comes to typing. I typically install the Google Keyboard on my phones but that keyboard just doesn't work well on this phone. The keys aren't meant for a screen this narrow or the bigger screen. Also, because both screen sizes are uncommon, most apps just aren't optimized for either screen. The front screen is too narrow and the main screen is too square-ish causing a lot of apps to have borders.

The primary screen, while it's absolutely stunning to take a look at, has a very thick plastic screen protector installed on it. It ends up making this amazing looking piece of technology into a smudgy mess. Because it's plastic, it's pretty hard to keep clean and you have to spend some time cleaning it with a microfiber cloth. Samsung doesn't recommend removing it yourself and while the screen is made of glass, it's so thin I wouldn't dare removing the screen protector to prevent it from cracking.

Durability Concerns

The phone isn't water or dust resistant, and it's made of glass. That means, if you drop it, it's likely game over. Because the phone is so expensive to own, I ended up putting a case on it to keep it protected. As a result, this already chunky thicc boy looked like it put on some lockdown weight. As a result, I felt I didn't quite enjoy using it as a phone. When consuming media, it was an absolute joy, but the cheap feeling plastic always reminded myself that the tech wasn't mature enough every time I turned off the screen or played something dark on it.

The Good Side

It might seem that I'm absolutely shitting on the phone, but that's not the case at all. Samsung deserves a lot of praise for everything they were able to pack into this device. The battery life is incredible and easily got me 6-7 hours of screen on time while primarily using the bigger screen. The cameras, while not top of the line, offer most focal lengths and take really good quality shots. While it doesn't have a microSD slot, the 256GB storage is more than enough for over 90% of people. Also, I like the software tweaks Samsung added to take advantage of the foldable form factor. You can seamlessly set most apps to switch between the cover and primary screen. You can use the front screen as a viewfinder to take selfies using the primary camera. And some apps like YouTube and camera give you a slightly different experience when the phone is partially folded.

How to Improve It

Here's how I think the phone can be improved. First, instead of glass, I'd like to see Samsung use plastic or "glasstic" as they call it for the back. It'll not only reduce the fear of breaking this phone, but also significantly reduce the weight of the phone and hopefully lower the price. Also, I'd like to see a thinner, but wider body. This will fix two complaints. One, it'll make the front screen bigger and more useful, and second, it'll allow for a wider folded screen, which will only improve multitasking similar to the Microsoft Surface Duo, as currently the screen is best for using one app at a time. Also, to reduce the weight further, I'd be curious to see a smaller battery paired with a low power processor. If Samsung can deliver a smooth experience similar to the Pixel 5, most people won't even notice that this isn't using the latest and greatest internals. Also, all these changes will significantly reduce the price, making this revolutionary tech more accessible.

And obviously, I'd like to see a foldable glass screen that's durable enough to use without fear of it cracking easily and a hinge that's dust and water resistant, but I'm not sure if that's doable at the moment.

Conclusion

For now, I think the Galaxy Z Fold 2 isn't the phone for me, but it has done its job to get me super excited for the future of this form factor. If you have a Z Fold 2, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. And if you have any questions about the phone, please leave a comment and I'll try my best to answer all questions.