Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is one of the few cases in which a smartphone can be said to be one of a kind. This uniqueness is attractive in itself. However, it’s not only about originality and cool, because the Fold 2 fold-out screens surprisingly practical. In addition, this phone is equipped with top specs and there are only two elements that can stop a new technology enthusiast – the price of PLN 8799 and the potential susceptibility to damage. However, it must be admitted that the use of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is a pleasant extravagance that would be difficult to replace with something else. It is also an excellent and up-to-date example of how many improvements are brought by the second generation of new technology.
How do we rate design?
When Fold 2 is folded, there is glass on both the front and back, which is connected with the aluminum frame of the device. The metal edge is not smooth, but has a texture under the fingernail that dulls the surface of the metal. The dimensions of the folded Fold 2 are 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm. It then has the dimensions of a standard smartphone, it is even a little narrower. But it is noticeably thicker and heavier. Its weight is 282 grams – almost 20 grams more than in the first generation fold . Does it interfere with daily use? The tolerance for more weight depends on the wearer and how he dresses, but it didn’t bother me at all. When I want to quickly take my phone out and take a photo, check notifications, write back briefly in the messenger, it’s Fold 2 works very much like a standard telephone.
After unfolding, the smartphone has dimensions of 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm and then the dimensions resemble a smaller tablet than a phone. At the same time, the difference between the size of the screen is very noticeable in favor of a larger surface – it is not art for art.
The folding mechanism itself gives the impression of being solid and refined. It moves smoothly, with adequate resistance and inspires confidence that it should mechanically withstand being carried in a pocket and repeatedly opened. The structure is stiff after opening like a tablet made of one piece. At the same time, any intermediate screen bend angle can be freely set. I have no exacerbations regarding the mechanical issue. My concerns are something else.
Fold 2 is constructed in such a way that it does not close tightly. Against the light, you can see a gap between two surfaces of a large screen. On the one hand, it is so big that there is hope that if you get something there, it will not affect both sides at the same time and will not cause damage. It seems that this was the intention of the manufacturer. On the other hand, just carrying the phone in your pocket, dust and fibers of clothing tightly accumulate in this pocket. This means that often when we open the phone it is dusty inside. Having such an expensive device not only unsealed, but also susceptible to damage, I would be afraid to take it to the beach, put it in my backpack pocket without checking if there is anything at the bottom or use the phone in the rain. In the case of traditional phones, I have no such concerns at all.
Fold 2 can boast of very good, full-fledged stereo speakers that perfectly complement the multimedia both when the phone is folded and unfolded.
The smartphone can be unlocked using both the face and the fingerprint scanner located in the power button. This is the best place in this type of design. But the fact that it is narrow and the side edge is double after folding, it is a bit more difficult to handle it precisely without looking.
It is difficult to judge Fold 2 with one number of the school system, because on the one hand it is unique and perfectly made, and therefore a number of six, but on the other hand, it needs more care and it is not sealed, which should significantly lower the grade. The problem is that among folded smartphones there is nothing better, or even similar. The Motorola Razr 5G or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5G , however, are a different concept.
What do we think about the display?
The biggest changes that took place between the first and second generation Fold relate primarily to the screens. Let’s start with the parameters.
The external, smaller display has a diagonal of 6.23 inches and a resolution of 2260 x 816 pixels. This results in a panoramic aspect ratio of 25: 9. It is a screen made in Super AMOLED technology. Although its frames are still noticeably wider than in today’s smartphones, it is much closer to full dimensions and reasonable usability. For comparison, the first generation of Fold has a screen size of only 4.6 inches, which from the beginning was surprising in combination with huge frames. In the case of Fold 2 , the external screen can be comfortably used on a daily basis. This makes it much easier to use the smartphone with one hand, which is not possible when unfolded.
The highlight of the program is, of course, the screen inside, with a diagonal of 7.6 inches, a resolution of 2208 x 1768 pixels and a density of 373 pixels per inch. The display is made in Dynamic AMOLED 2X technology . In addition, the screen supports 120 Hz refreshing, ensuring complete smoothness of all animations. 120Hz screens are still not common, and among foldable devices, Fold 2 is the first to offer it. In addition, the frames of the large screen are very narrow, symmetrical and devoid of a large indentation known from the first generation Fold – the selfie camera is located in a small hole.
It is a pleasure to use the internal screen. The almost square proportions make the screen area much larger than the diagonal seems to suggest. Browsing websites, viewing photos, basically every application works phenomenally here. The screen not only has lost anything on parameters due to the fact that it is bent, but it outclasses virtually every display on the market. Writing longer things is also more convenient, as long as you don’t try to do it on the run and with one hand.
In fact, the only comment I have is the fold, which in my opinion is more visible than in the first generation. You don’t have to look up to the light to see it. At the same time, when displaying the content on the screen, it does not bother me at all. The image itself appears basically perfectly flat with no distortion. Only the reflections of stronger light may prove to be a limitation here. Just being able to use such a screen on your phone is brilliant.
In the screen settings, you can choose a light or dark theme, decide between the adaptive 120 Hz refreshing and the standard 60 Hz, activate the blue light filter, change the color profile from vivid to natural, change the white balance, as well as decide on the layout and magnification of content on the big screen. On the small display, the options are the same except the 120Hz refresh and content layout that are reserved for the large panel.
Specification and Operating System
Fold 2 received uncompromising specifications worthy of a flagship. The foldable design did not force specification cuts. We have the fastest available Snapdragon 865+ processor clocked at 1 x 3.09 GHz + 3 x 2.42 GHz + 4 x 1.8 GHz supported by 256 GB for the system and files and as much as 12 GB RAM. Importantly, the Snapdragon 865+ processor is available in all markets, including Poland. There is no problem with replacing Snapdragon with Exynos in European markets.
The benchmarks were as follows:
- Antutu 8 – 558 480 (eighth place in the ranking)
- Geekbench 5 – 936/2853
- Androbench sequential read / write – 1646/758 MB / s
Although Fold 2 slightly differs in performance from other models with Snapdragon 865+ , it still outperforms the Exynos 990 in benchmarks, so it is faster than, for example, Note 20 Ultra . The smooth operation of the system is flawless, as is the stability. Running three applications simultaneously on a split screen did not cause any performance issues.
The communication package includes LTE cat. 20 2000/200 Mbps, 5G , WiFi ac and ax . Bluetooth 5.0 with aptX HD , NFC as well as USB C 3.2. Location is accomplished using GPS , GLONASS , GALILEO and BDS .
The sensor kit includes: accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor, light intensity sensor, digital compass and barometer. Samsung supports external sensors in the ANT + standard.
Fold 2 works under the control of the Android systemwith the One UI 2.5 overlay- it is the same software version as in the case of Note 20 Ultra or S20 Ultra, with changes to the folded screen. Customizing the interface involves running up to three applications on a larger screen, and then dragging information and data between them. This layout can be memorized and activated with one touch. Since the folded screen can be positioned at any angle, some system applications make use of this by dividing their compactness between the halves of the folded screen. This could mean splitting the camera interface between the preview on one half and the controls on the other, or a teleconference between the callers’ image and handling. When shooting with the screen extended, the front display can display a preview of the subject for subjects.
If we use the application on a small screen and open the phone, it will be automatically moved and appropriately enlarged, but without changing the content, so that you can continue working comfortably. By default, closing the phone turns off the screen and locks the phone, but you can select exceptions to this rule for specific applications in the settings. Then we can start working on the large screen, close it and continue on the smaller display without turning it off. The whole is facilitated by appropriate prompts and suggestions from the software, which makes using the phone more intuitive. I have not encountered any system stability problems or other bugs. The only downside independent of Samsung itself there is Instagram, which does not fully use the large screen – this is the fault of the application producer and a strange move, because it worked without a problem on the first generation Fold . Apparently, you can work around this by cloning the application and then the problem disappears.
What kind of photos does he take and what films does he record?
Fold 2 has a complete set of cameras, but we will find neither 8K recording nor 120 megapixel resolution, nor x4 or x5 optical zoom and digital zoom up to x60 or x100. Cameras are more traditional, which doesn’t mean they disappoint. The set of cameras includes:
- 12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS
- 12 MP, f / 2.4, 52mm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom
- 12 MP, f/2.2, 12mm
- 10 MP, f / 2.2, 26mm front camera when phone is closed
- 10 MP, f / 2.2, 26mm front camera when the phone is open and we are looking at the big screen
The camera offers the following modes: single shot, photo, video, pro, panorama, food, night, live focus, live focus video, pro video, super slow motion, slow motion, hyperlapse.
The smartphone does not offer 8K recording, which can be found in the Note 20 or S20 series, for example . During recording you can switch between all three lenses except 4K mode at 60fps, here only the main camera is supported.
Although the cameras do not break records, they do not disappoint in anything. In recent models, Samsung has noticeably improved the speed and precision of the autofocus, face detection and animal detection, focusing easily on my dog’s eyes. The photos are sharp and detailed and the tonal range is very good. It’s really hard to fault something. Night photos also come out very well, although of course the telephoto lens and wide angle are noticeably weaker at night than the main camera and are still usable. The Live Focus mode also works great, as it blurs the background of the photographed object – the effect looks natural, and errors in distinguishing the background from the foreground are sporadic. No 8K video or 108 megapixels is more of a formality, because you don’t feel it in practice, unless someone has very precisely defined needs. If something else could be missing, then a greater telephoto lens magnification.
Video recording also meets the expectations – image stabilization works in all modes, including 4K 60p , the image is clear, sharp and detailed. When we record in 4k 30p, the transitions between the cameras come out smoothly and consistently in color. There is also an auto-framing function that cuts out a portion of the camera’s field of view and moves it so that the subject is in the center of the frame. This allows you to record yourself more easily.
Sample pictures:
How long does the battery last?
Fold 2 has a 4500mAh battery, split between the two folding parts. Cable charging offers 25W of power, 11W wireless charging, and 4.5W reverse charging.
While the loading speeds do not make a special impression compared to the competition, the time of operation on the large screen positively surprised me. With brightness set to half the value, which is a Samsung setting higher than most other smartphones, and with a 120Hz refresh rate, the smartphone streamed YouTube for 14 hours. Considering the size of the screen, its brightness and refresh rate is really a very good result. Switching to 60 Hz will allow you to extend the operating time by another 2 hours, reaching over 16 hours. And if we decide to use the small front screen, we can get a record 30 hours of video viewing. However, this is not a practical solution. Despite the large screen and foldable design, the battery life is hard to complain about.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 – Conclusion
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G is a unique smartphone that gives you a unique fun of using it. The beautiful Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with 120 Hz refreshing pleases the eye like no other on the market. At the same time, Samsung got rid of the problems from the first generation, such as the strangely small screen on the front of the case, or too wide frames and cutouts. Fold 2 has almost no compromises compared to traditional smartphones, and it is better than them except for one detail – no sealing and lower resistance to damage to the internal screen. In this amount , the fear of damaging it could outshine the fun of using it. However, I would like to point out that nothing disturbed me during the tests, except that the rate was higher than usual and the sealing is missing due to the type of construction. Taking Fold 2 to the beach would be crazy for me. Here, the ordinary, simple and tight body of a classic smartphone is simply more practical. However, the comfort of using a large screen in conjunction with wearing a thicker, but quite small smartphone after folding is impossible to counterfeit. It really gives a sense of combining the advantages of a tablet with a smartphone, and it is almost without compromise. Even if the price is too high for most of us, we are still dealing with technology from the future.
Who is Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G for :
- For the richest “early adopters” of new technologies
- For people who really use a smartphone intensively
- For those who want to use the technologies of the future
- For people who need a phone and a tablet in one device
Who is not Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G :
- Definitely not for the thrifty
- Not for people using the phone in difficult conditions
- Not for people who tend to damage their phones frequently
- Not for people looking for a neat, light phone
Advantages of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G :
- High-quality hinge and casing quality
- Great stereo speakers and high volume
- The combination of the advantages of a smartphone and a tablet
- A smaller screen fills the front of the case
- The large screen offers 120Hz and has a much narrower bezel without a large notch
- Top specification with Snapdragon 865+
- A well-optimized one is applied by the system ONE UI 2.5
- A set of triple, very good cameras
- Good battery life
- Wireless and reverse charging
Disadvantages of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G :
- No tightness standards
- Plastic-coated internal screen more susceptible to damage
- No greater optical magnification of the telephoto lens – standard x2
- No real super fast charging
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