This is the Samsung Galaxy fold a phone that continues to absolutely fascinate me, because it's really the first of its kind and a growing category of foldable phones that we're going to really start seeing in 2020.
I'm going to tell you what I really love about this device.
What I really don't like what I can't wrap my head around, and also how this device fits into the blueprint.
For how foldable phones might be in the future.
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Now the whole purpose of having a foldable phone to begin with is the screen this device is 100 100% entirely about the display.
We've got a 7.3 inch screen on the inside and a 4.6 inch cover screen on the outside.
The fold really does operate as a mini tablet and I really loved using it this way.
This is amazing for watching videos for reading things.
It just totally immerses you.
Multitasking was another thing that felt natural.
you swipe over from the right And you get a bunch of the apps.
You can open it up and split the screen.
Multi-tasking exists on other Samsung phones, but I always have to force myself to find a reason to use it, and just not so with this case.
The phone has support for three windows at once, but I actually found that I preferred using only two at a time.
When I added that third window, things just got really crowded, it's hard to move things around and it's not very intuitive.
To close out all of those displays.
Now one of the reasons multitasking even exits on the fold is support from Google for foldable phones.
One thing that I really love is called App Continuity.
You open up any app and you start using it on the outside, open up the phone, and there is is on the inside.
I'm not the biggest fan of Samsung's digital keyboard but one smart move on the fold is splitting it into two halves.
Which makes it a lot more comfortable to type, especially when you're in landscape mode.
But, my main issue with the keyboard is how much space it takes up.
So you've got this big screen in front of you, and the keyboard takes up almost half of the display.
And then, if you start using the multiple active windows, it seems like your screen space shrinks.
So instead of having 7.3 inches, you have Small little windows, you have to close the keyboard if you want to scroll up and see what you did, and then open the keyboard up again to use it.
I am a big fan of the placement of the fingerprint reader when the fold is open, it's just really easy to get in there, super accurate.
Super fast.
The only problem is if you're using a third party case it could wind up restricting your access and you can unlock the phone with your finger and that sucks.
The first time I use the fold.
I didn't like this placement because it's basically on the bottom part of the galaxy full sandwich.
It's hard to get to.
But over time, I've learned to just kind of swoop my thumb in at the right direction.
Hasn't been a problem.
Still a little bit cumbersome when the phone is closed, and I wish there were a way to securely unlock the phone using your face.
But I think that will come in the future.
Before we get into everything bad, and awkward, and weird about the Galaxy Fold, I wanna leave you with one more thought.
And that is that it is very convenient to be able to take selfies while the phone is closes and while the phone is open.
You've got a ten megapixel, and eight megapixel camera on the inside.
You've got a ten megapixel selfie camera on the outside.
And when you're all done doing whatever it is you're doing on the screen.
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The fold feels really sturdy when I close it, it's got this big thick hinge and this Gorilla Glass on the outside.
And that part feels good but it's this interior screen that you really have to absolutely baby.
It's changed the way that I use the device has changed the way that I think about the device.
The screen is polymer which means it's the type of plastic and Samsung specially manufacturer this display for the fold.
But it is delicate and that's where we found all those screen issues before.
Samsung tells you specifically.
It's got carrier instructions for the display and for the phone in general.
Do not press the screen with a hard or sharp object such as your pen or apply excessive pressure.
Don't put your finger nail on it.
Don't put keys or anything on the screen while you fold it in half.
There are magnets along the edges and that's what helped keep the phone snapping shut, But it can potentially demagnetize something like your credit card.
The phone is also susceptible to damage from water or dust.
Now I asked [UNKNOWN] and they said that when you do clean this, apply light pressure and use a dry microfiber cloth.
That's different than how you would take care of glass where the microfiber cloth could be wet.
Don't want to do that in this case.
So far, I haven't experienced any screen damage, yet.
But in the first iteration I did notice that there were marks.
Almost like half-moons, maybe my fingernail accidentally pressed it, or I put it in my purse perhaps and something brushed up against it.
What I do know is that this situation here with the screen Is something that Samsung or somebody else in the industry is going to have to solve.
Because it's basically the biggest impediment to foldable phones.
While we're on the topic, the notch here is absolutely massive.
It's basically the size of my thumb.
And when I look at it closely I see the two cameras, I see two sensors, and I see a lot of dead space.
As big an eyesore as the notch is when I'm looking at it, when you're actually reading or watching video, it kind of does bleed off to the side.
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Probably the number one question that people have about the Fold is, what about this Crease, the seam that runs down the middle of the screen.
Yes, it is there.
And as far as I know, you're never gonna be able to really avoid one.
It's much more noticeable when the screen is all black or all white.
But when I'm doing something, I'm immersed in the thing that I'm doing.
And I'm not really distracted by that crease .Something I noticed over time Is that the fold is really heavy.
Part of the reason that the fold is heavy is because you've got two batteries in here, one on either side.
So you do have that balance which is nice.
But what that translates into is when you're holding it for a long period of time trying to To read or watch something in bed, or on an airplane.
If you don't have the stand for that, you're gonna notice, and your arms are gonna get tired.
Sometimes to give my hands a rest, I'll close the phone and use the exterior screen.
You can use any app on this display, but the icons are small and the keyboard feels even smaller.
If you've got larger fingers, it's gonna be much harder for For you.
It's not that the display itself is small it's that it's tall and narrow.
So the dimensions just feel kinda off.
Let's talk about photography.
Taking a picture.
When the fold is closed is fine, can center it, you can take your pictures which are lenses, all that's great.
But if you're going to be taking a picture with a folder open, which is a lot better if you really want to fine tune what you're doing.
You're going to stand out and you might feel ridiculous at least I did.
And also everyone behind you will be able to see your screen.
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So the galaxy fold, there's some really compelling things in this phone, but there are also some big problems.
However, I think they can Could be fixed over time.
The truth of the matter is that most people aren't going to be buying this phone.
It's too expensive and you have to baby it too much.
But it is important because it represents what we could have.
We know that Samsung is creating more designs.
We knew that Motorola is having one and we certainly think that Apple is planning a foldable phone in the future.
Too.
But the thing that's important about this particular device, and where I think the Fold is actually successfully, is in improving the concept that a foldable phone is something that can actually be useful and enrich our lives.
It's not solely a gimmick All of that comes down to the screen space.
And the fact that it does give you more room to run, but you can fold it up into a size that is relatively portable.
I can in fact, zip this right into my jacket pocket.
And I love that foldable phones definitely aren't a thing yet.They're not an inevitability.
And they could still fall apart but there is enough in the galaxy full that convinces me that with the right improvements, you could still wind up owning a phone that looks a little bit like this.
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