Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review: one more step towards the ideal folding smartphone
Pierre Crochart
Summary
A year already, that the Samsung Galaxy Fold has passed through our hands. A year during which the manufacturer was able to compile the valuable feedback from its customers and journalists. A period during which he innovated, too, in particular via the Galaxy Z Flip which operated a (small) side step in its new range of hybrid phones. The lessons that the South Korean has learned from these experiences have just given birth to the Galaxy Z Fold 2. A folding Samsung smartphone which scrupulously improves everything that had been undertaken on the first model.
From this paragraph you can already notice that our enthusiasm was more measured during our test of the first Galaxy Fold. It’s that the very idea of a phone that hybridizes into a small tablet has caught on. And, above all, that Samsung's current proposal holds up much better.
Forgotten, the errors of course and the chaotic launch of the Fold. Oblivion his concessions. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is no longer a prototype. And this is what we invite you to see in our full test which can be found below.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: the technical sheet
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is the most expensive consumer smartphone on the market. This price can be explained by the fortunes that Samsung had to spend on research and development, but also by the technological paraphernalia that it included in its new product.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is:
Screen:
Front: 6.23-inch (25: 9) Super AMOLED with HD + definition of 2260 x 816 pixels (385 ppi, 60 Hz)
Interior: 7.6-inch (22.5: 18) Dynamic AMOLED with QXGA + definition of 2208 x 1768 pixels (373 ppi, 120 Hz, HDR10 +) and covering an area of approximately 87%
SoC: Snapdragon 865 Plus (7 nm) with octo-core processor (1x 3.1 GHz + 3x 2.42 GHz + 4x 1.8 GHz) and Adreno 650 GPU (670 MHz)
RAM: 12 GB LPDDR5
Internal storage: 256 GB in UFS 3.1 (not expandable via SD card)
Battery: 4500mAh, 25W fast charge, 11W wireless charging
Sealing: no
3.5mm jack: no
Audio: two stereo speakers
Rear cameras:
Wide angle: 12 megapixels ƒ / 1.8, 1 / 1.76 ", 1.8 µm, OIS
Ultra wide-angle: 12 megapixels ƒ / 2.2, 1.12 µm, viewing angle 123 °
Telephoto: 12 Megapixel ƒ / 2.4, 2x optical zoom (10x digital), OIS
Front camera: 10 megapixels ƒ / 2.2, 1.22 µm (on the outside and inside screen)
Video: 4K @ 60 fps, 1080p @ 60/120/240 fps, 720m @ 960 fps, EIS, HDR10 +
Unlocking: lateral fingerprint sensor, integrated under the power button
Dual SIM: Yes (nano-SIM + eSIM)
5G compatible: Yes
Connectivity: Wi-FI 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac / 6, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC
Dimensions:
Closed: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm for 282 grams
Open: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm for 282 grams
OS: Android 10 with OneUI 2.5
Colors: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Black
Price: € 2,020
Availability: Already available
A price perfectly identical to that of the Galaxy Fold therefore. The detail is that this new model "forgets" to include a few accessories that helped make the Fold an exceptional smartphone.
The Galaxy Buds, Samsung's wireless headphones, are no longer in the game. Instead, you'll find the same AKG USB-C headphones that come with any of the brand's other devices.
No protective shell is provided either. In the box, only a 25W charger and its USB-C cable are available to the buyer. A little light for such a luxurious phone.
Buy the Galaxy Z Fold 2
Design: almost flawless
Samsung has largely reworked its copy with the Fold 2. If the philosophy of the product and its concept (a smartphone turning into a tablet) remain unchanged, the manufacturer's new folding device has much more mouth than its predecessor.
© Pierre Crochart for Clubic
Closed, we find this extremely elongated telephone that gossips - we are one of them - will compare to a somewhat sophisticated remote control. But where on the Fold we quickly moved on, the new display offered by Samsung to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 deserves some attention.
Is Samsung right to build on its momentum and iterate a whole line of folding smartphones? Last year, coming out of a still awkward contact with the Galaxy Fold, we weren't sure. Now, after spending several days with his successor, the South Korean’s project seems to be on much better track.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 review
The mistakes of his childhood forgotten, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 finally appears to us as the first real folding smartphone on the market. A product that would have gotten rid of everything that could give us the impression of having a prototype in our hands; a device that had everything to prove.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 isn't just better than the Galaxy Fold. It totally erases it from our minds.
However, is it a recommendable smartphone for the general public? At this price, still not. The Fold 2 remains this technological jewel to be reserved for enthusiasts or those who want to be the first to enjoy a concept which, perhaps, will change the game in the coming years.
For many, the very principle of a folding smartphone remains unclear, and they cannot be blamed. The author of these lines, as tech-savvy as he is, must admit that he does not use such a device on a daily basis, and find his marks more easily with a traditional smartphone. This does not detract from Samsung's technological prowess, and especially how far the manufacturer has come in a year.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
A good student, Samsung has carefully corrected the most important flaws that its users and the press had highlighted about the Galaxy Fold. The result is a shiny Galaxy Z Fold 2, undeniably better than its predecessor.
There is already this front screen which, well, is used for something (it's not nothing). This interior surface, even more generous thanks to the absence of a notch and a refresh rate of 120 Hz. This native 5G compatibility thanks to the integration of a Snapdragon 865+ which, not to spoil anything, offers performance explosives to the latest Samsung.
But nothing is perfect in this world. Even a € 2,000 smartphone. Thus we particularly regret a starving autonomy, and a photo section that struggles to rise to the level of 2020 standards.
In the future, it is also hoped that Samsung will be able to do some weight loss on its folding smartphone to make it more convenient for everyone. Between the too elongated smartphone and the small tablet there is probably a happy medium that the manufacturer has not yet explored