The opening shots have finally been fired. Going beyond somewhat dubious prototypes, Samsung and Huawei have finally revealed fully working samples of their
The opening shots have finally been fired. Going beyond somewhat dubious prototypes, Samsung and Huawei have finally revealed fully working samples of their respective foldable smartphones. Unsurprisingly, the two stood at opposite sides when it came to deciding how the device should fold, which could very well determine how lines will be drawn between other companies that will also be getting into the game. But which side is right and which side folds the best? We take a look at these two trailblazers and see where they win and where they fall.
Samsung’s idea of the foldable phone, or at least the foldable tablet, comes as no surprise. It was one of the first to envision such a device even before it had a flexible display to speak of. Back then, however, it showed off the idea of a tablet that opens and closes like a book. It didn’t yet plan on making a phone that transforms into a tablet and all the design considerations that it involved.
The Galaxy Fold’s main display is, of course, the large 7.3-inch QXGA+ screen that gets folded inside the two halves. The second 4.6-inch screen on the outside not only has a much lower HD+ resolution, it doesn’t even stretch to all edges of the folded device, creating the impression of a small, embedded screen on top of a cover. The design of the Galaxy Fold, its construction, and the small external display is almost reminiscent of the Nokia Communicators of old, sans the physical keys.
The Pros
When the Mate X arrived just a few days after the Unpacked event, everyone went on about how Huawei’s version was more beautiful than Samsung’s. That’s not to say the Galaxy Fold is ugly but its design seems to be geared more towards its functionality. In other words, its beauty is more utilitarian, almost industrial, calling to mind the business-like palmtops and communicators of yesteryear.
The primary benefit of this “innie” design is that the most expensive component of the Galaxy Fold is protected when not in use. Presumably, there’s also less tress on the folded section of the screen compared to having it act like the spine of a book. This also means that Samsung has more freedom to put whatever it wants or needs on the opposite side of that display without having to resort to a separate grip-like structure.
