Samsung was responsible for the explosion of interest in foldables last year with the Galaxy Fold. Now its successor is here — and it looks excellent.
Samsung’s first Galaxy Fold lit the fuse on an explosion of interest in foldable phones last year, and despite the durability issues it faced, Samsung has continued to push the category forward. The Galaxy Z Flip introduced a new clamshell-style foldable form factor, and now we have a new version of the phone that started it all: The Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is launching into a different world than the first Fold. Foldables are hardly “mainstream” devices, but they’ve been around for a while now. People have been using the Galaxy Fold for a year, the Motorola Razr for several months, and the Galaxy Z Flip for a while now. There’s also pressure from new dual-screen hinged devices like the Microsoft Surface Duo. And of course, with the Z Fold 2’s $2,000 price tag, you don’t expect to have to deal with compromises. Samsung has done a lot with the Z Fold 2 5G to bring it up to par with consumer expectations for this futuristic device category. Here are my impressions as I get my hands on the phone for the first time. While Samsung didn’t change the fundamental shape or functionality of the Galaxy Fold, it refreshed every surface with a new look. The design now fits directly in line with the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 series, with a sweet Mystic Bronze color, matte glass back, and sharper angles with flattened sides. Samsung kept the shiny edges and hinge, though, so the two-tone finish really pops. I love the flashy look; with a phone like this, there’s no reason to try and be subtle. The phone’s still a bit unwieldy, of course, at over 16mm thick and 280 grams — you’ll never forget this is in your pocket or bag. The hinge may not look different, but if you viewed a schematic of its inner workings, you’d see an entirely new layout.
