I was super hyped when I first came to know about the return of the Moto Razr. The shiny sleek little phone had a huge place in the hearts of all of us ‘90s kids, including myself.
But I thought, the new Moto Razr will be a novelty phone with just one or two editions. To my surprise, Samsung has followed suit and added their own contribution to the comeback of flip phones with their new Galaxy Fold.
To tell you the truth, it’s not just a flip phone with an Android OS, there is much more to it. Let’s take a closer look in my Samsung Galaxy Fold Review.
Wondering how Samsung Stacks up to Google in terms of Smartphones? Read our guide on comparing Google Pixel 3 vs. Samsung S9.
How the Design of this Flip Phone Impressed Me?
The Galaxy Fold is a simple, minimalist smartphone which just happens to be foldable. It does not come in flashy color and customizable back covers and all that funky stuff. But what it does have is a sleek and shiny exterior.
This can be protected by the matte black heavy duty case that comes with it. The positioning of the cameras on the back and both the fronts makes it super easy and fun to use. The only thing that might take a little time to get used to is the fingerprint sensor which is located on the side.
For those of us who are accustomed to having fingerprint sensors on the back or the front of their phones, this can be a little annoying at first. But once you get used to it, it works just fine.
The Dimensions Make it Easy to Handle
The dimensions of this phone turned out to be one of its key advantages, especially if you want to use a smart phone but don’t like carrying around a huge phone in your pocket all the time. When closed, this phone is 17 mm thick, which is about the thickness of a laptop. but in terms of width it’s really narrow and practically disappears into your pocket.
It weighs only about 276 grams, so it’s much lighter than you’d expect it to be. Once you unfold it, it feels almost like a square tablet in your hand. It does not flicker or move, but rather has a very solid and sturdy feel to its exterior. Of course, you’ll need two hands to properly operate it, but it felt nice and easy to handle in my hands.
How Good is the Folding Mechanism?
I was a bit skeptical about the folding mechanism of this phone. You see, it’s not the conventional kind of foldable phone. It does not flip open vertically, but rather horizontally. Means it opens side by side like a book. And it did create some problems in the beginning. The openings in the hinge and protective layer on the foldable OLED display appeared to be a little too tight.
But after several months of its launch, Samsung made amendments to the phone’s design and came back with the current version which is the closest you can get to perfection with foldable smart phones for the time being.
They installed new plastic closures at the top and the bottom of the screen to prevent dirt and dust from entering the phone’s nooks and crannies. They have rebuilt the hinge and now it has a much more minimized opening.
Overall, the folding mechanism has worked out very well for this phone in contrast to its predecessor. The hinge on both the sides of the phone holds firmly together when closed and when opened, you can practically see it lock into place.
This is a huge advantage for careless users like me who tend to unintentionally take parts of their phone apart while using it or taking it out my pocket. You won’t be able to detach or remove the protective layer above the screen as it won’t be protruding below the frame.
Camera of the Samsung Galaxy Fold Smartphone
To be honest, I find the ongoing trend of adding more cameras to the rear of the phone a bit intimidating. I mean, okay, the more cameras the better. I get it. Yet, having so many cameras at the back leaves very little space for holding the phone and using it efficiently.
Samsung probably read my mind and came up with a solution that gave us a phone with not two, not three, not four, but six cameras on board. That too without overcrowding the back of the phone.
The main camera on the back has an ultra wide angle 16 megapixel lens with f/2.2 aperture, a 12-megapixel variable aperture camera (f/1.5 and f/2.2) with OIS, and a 12-megapixel x2 telephoto lens with f/2.4 aperture and also OIS.
The rear camera technically resembles the configurations of the Galaxy 10 Plus, with the added benefit of having a bigger screen, which will allow you to take pictures, view them, and edit them more comfortably.
The AI on both the back and camera is a bit aggressive when it comes to making your photos look realistic. But the high details make up for it. The ultra-wide telephoto lens delivers an excellent performance if enough light is provided.
The Galaxy Fold is equipped with three sensors on the front camera. On the front part of the phone when it is closed, there is a 10 MP selfie camera with f/2.2 aperture. When you flip it open, there are two more 8 and 10 megapixel cameras (one with normal focal length, one with wide angle) for indoor selfies and videos.
The sensor on the 10 megapixel selfie camera is again similar to that of the Galaxy S10.
When it comes to shooting vides, the Galaxy Fold performs up to the mark as well. It can film in 2160p at 30fps and 1080p at 30 fps.
In A Nutshell
Overall, the phone has an out of the box design that at the same time provides an optimum quality and user experience.
It comes with both the benefits of having a large screen, and yet a narrow and compact exterior that you can slip into your pocket and head out. The six cameras on different portions of the phone entitled to serve different purposes is just the cherry on the top.
If you’re planning to get a unique smart phone that you will be able to rely on for a long time, this is definitely a phone to consider.
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