Introduction
Earlier this year, well it was supposed to be last year but we got delayed, we reviewed the Samsung Galaxy Fold, which was a unique device but not really recommending anyone to buy it. Moving to a few months ago, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 was announced. This time around, Samsung has made a few improvements and I happened to be using the device for a short period. Without further ado, here’s the full review!
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 Specs
- Screen
- Main Screen: 7.6″ QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (22.5:18) Infinity Flex Display (2,208 x 1,768)
- Cover Screen: 6.2” HD+ Super AMOLED Display (25:9), 2,260 x 816
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB internal storage
- Camera
- Cover Camera: 10MP Selfie Camera: F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 80˚
- Front Camera: 10MP Selfie Camera: F2.2, Pixel size: 1.22μm, FOV: 80˚
- Rear Triple Camera:
- 12MP Ultra Wide Camera: F2.2 ,Pixel size: 1.12μm, FOV: 123˚
- 12MP Wide-angle Camera: Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8, Pixel size: 1.8μm, FOV: 83˚
- 12MP Telephoto Camera: PDAF, F2.4, OIS, Pixel size: 1.0μm, FOV: 45˚
- Dual OIS, 0.5x out and 2x optical zoom, Up to 10x digital zoom, HDR10+ recording, Tracking AF
- 4,500mAh battery with fast charging on wired and wireless
- Samsung One UI 2.5 based on Android 10
Design
We’ll skip the unboxing part since my review unit isn’t the final retail version. According to Samsung Malaysia, it seems that the Z Fold2 doesn’t have that rich unboxing experience as last year’s Fold. You won’t get accessories like wireless earbuds and the protective case.
Like its predecessor, the Z Fold2 is still thick when it is folded, still reminds me of the old thick brick phone. The volume rocker, power button, and SIM slot are still located on the right. Finally, Samsung has integrated the fingerprint sensor into the power button, and it works well!
It still comes with stereo speakers, which located on the top and bottom. There’s also the USB-C port at the bottom, not to forget that the frame is now flatter and comes with a brushed aluminum finish, instead of the glossy one last year. One noticeable improvement is the gap, which is now smaller when folded.
And the new Hideaway Hinge, which first debuted on the Z Flip. It now hinges on CAM technology that lets you lock the screen at a variety of angles, meaning you can now unfold the device at any angle and Samsung has a special feature that caters to it — Flex mode. Overall, it feels much more solid and satisfying for the whole folding and unfolding experience.
The back of the device is pretty much like the narrower version of the Note20 series, which also has a huge camera bump. It has the same matte finishing that is nice to touch, and I really love the Mystic Bronze color option!
When it’s unfolded, you’ll see the 7.6-inch main display with a hole-punch 10MP selfie camera. Samsung has removed the huge notch from the predecessor and decided to just put the hole-punch selfie camera. Though I do think that there’s no need to have a selfie camera on the main screen and cover screen.
Display
Once again, Samsung has opted for the cover screen and main screen solution. The cover screen is now a 6.2” HD+ Super AMOLED display, while the main screen is a 7.6″ QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X (22.5:18) Infinity Flex display. These two screens are actually an improvement, a significant one!
Let’s start with the cover screen, which is now bigger! Yup, you no longer have to deal with the thick top and bottom bezels like on the original Fold, which now looks more like a proper phone and I must say I actually quite enjoy using the cover screen more than before.
As for the main screen, it now comes with a 120Hz refresh rate! That high refresh rate actually reduces the jelly scroll effect from the original Fold. Of course, to save battery life, the screen refresh rate itself will switch all the way down to 11Hz or all the way up to 120Hz depending on which task you’re performing.
Like the Z Flip, the screen has an ultra-thin layer of bendable glass underneath the polymer layer. Don’t get me wrong! It is still more fragile than a proper glass, which will leave marks and scratches after using it for a long time. The crease is still visible when looking at an angle, but not a big deal if you are the user.
Performance
Powering the Z Fold2 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus processor with 12GB RAM and 256GB non-expandable storage. Unlike last year’s Fold, the Z Fold2 has half of the storage, which is a little bit disappointed. Performance is pretty good as expected, I was able to play Call of Duty: Mobile in “Very High” graphic quality and “Max” frame rate. As for PUBG Mobile, I was able to run “HD”, “HDR”, and “Smooth” graphics with “Extreme” frame rate.
Software
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 runs on One UI 2.5 based on Android 10. Yes, it’ll get three generations of Android OS upgrades. The overall user experience is pretty much similar to the Z Flip. This time around, the device comes with an improved App Continuity feature and Flex mode, which lets you have the flexibility to switch in between both screens. Take note that the App Continuity feature won’t work on every app and there might be some scaling issues. Flex mode now lets you take photos and videos from angles that most smartphones can’t — without extra equipment. It also comes with an auto framing feature to make your vlogs hands-free while staying in focus.
What better to take advantage of its big-screen than having the multitasking feature? The App Pair feature now lets you launch up to 3 apps simultaneously — and if you save the layout, it’ll open that same way every time. You can also use your finger to easily Drag and Drop between apps.
Lastly, you can use the main and cover screen at the same time with Dual Preview, both parties can see what’s being captured. You can also take a high-quality selfie with the rear cameras with the Cover Screen acting as the viewfinder.
Camera
The Z Fold2 comes with a triple-camera setup on the back — 12MP ultra-wide + 12MP main with OIS + 12MP 2x telephoto lens with OIS. Nope, this is not the latest triple-camera setup you get on Samsung other 2020 flagships, but still a good one.
Image quality is more of the same as the original Fold, the photos captured with three different focal length cameras turned out to have quite consistent colors. Honestly, if you want the best Samsung camera, this is not the one but it’s good enough for your social media usage. Click here to check out all the camera samples in full-res.
Battery Life
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 packs a 4,500mAh battery with fast charging on wired and wireless. The battery life of last year’s Fold wasn’t impressive, and that’s the same story for the Z Fold2 as well. I was able to last through a day with around 4.5 hours of screen-on-time.
Final Words
Retailing at RM7,999, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is priced lower than the original Fold initial launch price. As usual, Samsung Malaysia lets you buy this device with a 0% installment plan for up to 24 months and you’ll get the Galaxy Z Premier Service that includes Galaxy Z Concierge and a 1-year Samsung Care+ protection.
Is it a huge improvement over its predecessor? Yes! Do I recommend you to get this device? No! Well, I don’t really recommend people spending that much money to get a “phone”, even though it’s a phone that can transform into a tablet. But when you look at a phone that costs half of its price that can still run the same apps and perform the same tasks, why would somebody actually spend that much to get it?
True, it’s really a huge improvement over the first-gen Fold, but it’s also a luxury product at the same time that most people shouldn’t even consider.