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Does Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2 finally keep the foldable phones' biggest promise of an everyday display and a larger one when you need it all in one pocketable device? If it did, that would make the Z Fold 2 the current best foldable phone given its display and hardware specs.
As we find out in our review, largely yes, taking the crown of the best foldable phone from Huawei's Mate Xs, but with some expected caveats.
Chief among those are the price for a still relatively thick and heavy design, and some aspect ratio limitations when displaying games or video that offset the usefulness of the large screen. All of these seem to be common for foldable phones, though, at least these first iterations, as the market niche is still in its nascence.
Other than those, we found the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to be a great living proof for the foldable phone concept, with serious added value when it comes to multitasking. We enjoyed to carry it around, and use the large external display for our day-to-day smartphone-ing, then unfurl it open for longer reads, browsing sessions, working on documents, to game or watch video.
It performs heavy tasks with aplomb, the battery life in everyday activities is good, the new Hideaway Hinge moves in a smooth yet sturdy manner, and the camera samples are up there with the best, especially the selfie shots with the main sensor. All in all, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 can convince you in the viability of bendy phones as the future going forward, if you can swallow that early adopter pricing... and (nudge, wink) a skinny jeans bulge.
What's in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 box? Sorry, no earphones or case of any kind, just like with the Note 20 in the US:
- Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G
- Data Cable
- Travel Adapter
- Ejection Pin
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Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 hinge durability and displays
We'll start with the most pressing question on your mind - how durable is the Galaxy Z Fold 2 compared to its Galaxy Fold predecessor that had its fair share of opening and closing issues? Well, we are glad to report that Samsung has improved greatly in that respect, and not only have the two pre-launch issues with the OG Fold - the polyimide display cover and the hinge gaps - been addressed, but the two components have been entirely replaced with new approaches to the foldable phone design.
Also, the Galaxy Z Premier Service that comes with the phone offers a one-time display replacement for accidental damage at just $149, taking the load off your worried shoulders, along with other concierge and club membership services.
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First off, the 7.6" foldable display is now covered with Samsung's Ultra Thin Glass (UTG) material that it used on the Z Flip. This not only prevents deeper scratches and peeling that were common on the review OG Fold units, but also provides a clearer, more transparent display window. The UTG layer is still covered with a protective film, though, just as on the Z Flip, which would ding if you are not careful. The 6.2" external display is protected with the newest Gorilla Glass Victus, just as on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra. There is a pre-applied plastic screen protector on top, which is nice to have, but that protector amassed a few tiny scratches quickly after a day or two of use. The rear body cover is made of Gorilla Glass 6, as Samsung deemed it sufficient to handle high drops when in a case.
There's still a crease in the middle, though, and don't expect hardness wonders compared to the Z Flip, as Korean sources tip that the Z Fold 2's display surface durability nearly matches that of the clamshell foldable, and it is only next year when we can expect the second UTG generation to change things for the better. Still, the UTG cover can be bent hundreds of thousands of times with no issues.
Moving on to the so-called Hideaway Hinge, Samsung has miniaturized and upgraded the "sweeper" tech of the Flip's hinge to prevent dust and debris lodging between the hinge components, or, worse, reaching the display underside like they did on the first Fold.
In 21 countries, including the US and Europe, the hinge can be customized in several extra colors than the Bronze and Black of the Z Fold 2's body via an online tool - Metallic Silver, Metallic Gold, Metallic Red, and Metallic Blue, sweet! As for new functionality, the smooth Hideaway Hinge can now deliver several "Flex" modes for the screen halves - from 75 to 115 degrees - depending on the usage scenario.
Is the Galaxy Z Fold 2's hinge indeed sturdier and more user-friendly than before? We tested the modes, and it indeed tilts and holds the promised Flex mode range in a smooth and stable manner, while we were able to extend that range beyond the 75-115 degrees that Samsung promises, boding well for the long-term endurance, as Samsung has apparently left some leeway in the hinge's movements.
The Flex modes present some interesting use cases, too, allowing us to split the screen halves between content and navigation interface, like in the video and music players, or the camera app, and even with chatting or typing messages. Not a breathtaking added value, but it's there, and wasn't present on the OG Fold.
How good are the actual displays? The external one on the Z Fold 2, called Cover Display, is with a bit squished aspect ratio, so its content-showing area is smaller than you'd expect from the touted 6.2" diagonal.
We've been getting increasingly used to these tall and narrow designs, as manufacturers don't leave us much choice in the name of ergonomics and "all-screen" designs but the keyboard on the external screen feels very cramped when you have to shoot back a reply or share something with one hand and don't want to open the phone to do it.
On the other hand, the narrow Cover Display makes for a very narrow phone when closed, surprisingly usable when holding it with one hand, and frolicking around, better than the Note 20 Ultra, in any case. The fingerprint scanner on the side works like a charm, and we actually prefer it this way, as the under-display ultrasonic one that Samsung uses for its flagships, is slower than the good ol' capacitive one of the Z Fold 2.
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Our display benchmarks of the cover screen showed a panel worthy to be your daily driver, with high peak brightness, correct white balance, and good color representation. This is important, as that's the screen you may be using most often on the Z Fold 2 if out and about. Unfortunately, it's a 60Hz affair, but baby steps.
Display measurements and quality
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The star of the show, the 7.6" flexible main screen, gives away a bit in terms of brightness and color presentation, compared to the best rigid displays, as you can see in our measurements above, but it's still plenty bright for outdoor viewing, and has a white balance very close to the ideal reference point, no yellow or blue tints here.
The Main Display also has a new 120Hz adaptive refresh mode - a first for a foldable phone - that ups or lowers the refresh speed depending on the content shown to save on battery. That dynamic refresh has been lacking in the S20 series 120Hz panels, but was introduced in the Note 20 Ultra, and we are glad to see the smooth scrolling and uninterrupted interface flow have carried over to Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 2, despite its bendy display nature. Does the 120Hz refresh work at full resolution? Still not, but it works well in the default mode, and is for us the biggest, most refreshing update a phone's screen can currently have.