New Galaxy Fold hands-on: Make room for the comeback kid!

Last updated: September sixth, 2019 at 12:51 UTC+01:00

Many were quick to write off the Galaxy Fold when Samsung decided to delay the launch. They felt that Samsung had rushed the product in order to beat out Huawei to the market. Much like the death knell was rung for the Galaxy Annotation series after the Galaxy Annotation 7, the critics called on Samsung to dump the Galaxy Fold for expert and start all over again.

Personally, I was quite sad to return the Galaxy Fold review unit that we got back in April. Samsung decided to accept all of them back once the launch had been delayed. Many reviewers had managed to wreck their units only we didn't take whatever problems with it in the two weeks that we got with the device. Our sample didn't break yet Samsung took it back because information technology realized that some of the concerns were 18-carat and that more work was needed.

Hands-on with the "new" Milky way Fold

I have long been a believer in foldable devices. The mobile market needs a renaissance which the Galaxy Fold did bring nigh. Equally soon as I went dorsum to my Galaxy S10+ after returning the Galaxy Fold, it felt like a step backward. All of a sudden this very capable flagship device felt like an archaic representation of what a smartphone tin can be.

Some of you might feel that this is a tad likewise dramatic. I tin understand the skepticism from those who have never experienced the Galaxy Fold in person. That's nigh people to be honest since Samsung didn't allow the public to get up close and personal with the device. Their frame of reference was the word of some overzealous bloggers and YouTubers who had blown the issue out of proportion.

The Milky way Fold reimagines what a smartphone can exist. It has the capability to reinvigorate the mobile marketplace in ways that no device has been able to over the by few years. It cuts through the monotony that persists in the market and offers an feel that'due south entirely dissimilar. Yous already know what yous're going to get with a new iteration of an existing device. The Galaxy Fold gets you excited virtually a smartphone over again because at that place's the thrill of the unknown.

Samsung confirmed today that it's going to start selling the Galaxy Fold from tomorrow. Once it'due south out in South Korea on September 6, the Galaxy Fold will be released across Europe on September xviii. It will be available in the United States on September 27. It has made significant changes to improve the immovability of this device. The question I had in my mind before trying out the new and improved model was whether it would retain the same wow-gene. I'1000 happy to report that it does.

No major design changes were required to address the concerns that led to the initial delay. The most visible alter is the small piece of safety at the acme and bottom of the hinge. This significantly reduces the gap betwixt the hinge and the body to prevent foreign substances like dirt and grime from making its mode inside the device. Samsung also tucked the display's protective layer into the body itself and so that it could no longer be mistaken for a screen protector and removed.

We noted earlier today that the "new" Galaxy Fold is marginally thicker and heavier than the original. That was to be expected since there are even new metal layers underneath the panel itself for enhanced durability. This isn't a bargain-billow, though. You wouldn't even notice it. For most customers, this won't even be a comparison because they never got to hold the first iteration of the Milky way Fold.

What I was most looking forward to was the satisfying snap with which the Galaxy Fold opens and closes. We had sung its praises in our initial review of the Galaxy Fold. There was some business concern that perhaps these structural enhancements might accept altered that somewhat. Samsung has hit a home run here. The swivel feels but as capable as before. It'south not flimsy and it doesn't betray a lack of durability.

Samsung does announced to have polished the user interface a bit more in the time that information technology has had to tinker with the Galaxy Fold. It continues to focus on the ease of running multiple apps on the 7.iii-inch foldable display. Features like App Continuity will seamlessly transition supported apps between the comprehend and the foldable brandish when the device is unfolded. All of these features seem to be a chip more than polished than before and that's certainly a good thing. The Galaxy Fold is however running Android nine.0 Pie with Samsung'due south One UI skin on top.

I'm happy to see that the Galaxy Fold has non lost its wow factor. It's an unreal experience to unfold the device and experience the gorgeous display on the inside. Once you've had a gustation of this you'll find it so very hard to get back to your old phone.

Equally you can probably guess, I can't wait to go my Milky way Fold. I would also like to take a moment to give thanks Samsung for continuing to believe in its product. The Galaxy Fold is an infrequent product. Sure, in that location was a misstep, but Samsung has fully owned upwards to that and made amends. It rightly deserves praise and recognition for that. The Galaxy Fold has risen like a phoenix from the ashes and vindicated Samsung's position that it can deliver something truly special with its offset foldable smartphone.