Review: (Redesigned!) Samsung Galaxy Fold

by Alex Dickie
October 31, 2019
3 min read

Samsung’s redesigned Galaxy Fold, is by far one of the most exciting devices of 2019.

This is the first major foldable device to be released and is the product of over 8 years of research and development by Samsung, so it’s fair to say that this has been very high anticipated!

Samsung Galaxy Fold | £2,200 ex-VAT

Fold & Display

The Galaxy Fold brings all the benefits of a tablet and the best bits of having a compact and portable handset, making media playback an exceptionally immersive experience.

When folded together, the device works as a more traditional smartphone with a front screen that’s responsive and well put together. This cover is actually a 4.6-inch Full HD+ Super AMOLED display with the traditional 21:9 aspect ratio and as we’ve come to expect of Samsung devices, is bright and clear.

Open it up and the Fold has a 7.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED ‘main’ display with a 1536 x 2152-pixel resolution at 362ppi. HDR10+ is also supported so colours and contrast ratios really are fantastic.

Engaging with media is definitely our favourite aspect of the Galaxy Fold and Multi-Active Window allows you to run 3 apps at once on the main screen, in whichever size formats take your fancy.

App Continuity is also brilliant and makes the transition from the cover screen to the main screen seamless. This API has also been made available to developers, so all major apps should support the transition from open to closed just as effortlessly.

The movement from open to closed is actually a lot smoother than we had first anticipated. The hinge in the centre consists of multiple interlocking gears that are hidden inside an enclosure; maintaining the sleek silhouette that is in keeping with the overall. Samsung says that is designed to withstand more than 200,000 folds; which translates to about 100 a day for 5 years.

Front display: 4.6″ Full HD+ Super AMOLED
21:9 aspect ratio
Main display: 7.3-inch Dynamic AMOLED
1536 x 2152
362ppi
HDR10+ support
Multi-active window supports 3 apps at once
App Continuity
Withstands 200,000+ folds

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Camera

Now, Samsung’s folding display really isn’t just a gimmick because this is a flagship device through and through.

Indeed, SIX cameras adorn the Galaxy Fold.

The main camera setup is to the rear of the device and consists of three lenses working in tandem.

The top lens is a 16MP ultra-wide-angle camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 123-degree field of vision, next comes the 12MP sensor with Samsung’s famed f/1.5-f/2.4 dual aperture tech and OIS, and lastly a telephoto camera with an f/2.4 aperture and OIS.

Final images are just as fabulous as you’d expect of a Samsung smartphone and Scene Optimiser is superb in automatically adjusting your camera settings for that perfect picture.

The selfie camera is accessible when opening the device up and utilises a 10MP shooter coupled with an 8MP depth-sensing camera that provides the information for background blur within Live Focus Mode.

Indeed, the dual front camera utilises AI smarts to detect faces, allowing you to experiment with blur and depth of field for what I think are some pretty decent selfies.

If that wasn’t enough, then there’s also a 10MP exterior camera on the cover display which allows for more instant pictures.

6 camera lenses in total
Triple lens setup on ‘main’ camera
16MP ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2 aperture, 123-degree FOV
12MP lens, f/1.5-f/2.4 dual aperture tech, OIS
Telephoto lens, f/2.4 aperture, OIS
Dual lens selfie camera
10MP lens
8MP depth-sensing camera
Single 10MP lens on cover display

Samsung Galaxy Fold

Performance

A Qualcomm SDM855 Octa-core processor, coupled with 12GB RAM ensures that this is a premium device in all senses and Samsung’s OneUI is as smooth and sophisticated as ever.

Whether the 4,380mAh battery gets you through the day depends entirely on how you plan on using the device. This comes packaged as two separate battery packs; one in each half and support fast charging and wireless charging, as well as Samsung’s Wireless Powershare.

Alongside this, you’re looking at 512GB of internal storage as well as microSD support up to 512GB. The USB-C cable is located on the bottom of the frame, and alas, there is no headphone jack!