THE EMPIRE
Samsung sent over their latest bit of kit for a longer in depth review, So I’ve been daily driving it.
Lets start with the specs of the phone and pricing:
The units range from a 256gb storage to 1TB and 12-16GB of ram depending which trim level you decide to get, Whilst a 1TB onboard would be ideal, and 256 would likely fill up fast, you would be smart to have an established cloud storage system that automatically syncs to your laptop or personal storage as it will not take long to clog your phone with 20 of the same selfie videos trying to get that one perfect shot, before you know it your phone is full and sending error messages. It would be nice if phone companies allowed the SD card expansion as on previous models, however I would expect this is a purposeful push towards encouraging cloud storage. Home storage solutions like a NAS (network access storage) is a good way to keep your data your own. With pricing starting at $3099.00 for the 256GB storage with 12GB of Ram up to the 1TB storage and 16GB of Ram at $4299.00, that’s beyond flagship pricing for less than flagship specs. For comparison the S26 Ultra 1TB/256GB with a significantly better camera array is cheaper than the entry level fold.
Redeeming Features of the Fold:
There was quite a lot to like about this phone, some of it I’m sure will transfer over to other devices, one of my key take aways was the fingerprint reader built into the lock button, that makes one less step to accessing your phone. As we all access our phones on average over 150 times a day, this is one less step in that. I also didn’t mind using the minor screen on the exterior for small / quick tasks, the User Interface is smaller and that didn’t bother me, its easy to use and a quick reply to a message is easily done one handed on the external displays keyboard, or picking your next Spotify song without having to open the whole device up. When you do decide you need a bit more, the screen more than doubles in size and creates a much more enjoyable and even shareable viewing experience if you are doom scrolling or sharing one of our YouTube videos with friends. Using the fold half folded is an interesting experience, almost like a mini laptop with the keyboard on the ‘base’ with a screen you can watch while you type, if you’re a tiny person with tiny hands. I generally was able to use this for most tasks with one hand. The screens have each been designed with social media in mind, with the closed screen in 10:16 and the unfolded display in 4:3, more on that later.
The less ideal experience:
Whilst it was fun getting to know the Fold, it did have its limitations. For me I value a good camera and multitasking over all in my device, we take a lot of pictures for our various socials and the flagship cameras are good enough for that, however the camera on this phone doesn’t get the same array of cameras at the higher spec phones as I would expect it would drive the price to an even more insane level. I struggle to justify the spend on a device that does a thing that I don’t care for or need. The ability to have a limited phone experience vs a ‘better than most’ with the unfolded display, which is great by the way. means that if you’re like me and your phone time is either quick and purposeful against doom scrolling then it does somewhat create that environment for you, if I don’t want to doom scroll, I won’t open it unless there is a specific job to do. much like a mindset of ‘ I go to the gym to work, so when I’m there I work’ which for someone like me who has to actively limit time on my phone to be more present in the moment is a game changer. The problems started to show when app switching. For example, Instagram and Facebook, two of my main apps I use on my phone for time wasting, run different perspectives natively on the open display, that means rotating your phone between apps, I didn’t like that at all. Not to mention, most phone based software like Snapseed that I use for editing mobile photos doesn’t fill the screen and content shot in 16:9 leaves a lot of unused space on the display or it will punch in and you will lose elements from the sides of the content.
Ai Stuff:
It’s no secret I’m not a fan of the direction and trajectory that Ai is currently having. Samsung are one of the 3 largest producers of chips, they in theory should be able to offer their devices at a lower price point as the chips aren’t going through a mark up process. The levels of creativity being lost and original ideas out the window because of Ai is saddening to me, not to mention that we don’t google things anymore, we just ask our Ai companion in our phone what things are or how to do something all using those chips in the data centres. Devices are encouraging this sort of thing when we can just use voice recognition to ask stupid shit to solve pointless arguments, whilst complaining about the price of products which are a direct result of our own common behaviours with it. Not to mention data security being paramount for most however largely ignored with what we’re putting online ourselves.
Overall:
If having the ability to maximize your screen at any moment is something that you like, then a folding phone is a good option. Samsung are known to be market leaders in both chips and displays not just in their mobile range. The ability to choose by the current state of your folding device relative to the task at hand is something I valued. The effective use of the time we spend on our devices is highlighted when there is an action to change the state of opening ones device, especially when it takes 2 hands to open the thing. I tried a few ways to get it open with one hand however it did seem to always be a two hand job.
Another draw back for me was the lack of cases, my phones don’t get looked after, I always have some sort of robust case on them, the protection value is greater than the cost of the extra bulk. Not to mention these days I use a Quadlock system which works between my Car and Motorcycle for mounting which isn’t an option for the folding phones at all, unless you use a stick on quad lock interface which offers no protection.
For the most part it will do all the things any other phone will do, the limitations are often user specific to niche needs like mine. there are protective cases, there are great apps and it is a good experience if it fits your lifestyle. for me unfortunately it didn’t and I would sooner get a flagship phone with an industry leading camera like the S26 ultra as I do use the pen function often on my phone.
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