Last Updated on December 10, 2020 by Rick Darlinton
The highly anticipated Samsung Z Fold 2 has been released. Want to know if this Samsung gadget is worth the hype? Follow our review of the Samsung Z Fold 2, which is an in-depth assessment of the folding smartphone. Enough talk, let’s get down to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 review.
Design
Like its predecessor, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a cover screen that unfolds into a large interior display. But the Galaxy Z Fold 2 smartphone does one better than its obsolete sibling with its 6.23 inches cover screen and 7.6 inches inner display.
The closed Z Fold 2 has dimensions of 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm and opens to 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm. While this folding smartphone lacks the height of its predecessor, it offers a more expansive viewing pleasure through its significant width. Also, the 9.9 ounces of the Z Fold 2 is weightier than that of the 9.48 ounces of the Fold 1.
Samsung deploys its proprietary ultra-thin glass display in the Z Fold 2 cover screen – an improvement over the abysmal plastic seen in the first installment. It does improve the feel of the cover screen when using the phone, but the unfolded screen is still plastic.
The foldable phone has a glass back, so you might want to careful when handling it. Its fingerprint sensor is located on the side of the phone.
The Z Fold 2 opens and closes due to the state-of-the-art hinge inculcated in the device, and you don’t have to worry about dirt and debris getting into the smartphone, thanks to the sweeper technology involved. Frankly, the flexibility of the folding smartphone’s screen is tied to its hinge; you can adjust the screen as you deem fit.
The Z Fold 2 is certainly an upgrade on its predecessor as it lacks the hideous notch found on the latter’s inner screen. Replacing the unsightly appendage is a much-needed front-facing camera, so selfies can be taken with ease.
For a highly dynamic device, the Z Fold 2 is constrained to only two colors, the Mystic duo( black and bronze) – let’s no getting into those limited edition units. Fortunately, you can improve its looks through an array of hinge colors, but this will depend on where you get it.
Display
The Galaxy Fold 2 features an adaptive screen, so it goes with the flow as far as the refresh rate is concerned.
With a refresh rate of 120Hz for its larger screen, the Z Fold 2 outperforms its predecessor’s 60 Hz, and it does wonders for the ease of operation of the folding device.
Just so you know, the 120Hz refresh rate doesn’t extend to the cover screen, so don’t expect the same level of smoothness. Samsung deploys its innovative OLED screen for the outer display, and its efficacy is reflected in how easy it is to navigate. The catch with the cover screen is that the aspect ratio falls short of what’s obtainable in many regular smartphones, so it might take some getting used to.
Performance
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 proves to be an upgrade on the previous Galaxy Fold device and this is due to some additions/ adjustments made. One of the most conspicuous features of the foldable phone is the personalized app dock, which is located on either side of the big screen.
You can move apps from the dock to any segment of the inner screen. As a modification of Android’s split-screen, the large screen can support multiple apps in a variety of formats using easily adjustable panes.
For productivity geeks, the Z Fold 2 has a flex mode that allows you to get the most out of your apps. The flex mode puts the tools and content in separate panes, so it’s easier to navigate the apps. Of course, not all the apps are compatible with the flex mode. But Samsung continues to collaborate with app developers, so more apps are expected to be useable in flex mode with time.
With the Z Fold 2, you can open a trio of apps at once – with just one touch. You’ll need to personalize the apps in this mix. The arrangement of the apps isn’t fixed, just drag & drop the apps to the preferred window.
On the Galaxy Z Fold 2, apps opened on the cover screen stay open when you unfold the mobile phone. Often, some apps tend to buck that trend by restarting when you unfold the device, so don’t panic when such happens.
Samsung slammed the Z Fold 2 with a 12GB RAM, and the result is boost in the performance of the foldable device. At the core of the smartphone is the highly regarded Snapdragon 865 Plus processor, so performance should be of the highest level. The Z Fold 2 comes with 256 GB of storage, but it can’t be expanded, making the foldable phone rather lackluster considering the incredulous price tag.
Camera
For such a high-end device, the camera of the Z Fold 2 doesn’t impress. Equipped with a trio of 12MP cameras, each with distinct capabilities.
There’s a a12MP camera that is capable of taking pictures at wide angles. The second goes the extra mile with its wide angles capacity peaking at 123° – an improvement on the first. Thanks to the third 12MP, you can zoom in and take pictures using its zoom capabilities.
The cover screen sports a 10MP camera, so you can take pictures without unfolding the Z Fold 2.
Battery
Powering the Z Fold 2 are two Lithium-Polymer batteries with a combined capacity of 4,500 mAh. It’s higher than that of the Galaxy Fold.
Depending on usage, the foldable device can stay active for as much as 10 hours. With the Z Fold 2 having two screens, you can’t complain.
Despite the substantial capacity of the batteries, charging shouldn’t take forever. Samsung’s renowned charging options – Power share reverse charging, wireless charging, and 25W fast charging – can get the Z Fold 2 batteries to full capacity in no time. Yet, the foldable phone’s charging time remains far behind that of other high-end gadgets like the S20 Ultra.
Specifications of the Galaxy Fold 2
| Dimension | Folded: 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 mm
Unfolded: 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 mm |
| Display size | 6.23-inch cover screen(HD) +7.6-inch inner display(FHD) |
| Chip | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ |
| Memory | 12GB RAM+256G ROM |
| Camera | Triple 12Mp +10MP selfie |
| Memory card | Not supported |
| Battery | 4500mAh; 25W wired fast charging;11W wireless charging |
| Network | 5G/4G and more |
| Fingerprint | Side-mounted fingerprint |
| system | Android 10 |