With the original Galaxy Fold, Samsung took a major leap into creating an entirely new type of mobile device. However, like a lot of innovative first-gen gadgets, the Fold was just as much of a tech demo as it was a true retail device. But with the Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G, Samsung appears to have addressed many of the original Fold’s shortcomings while also refining and evolving its flexible display tech.
Sporting a 7.6-inch main display, the Z Fold 2's flexible screen is slightly larger than the one on its predecessor (7.3-inches for the original Fold), while also boasting slightly better durability thanks to the use of Samsung’s ultra thin flexible glass. Samsung claims it has re-engineered the entire structure of its ultra thin glass to provide increased durability, rigidity, and scratch-resistance.
That said, some of the Z Fold 2's most important improvements come from the phone’s revamped build and design, which includes an 6.2-inch exterior cover screen that’s nearly twice as large as before and takes up practically the entire front of the phone. Samsung also looks to have significantly thinned down the size of the Z Fold 2's bezels, increasing the ratio of usable screen real estate while simultaneously beefing up its hinge and creating a slimmer overall body that measures just 6mm thick.
On the inside of the hinge, Samsung even added new sweeper bristles that should do a better job of keeping dirt or other detritus from getting inside the phone, while shorter bristles mean the hinge mechanism takes up less space. While each change on its own might seem small, when combined, the result is a significant much sleeker-looking and polished device.
As far as components go, with Samsung expected to include a Snapdragon 865+ processor, 12GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage, the Z Fold 2 almost certainly won’t be hurting for performance. And along with full support for 5G connectivity, the Z Fold 2 also comes with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, a triple camera module in back, an upgraded camera in front, and a new punch-hole selfie camera on the inside that takes up significantly less space than the massive notch on the original Fold.
Now I admit that for some folks, the placement of that interior selfie cam two-thirds down along the top of the screen might seem a little weird, but when you remember that because the screen Z Fold’s 2 screen bends in half, it’s not really feasible to put a camera smack dab in the middle.
Elsewhere, the Z Fold 2 comes with the usual USB-C port on the bottom, though to some people’s dismay, Samsung hasn’t included a headphone jack or stylus support, the latter of which has been high up on the wish list as it would transform the Galaxy Z Fold 2 into a Super Galaxy Note of sorts.
Of course, right now, the big question is if the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will put as big of a hole in your wallet as the original, which cost an eye-watering $1,980 at launch.
But to me, the big takeaway from the Z Fold 2's debut is that for all the people who were concerned about the durability and longevity of Samsung’s first foldable phone (and rightly so), the Galaxy Z Fold 2 looks like it has really evolved into the sophisticated, futuristic device a lot of bleeding-edge enthusiasts wanted from the original.
So far, Samsung hasn’t set an official shipping date for the Galaxy Z Fold 2, but Samsung has said pre-orders for the Fold will go live on September 1, with more details about Samsung’s next flagship foldable phone slated to arrive later this fall.