Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
The Galaxy Fold is an ambitious first attempt at a new smartphone form factor for Samsung.
- Samsung's Galaxy Fold has a large, beautiful screen and lasts for a long time on a single charge.
- But its crease is certainly noticeable, and the front screen is much too small to be very useful.
- The biggest setback, other than the reported issues with its display, is its high price of nearly $2,000.
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Samsung's Galaxy Fold is technically a smartphone, but it doesn't always feel like one when you're using it - and it certainly isn't priced like one.
The nearly $2,000 device, which Samsung delayed releasing after some reviewers reported that the screen on their phones had broken after two days of use, has a 4.6-inch cover screen and unfolds to reveal a 7.3-inch tablet-sized display. When folded, it feels noticeably longer and skinnier than the average smartphone, and when unfolded, it primarily serves as a tablet. This design enables it to offer an entertainment experience that's superior to that of most other mobile devices, but its unconventional build also means there are some quirks that can make using it feel awkward.
The Galaxy Fold is an ambitious first attempt at a new smartphone form factor for Samsung, and it's very much just that - a first attempt. The phone's launch has been marred by issues with durability, causing Samsung to push back the device's April 26 launch as it runs additional internal tests. It's planning to announce a new release date in the coming weeks.
After spending a full week with a perfectly functional Galaxy Fold, here's a look at my favorite features, as well as the areas in which I think it could be improved. While it clearly feels like a first-generation product that's more expensive than it's worth, using it helped me understand why Samsung and other large tech firms are investing in foldable phone technology.