Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 Long-term Review

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is still one of the most unique smartphones in the market today as it features a foldable form factor which is still rare despite being a second-generation smartphone. When it was launch, I was one of the first ones to get dibs on the smartphone as I was really interested in the form factor, and today, I’m gonna share with you my experience with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 after using it for 8 months

Solid and tough build

One of the main concerns of people who want to own the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is the hinge and Samsung has improved it over the original Galaxy Fold and I mean, they really improve it as the hinge of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is capable of handling different angles. In my usage, the firmness of the hinge never changes despite using the smartphone for months, it doesn’t feel loose.

You might’ve read in a review before that there’s a gap inside the smartphone when closing it and honestly, I didn’t have an issue with it as the smartphone’s gap isn’t that big. The smartphone comes with Gorilla Glass 6 protection while the Gorilla Glass Victus protects the cover display of the smartphone and I dropped the smartphone without a case a few times and surprisingly, the glass was tough and it didn’t break but of course, I did see some scratches on the body of the smartphone. So I highly suggest that you get a case for the smartphone.

Despite being thicker than most smartphones due to its form factor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 can still fit in one hand when it’s closed and I can still type on it easily. The rounded edges and the hinge does help in the ergonomics of the smartphone.

The fingerprint scanner is strategically placed on the side of the smartphone and it’s very easy to access and since this is also the fingerprint scanner, it’s way faster for me to unlock this compared to using an in-display fingerprint scanner on the smartphone.

As expected, there’s no headphone jack on this smartphone but the USB-C port is already enough for me as I’m using the Galaxy Buds Live for months now and it’s already enough for me but of course, your experience would be better if you have the Samsung Galaxy Buds Pro. Speaking of the USB-C port, unfortunately, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is still using a 25W charging so it still takes some time before you can fully charge your smartphone but thankfully, it supports wireless charging.

Flexible display

The displays are the main highlight of the smartphone. We got here a 6.23-inch cover display while the foldable display inside is a 7.6-inch display with a 120hz refresh rate and honestly, I didn’t mind the 60Hz refresh rate on the cover display of the smartphone and as for the crease in the foldable display? Well, I already got used to it and it isn’t as bad as you think it is. I actually forget that there was a crease in the middle after some time of using it.

Of course, the colors on the main display were great despite being a foldable smartphone and it was usable even under direct sunlight. The colors were great and there were no damages or even discoloration despite using the smartphone for months. The crease of the smartphone also didn’t change.

Flex mode

The Flex mode was one of the unique features of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 and in my usage, this was really helpful especially when I’m taking photos or videos of myself so I don’t have to use a tripod anymore. It’s also perfect when checking photos and watching videos as I don’t have to hold the smartphone anymore when placing it on a flat surface

I installed the Nicelock and also the Multistar inside the application on the Galaxy Z Fold2 as I can customize my usage of the smartphone. Whenever I fold the smartphone I can use half the screen for one app and another for the other half. It’s perfect for me when I’m writing my reviews on a table and I only have my Z Fold 2.

Normal battery life

As for the battery life of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2, I’m just fine with it and the smartphone could last a day of normal usage for me but sometimes, I still bring a powerbank with me but compared to other flagship smartphones out there in the market, it’s still lagging at 25W.

Software and performance

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes in One UI 3.1 based on Android 11 and so far, I didn’t have any problems with it. Of course, the apps and look of the One UI are still the same but since this is a foldable smartphone, there are features that are exclusive to the smartphone including app continuity. Basically, when you open an application on the cover display, you can still continue using it on a larger display without problems.

My problem with the Galaxy Fold has been fixed too as apps don’t weirdly stretch anymore when opening it on the cover display then switching it to the foldable display. However, switching some app’s screen ratio from the cover display to the foldable display might require you to restart the game or app in case it’s not supported.

As for the performance, I’m really happy that they’ve used the Snapdragon 865+ on this one instead of the Exynos processor as the Snapdragon variant produces less heat and consistent performance, and in our benchmarks, I was pretty happy with the results that I got on the smartphone.

When it comes to gaming, the performance of the smartphone was really good and as expected, it was able to run all of the games that I want on the smartphone including Genshin Impact but of course, it was able to run at the highest settings however I notice that the FPS wasn’t consistent after some time of use which is what I expected on the smartphone for its specs.

Camera

The camera of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 isn’t on par with the one on the Samsung Galaxy S21 series and I’ve seen improvements after the updates on the smartphone. But first, let’s talk about the triple rear camera of the smartphone. There are three 12MP cameras which are wide, telephoto, and ultrawide. For the selfie cameras, there are two selfie cameras with one on the cover display and the other one on the foldable display.

As expected, the ultrawide doesn’t have the same quality as the main camera but the main camera of the smartphone does perform just fine, it’s just that it’s not the best one in the flagship segment.

Most of the shots that I took were just fine but I notice that it’s not the sharpest one out there and in low light, it doesn’t have the same quality that we’re getting on the Galaxy S21 series but hey, at least it’s still fine.

As for the selfie camera, there’s the 10MP selfie camera on both the cover display and the foldable display of the smartphone. I was happy with the selfie cameras on the smartphone and it was fine for video calls and selfies but again, it’s not the best out there in the market.

But the best part about it is that I can fold the smartphone and use flex mode with it. Not only that, because I can also use this so I don’t have to use a tripod for the smartphone anymore. I can take videos without problems on the selfie camera of the smartphone thanks to it.

Verdict

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is definitely unique. It has fixed the problems that we encountered on the original Galaxy Fold including a better hinge, flex mode, and of course, better app continuity. There’s an upgrade in the rear camera and yes, it’s good, but it’s definitely not on the level of the Galaxy S21.

Again, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 is more polished and a lot better than the predecessor but is it worth it? Yes, if you have the money. It might be expensive compared to other smartphones but what we’re getting here is a smartphone that can also be your tablet thanks to its foldable display.

The foldable display can also help us be more productive and have more screen estate so we can see more and do more on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2.