Home » Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Hands-On

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 5G Hands-On

Written By Alyza Angeles
Published • October 20th, 2020
Hands-onMobile
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Ever since Samsung released the first generation Galaxy Z Fold, it’s been one of the most anticipated devices that people look forward to. It even blew our minds when we had our hands-on with it. However, it’s plagued with several issues, and it’s pretty understandable since it’s the company’s initial attempt at the folding screen world.

Samsung addressed these issues and, thus, the release of the Galaxy Z Fold2 5G. Find out our initial thoughts about it.

To say that the Galaxy Z Fold2 is a cool device would be an understatement. It’s stunning and looks very premium. It’s one of those devices that you would excitedly flex to the crowd. From the get-go, the device did get incremental upgrades.

When folded, it now sports an external display of a 6.2-inch HD+ Super AMOLED display with an aspect ratio of 25:9 and a dot notch up top. We’re glad that Samsung shifted to this screen size as this is more convenient if using the device for regular use instead of the 4.6-inch tiny display from its predecessor. Obviously, it’s a chunky phone so expect a bulge when you put in your pockets. It’s also quite hefty at 282g.

In line with Samsung’s latest flagship smartphones, the Z Fold 2 comes in this sophisticated Mystic Bronze color. There’s also a Mystic Black variant available for a more classic look. Compared to the first Fold, the Z Fold 2’s hinge is more solid and doesn’t feel flimsy. You’ll also find here the only Samsung logo embedded.

Flipping the device open, we get a vast 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Infinity Flex Display with a resolution of 2208 x 1768 and a pixel density of 373ppi. It also features HDR 10+ and a 120Hz refresh rate. The external only comes with a 60Hz refresh rate. Samsung also rid of the massive notch on the right window and replaced it with a dot notch, which is a wise idea.

As expected, the display quality is terrific and sharp. The colors are punchy, vibrant, and have deeper blacks. The audio sounds good too. We’d like to note that, yes, the crease is still noticeable, but you’d eventually get used to it the more you use the device. There’s also flex mode that puts it in stationary and is especially useful for watching content when you’re doing side works.

For buttons and ports, we’ll find the power button that also serves as a fingerprint scanner, the antenna bands, volume keys, and the dual SIM card tray on the right side.

Up top, there’s the one out of two stereo speakers and a noise-canceling microphone.

We’ll find the two out of two stereo speakers, a primary microphone, and a USB Type-C port at the bottom.

Powering the Galaxy Z Fold2 is the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ chip paired with Adreno 650GPU, 12GB RAM, and 256GB internal storage that can’t be expanded. With a set of internals this powerful, this device’s performance is excellent and is further accentuated by the 120Hz display.

Battery-wise, we get a 4,500mAh battery w/ 25W fast wired and 11W wireless charging. We think the battery capacity is a little inadequate for a huge and powerful device, don’t you think? We’ll see how long it’d last in our full review. For software, the Galaxy Z Fold2 runs on OneUI 2.5 based on Android 10.

Checking out the cameras, we get a triple rear setup consisting of a 12MP F1.8 Super Speed Dual Pixel AF main, 12MP F2.2 ultra-wide, and 12MP F2.4 OIS, telephoto. For the front and cover camera, we get a 10MP F2.2. In the meantime, you can check out our sample photos below.

Considering its huge price tag of PHP 109,990, the Galaxy Z Fold2 isn’t for everybody, but it’s one of those devices that’d be cool to own one. It’s nice that Samsung was able to take notes and apply changes that were erroneous on the first Z Fold.

Apart from that, it’s packed with a ton of great features, so be sure to stay tuned for our full review.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 specs:
7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (22.5:18) Infinity Flex Display (2208 x 1768), 373ppi
6.2-inch HD+ Super AMOLED Display (25:9), 2260 x 816, 386ppi
Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus octa-core CPU
12GB RAM
256GB UFS 3.1
Triple-rear cameras:
• 12MP F1.8 Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS, primary
• 12MP F2.2 ultra-wide
• 12MP F2.4 OIS, telephoto
Dual OIS, 0.5x out, 2x optical zoom, Up to 10x digital zoom, HDR10+ recording, Tracking AF
• 10MP F2.2 Cover camera
• 10MP F2.2 Front camera
5G (SA, NSA, Sub6/mmWave), 4G LTE
Dual-SIM (eSIM + Nano)
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax HE80 MIMO, 1024QAM
Bluetooth 5.0 LE
NFC
GPS, A-GPS, GALILEO, GLONASS, BDS
USB Type-C
Fingerprint scanner (side)
Stereo speakers w/ Dolby Atmos
OneUI (Android 10) w/ 3 years of Android OS upgrades
4,500mAh battery w/ fast wired and wireless charging
Folded: 68.0 x 159.2 x 16.8mm (Hinge) ~ 13.8mm(Sagging), 282g
Unfolded: 128.2 x 159.2 x 6.9mm(Frame) ~ 6.0mm(Screen), 282g