Are foldable phones better for multimedia? Here is how the Galaxy Z Fold3 and Z Flip3 stack up

06 September 2021
We've done some calculations of how well different content fits on their screens, e.g. a 4:3 photo, a 16:9 video and so on.

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  • ?
  • Anonymous
  • 8Kf
  • 06 Sep 2021

Anonymous, 06 Sep 2021Whenever someone talks about "media" I tend to as... moreBooks do not look any bad on 16:9 tablet.
Also, 4:3 or 3:2 are bad for games.

There are iOS apps still not optimized for iPad.
They are sort of 16:9 format.

    • A
    • Alpha
    • 80i
    • 06 Sep 2021

    NBMSCH, 06 Sep 2021Best media phones so far are Sony Xperia 1 and all it'... moreAs an Owner of one, I really love that ratio. At first it felt a little odd but in time It feels really nice to hold.

      • ?
      • Anonymous
      • mip
      • 06 Sep 2021

      Whenever someone talks about "media" I tend to ask them: what kind of media? Media is NOT just videos. That's why most tablets offer no 16:9 oder 21:9 ratio, but something around the 3:2 or 3:4 mark.
      Media is also: documents (most grown up people know how often one needs those), Photos (3:4 is still the ratio), E-Books use various ratios, but mostly in between 1:1 to 1:1,62, comics and cartoons may vary the most and do have strange ratios like 17 : 22, if you are a fan of old movies you don't want to look at 4:3 on 21:9, Instagram 1:1.

      My point: tablets use 3:2 or 3:4 Ratios on very big screens so that you can enjoy MOST Media possible. The Fold 3 offers the best ratio on a "phone" to consume media on - besides having the worst battery possible to do so. What I miss in this article is the "flex" option on those phones, which turns a way to square screen into a movie machine with built in tripod (more like a laptop).

        AnonD-994853, 06 Sep 2021Rollable phones are best. Since they can roll their screen,... moreI definitely agree with this. With a rollable screen, you can have a normal 9:18 or 9:21 smartphone screen aspect ratio all the time with the added flexibility of a horizontally rolling 16:9 tablet screen aspect ratio. It clearly is the best of both worlds. I am definitely aware that the first-gen product of such an idea would be far from cheap, but the principle is already there.

          khellandros66, 06 Sep 2021These weak built foladable phones area fad that needs to en... moreI so agree with you. That is why when I first saw the LG V50 with its DualScreen case, I immediately returned my telco-locked first-gen Galaxy Fold and immediately bought it. Definitely have zero regrets about it and I'm still loving it today. I did have a look at its successor, the V60, but I'm not a fan of its slot-like DualScreen case. Pogo pin still looks like a much more practical solution.

            StormyParis, 06 Sep 2021I just want a Huawei Mediapad X, or at least a Xiaomi Mi Ma... more16:9 is still better than 16:10 when it comes to media consumption. The only reason why I would want to use a 16:10 screen on a tablet is because of Office-related works.

              AnonD-762416, 06 Sep 2021Oh yes, a one inch dead hinge smack down in the middle of t... more"...useless things no one will ever buy"? You clearly don't see how active the /r/SurfaceDuo community is.

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • vGR
                • 06 Sep 2021

                Yes! Besides remaining a phone, they could easily be some3:4 aspect small tabs, great for consuming media !!

                  Anonymous, 06 Sep 2021Not having a name is better than having a funny namewhere are you from

                    AnonD-762416, 06 Sep 2021A crease you can't see when looking straight at it is ... more"A crease you can't see when looking straight..."

                    Wrong. I easily can, even when having a look at the new Z Fold3 at an authorized Samsung retailer nearby me. I can even talk about the split-screen experience, but that's another story for another day.

                      This is why I deeply want to see the 16:9 screen making a comeback on a smartphone. Even when using my LG V50 without its detachable DualScreen case, it's so tall for one-handed use. You really can't deny the fact that 16:9 is still the golden standard for mass media production. The main reason why we have tall screens with odd aspect ratios on modern smartphones is that most people are doing a lot of TikTok and YouTube Shorts videos. 21:9 screen like in current Sony Xperia phones is great for cinema-grade movies, but that's about it. I definitely want to see something like the 2014 Samsung Galaxy W but with 2021 hardware.

                        Best media phones so far are Sony Xperia 1 and all it's siblings with it's 21:9 aspect ratio!

                          Answer is no, foldable phones are gimmicky and a fad being pushed hard for no reason.

                            • ?
                            • Anonymous
                            • nxF
                            • 06 Sep 2021

                            Sesh, some comments here are really something...
                            Yes, I am going to focus on the thickness of the black borders and not on the size of the content it is displayed :/
                            And, yes comparison with Note 20 and S21 is in right place here, you just can't compare a 55" TV set with a phone/foldable that fits in your pocket.
                            Video, gaming, browsing, pictures, apps, multitasking, everything checks with Fold with flying colors.
                            About durabilty... just watch JerryRigsEverything on YouTube. He has two videos, one with Fold durability test and one where he dissassembles the phone. He praises the Fold for being the most durable and technologically advanced phone to date.
                            On another note, I didn't know that visible area of the Fold would be larger than a Note 20 while watching a 16:9 video, guess science proved me wrong, thanks GsmArena for clearing that up!
                            Keep up the good work!

                              • k
                              • kiris666
                              • Sa%
                              • 06 Sep 2021

                              foldables phones have an expire date for all the correct reasons...But the most obvious is that they are kind of useless... overkiil. unnecessary.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • 8Kf
                                • 06 Sep 2021

                                Anonymous, 06 Sep 2021Hopefully, smartphone can ditch the 21:9 aspect ratio and f... moreHow about the 25:9 screen on fold.
                                Ditch too?

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                                  • AnonD-762416
                                  • Sec
                                  • 06 Sep 2021

                                  geek-a-contra, 06 Sep 2021because of the crease anyhow i would watch the movie only o... moreA crease you can't see when looking straight at it is obviously a much worse user experience than having a full inch dead space right in the middle of your view field. Microsoft Hardware Developer logic....

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                                    • Samer
                                    • 3JW
                                    • 06 Sep 2021

                                    Im a real phone user who uses the phone heavily for what is intended for, giving me 2 screens, one of them is 8" with only 4000mah battery is no no for me, using this foldable phone as a heavy user means the battery wont last for 3-4 hours maximum, so it is just a gimmick and a show off device. thank you

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                                      • Anonymous
                                      • XP2
                                      • 06 Sep 2021

                                      sohail shafayat, 06 Sep 2021you don't even have a nameNot having a name is better than having a funny name

                                        AnonD-762416, 06 Sep 2021Oh yes, a one inch dead hinge smack down in the middle of t... morebecause of the crease anyhow i would watch the movie only on one half of the screen. not that i feel the burning need to gauge out my eyes watching movies on a tiny 7"screen... the price and screen reliability are reasons good enough for me.

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