Samsung Galaxy Fold review

26 April 2019


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  • Anonymous
  • QyB
  • 26 Apr 2019

Note7 owner, 26 Apr 20194.5 stars??? Basically buyers beware, this is what GSMARE... more:)) agree

    Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019"The Galaxy Fold is the first Samsung flagship to NOT inclu... moreYou also complain about the lack of MicroSD card-slot. This device has enough storage. And it has that in the form of much faster storage compared to typical micro SD cards.
    For some time the read/write speeds between typical microSD cards and system storage in smartphones was negligible, it no longer is among the smartphones. The effect is that when a microSD card is used, anytime the device needs to access it, it will be working at a muck slower pace than when it just read or writes to the built in storage.
    If this device was low on storage, MicroSD could have been an acceptable compromise, although more built in storage would have always been better. But this got enough storage for any sane person. And if the built in storage isn't enough, good luck finding any solution involving microSD that would allow you to fit all your stuff in a device... the storage capacity of MicroSD card are limited as well.

    Android and apps take up more space over time. Any new phone with 32GB, is under-equipped. 64GB, is on the edge of being sufficient. But at 128GB or higher, the user should be fine unless they fill the device with things they never look at or listen to.

    This device doesn't need an micro-SD card-slot. Adding one, would have added som bulk, and made the device more complex than it already is.


    The only real reason to complain about the lack of MicroSD cardslot and 3.5mm headphone jack on this device, is that it might mean for those that for some reasons are fans of those features, Samsung might follow the rest and not include those in their future flagships.


    And if you didn't understand. The reason why USB-C to 3.5mm adpaters with DACs from other makers vary in result, is the exact same reason that headphone jacks vary in result, because it isn't a standard. It isn't any less non-proprietary, than a 3.5 jack. But at least the result will be the same no matter what device they are connected to, so if one gets a really good such adapter, they can be sure they will get the same result, no matter if they connect it to a Samsung, Huawei, HTC, Sony, Xiaomi, LG, even an iPhone with the right adapter for their lightning port.

    What GSM-arena should to, is do a test of these adapters separately, so that users can compare, and pick the best one in their budget and use with their phone, unless they plan on getting wireless headphones or ones with built in DAC and amp.
    And then when testing devices with 3.5mm jacks, they could compare them to the tested adapters and tell users how it performs in relation to using an adapter. Because that will help people understand that if the jack is sub par, the right adapter will fix that, and the user will not be stuck with the performance of the jack.

      4.5 stars???
      Basically buyers beware, this is what GSMARENA thinks it’s certainly to have flaws because it’s a first generation product. GSM arena is very very soft on Samsung Galaxy Fold. They seem to be giving it a lot of credit for being the first and are over looking the fact that this product IS NOT READY to be sold in the market.
      Even Samsung themselves think this product isn’t ready for sale by postponing its release. GSMARENA should have saved it’s dignity and waited for the FINAL released Fold to review and avoid all this obvious favoritism.

        Couch expert, 26 Apr 2019↓↓Jon tell that to the numerous headphone manufacturers, an... moreAll USB-C adapter that work as DACs with headphone amp are non-proprietary. The ones that are proprietary are those that uses the USB-C connector as a way to connect to built in DAC, but those offer no benefits over having an 3.5mm plug, except for saving a small amount of space inside the unit.

        So you think headphones makers aren't out to make money?
        They have lived a happy life knowing that people weren't getting perfect performance, so that they could sell multiple headphones that worked better for different devices. And since no headphone would have perfect frequency response with all devices, people would keep hunting for perfection, and each time they changed equipment, the performance of the headphone would change.
        Having to develop a new standard would also require some R&D, at a cost much higher than designing just a new pair of headphones, and selling them at a good profit.
        If there is anyone to blame for the situation, it is actually the headphone makers that refused to come up with a proper solution to offer the best possible performance, no matter what device the user connected the headphones to.


        Besides a lot of devices uses 6.3mm plugs, requiring an adapter. and those get forgotten all the time... especially when the user switches between using their hedphones with a mobile/tablet and then using them with another equipment with the larger socket. Luckily there is almost always an adapter close by that one can borrow.
        If you are goint to complain about the 3.5mm jack gone missing, rather ask why there wasn't a 6.3mm to start with, so we wouldn't have to use those adapters.

        All you are after is complaining.
        You have no substantial evidence to support you claims.
        The fact is that 3.5mm sockets are not an actual standard.
        A headphone with such a plug may be more or less compatible, with a device with such a socket, but that will vary from device to device.

        Complain of the lack of an proper standard.
        But don't claim that the 3.5mm is a standard, because it isn't, not for headphones. It is a standard only as a socket, not as a way of ensuring that headphones will work properly when connected to such a jack.
        Bana plugs aren't a standard either as a way to transfer a specific current.
        6.3mm plugs are also used for various tasks.

          It is unfortunate that looks is so much more important than functionality.
          This device offers both One hand operation, and large screen experience.
          However, if the folding phones become a thing, expect it to be the outside folding devices to dominate that market, with a phablet sized screen even when folded. So always two hand operation, just two hand and a large screen, or two hands and an even larger screen.

          Some might argue that they could have had an even larger screen on the outside, while they would have still been able to use it with one hand. I know I could have. But the issue is that a lot of people couldn't have. But if the idea is to make a phone that can go from one-hand use to two hand use with a large screen, that has to be the case for as many users as possible, if only those with large hands/long fingers can handle it with one hand, it would mostly still be a two-hand phone folded as well as unfolded.

          Of course the excitement of the device will go away quickly, and that is why it has to have some actual benefits. The reason why one hand operation makes perfect sense. It may be a bit boring and not look the coolest, but at least it is useful in the long run.
          I know many scenarios where I would not be able to use both my hands, controlling my phone, where I then simply can't do that, if I have a phone that requires two hands, but my current phone doesn't, so I can still use it in those scenarios.

          I would have liked to see the Note Fold, because being able to use the bigger screen for note taking would have made it a much smarter device for my life. As it is now, I am almost always fine with having a pretty small screen for one hand use, without it getting in the way of usage... but If I could unfold a device for note-taking, that would make me interested. I don't mind carrying a bag, so if I knew there were situations where I needed a tablet, I could just bring that. I never felt any need for being able to fit a tablet in my pocket, other than that I do miss being able to take good notes quickly on the go. Media I mostly consume using chromecast, or watching TV or Discs, on a screen that i much larger than a tablet screen anyhow, unless in very specific cases where I would be able to bring a laptop or computer anyhow. And surfing the web and writing documents, I prefer to do on a device with a proper keyboard.


          Compact flip-phones with folding screens would make some sense as well. As long as there is an outer screen that does not require opening the device just to see who is calling or to see a summary of the latest notification, or even control music playback, but it should be a small screen then, as one-hand full usage should be when unfolded. If google would even support controlling chromecast without unfolding, that would be really nice, and activating voice assistant, so close to smartwatch functionality from the outer display. But as soon as any real hands on interaction is needed it would be simple to unfold the device.

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • ssd
            • 26 Apr 2019

            Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019"The Galaxy Fold is the first Samsung flagship to NOT inclu... moreAll Samsung devices are half packed even with 3.5 jack lol.

              • C
              • Couch expert
              • nC4
              • 26 Apr 2019

              ↓↓Jon tell that to the numerous headphone manufacturers, and only then your words will be 200% true ;) Until then, 3.5mm or bust. At least thru a dongle. A NON-PROPRIETARY one while at that (HTC, I'm coming at ya. You're not going to RIP in peace until you reimburse the U Ultra/U11/U12/U12+/U12-/U12= buyers you conned :P)
              Sammy has joined the game, it appears. Good for them ;) And for those willing to shell out 2K USD on a smartphone which, when it comes to the media playback function, is just a tiiny bit dumber than a generic 50-350 USD "Chinesium piece of junk" :) (save for some hopeless "trend" followers)

                • ?
                • Anonymous
                • ssd
                • 26 Apr 2019

                Why gsmarena reviewing galaxy fold since it’s cancelled?.

                  Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019"The Galaxy Fold is the first Samsung flagship to NOT inclu... moreThe 3.5 jack is in no way an actual standard. The quality of the output and the power to drive headphones varies massively. It goes so far as to being incompatible, with either sensitive headphones, that are "too" easy to drive, resulting in way to lound output, with no way of turning it down, without ending up in complete silence, to not be able to drive the headphones to a usable volume at all.

                  If you have a pair of headphones meassured to have an exact frequency response, that is only true, using the exact same device they were made for. Connect to any other and the output will vary.

                  A digital connector the puts the DAC outside the device preferably in the headphones with a matched amp, will allow the headphone manufacturer to actually post figures that will be relevant, as they will be the same no matter what device with the same kind of digital plug one will connect the to.
                  The downsides of the USB solution is that it is also used for charging, on mobiles and tablets. But even worse, it requires host drivers in the unit with the plug, meaning that it will not fully replace the headphone jack on other types of equipment, as it basically requires adding a small computer like device on the headphone jack. Better would have been a digital connector combined with a powerline, to both supply the headphones with power and the digital audio.

                  3.5mm for headphones never were any sort of actual standard.
                  And with it finally going away, headphone makers can start focusing on building headphones with perfectly matched DAC, and AMPs to the drives built in, to give the customer the same great experience no matter what device they are using.


                  Anyone that really cares about audio quality, and by that also gets to know the facts, 3.5mm plugs on phones has not been the best way to get audio out of a phone since USB-otg with usb audio was introduced.
                  Those that think they care about audio quality, and have used the 3.5mm plug, because they thought it was great, would probably not notice any difference going to wireless headphones.

                  The issues are that there isn't a separate port for charging. But this device supports wireless charging, so that is almost a non issue. There are even powerbanks that has built in wireless charging.

                  And that the use of USB, like I've said, isn't a good solution for a new standard as it requires drivers to run, and thus wont make its way to all type of electronic devices with audio.

                    • a
                    • aaaaaaaaaaa
                    • 3aW
                    • 26 Apr 2019

                    The screen to body ratio (folded) is 48.9%, terrible, worse than the iPhone 4.

                      • ?
                      • Anonymous
                      • LQv
                      • 26 Apr 2019

                      Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019I still can't manage how every review states its "massive f... moreWhen screens use different ratio, you have to ignore the diagonal and consider screen area.

                      For example Xperia 1 is 6.5" 21:9 but the area is similar to 5.9" 16:9. Smaller than XA2 Ultra.

                      Fold screen has 162.6 cm2, while S10+ has 103.8 cm2.
                      Fold has 56,6% more screen than S10+.
                      This does not count the secondary.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-762416
                        • JbS
                        • 26 Apr 2019

                        Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019I still can't manage how every review states its "massive f... moreCount the square inches and you'll understand why 4:3 at 7" looks a lot bigger than 18:9 at 7".

                          • S
                          • Stele
                          • IVG
                          • 26 Apr 2019

                          Sam, 26 Apr 2019Link for the material design ship wallpaper from the last p... moreThat ship looks very much like the Titanic (without the fore and aft masts), which as we all know sank on its maiden voyage. How ironic it's on the Galaxy Fold!

                            'And being a first of its kind,...'

                            It wasn't first. Royole Flexpai was.

                              • ?
                              • Anonymous
                              • PA7
                              • 26 Apr 2019

                              Ifixit said fragile, hopefully not going to set new record from legendary the most annoying flagship S3 crack lcd record

                                • F
                                • Fayth
                                • tEZ
                                • 26 Apr 2019

                                Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019They made iFixit remove the teardown video of Fold... go straight to my history page, iFixit Galaxy Fold Teardown
                                you're right its gone

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • QyB
                                  • 26 Apr 2019

                                  GSMARENA can you make once not a "flat" review?, every review ends with "good phone but ...", Comon this don't apply in this case....

                                  They should give Samsung G.Fold to Jeremy Clarkson for a review...

                                    Anonymous, 26 Apr 2019"The Galaxy Fold is the first Samsung flagship to NOT inclu... moreMaybe, just hear me out here, maybe it was extremely difficult to put a 3.5 mm jack and an SD card slot because of the nature of the device

                                      • i
                                      • ivan
                                      • dPU
                                      • 26 Apr 2019

                                      Samsung Galaxy Note 7 Fold

                                        • i
                                        • ivan
                                        • dPU
                                        • 26 Apr 2019

                                        This review is not relevant any more. Samsung cancelled all Galaxy Fold's devices for the time being.
                                        That said, this review is not neccesary at all...
                                        I'm glad this happened, because Fold is 10 times worse than Huawei Mate X.
                                        Small outside screen, big notch inside, terrible build quality, etc...

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