Technology 4 min read

Samsung Galaxy Fold Unfolding: Game Changer Or Dead On Arrival?

Mr.Mikla / Shutterstock.com

Mr.Mikla / Shutterstock.com

During its Wednesday Unpacked event, Samsung unveiled a wide range of new products.

From the traditional Galaxy S 10 lineup to the brand new Galaxy buds, there was plenty to be excited about. More than anything, the one device that we all wanted to see was the new folding smartphone.

Thanks to advancement in OLED displays, folding smartphones are now more than possible. During its developer conference in November 2018, Samsung teased a folding smartphone that doubles as a tablet.

Although the company literally hid the design in the dark, it was almost impossible not to notice the clunky device in the dim environment. This only added to the anticipation.

Enter February 20, Samsung finally revealed the smartphone that’s supposed to herald a new era of design, the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

First of all, the phone is an impressive feat of engineering. Samsung’s execs showed off its folding and unfolding abilities, including the innovative hinge used.

We also saw a couple of apps work on the phone, including a three-way multi-tasking. Yes, it worked like a charm.

With all that said, the Galaxy Fold should be a winner, right? Maybe – maybe not, it’s too early to tell. But let’s consider the facts.

A Clunky Design in A Slim and Light Smartphone Era

The first thing we noticed in the Galaxy Fold’s demo video was the weird design.

When folded, the 4.6 inches display looked like an island at the middle of a huge bezel. Furthermore, the smartphone’s thickness was reminiscent of the old Nokia E90 communicator.

Since the device unfolds to provide a larger bezeless tablet display, we can overlook the clunky design. There’s just one other thing.

Aside from the elongated notch at the top right corner of the tablet, the device also has a visible crease where the hinge folds. While this is expected for a folding mechanism, it also raises questions about the device’s durability.

In the end, you’ll have a phone that’s not as slim and light as any other phone on the market, and a tablet with an elongated notch and visible on-screen crease.

The Price Tag

If you think the iPhone XS Max is expensive, think again. At $1,980, the Samsung Galaxy Fold costs almost 80 percent more than Apple’s current flagship phone.

There’s much to be said about creating a pricey smartphone in the current saturated market, but Samsung is marketing the phone as a luxury device.

That means few people can afford it, and fewer would spend almost $2,000 on an untested piece of technology.

App Support

With foldable displays, developers now have to update their apps to support the new form factor.

Although Google intends to include this in Android, it’s not going to happen overnight. Even the three-way app multi-tasking requires developers to opt in.

Unreasonable as it is to use three apps at the same time, it efficiently takes advantage of the 7.3 inches display of the tablet mode. But it could also be a developer’s nightmare.

As such, early adopters are likely to experience a giant buggy mess in the first few months.

We Barely Saw The Phone

While Samsung’s demo rep showed off the Galaxy Buds, the S 10 series, and the Galaxy Watch Active at the event’s demo area, the Galaxy Fold was noticeably absent. Also, the phone was on stage for less than 4 minutes.

The absence, combined with the carefully orchestrated IRL demos, makes you question if the foldable device will meet the hype.

Final Word

Deep down, we know that the Samsung Galaxy Fold is an expensive, clunky, awkward piece of technology that offers nothing but a folding display.

Be that as it may, Samsung has succeeded in whetting our appetite for the future. We can’t wait to see the third or fourth generation Galaxy Fold model five years from now.

Read More: Why the Death of Bixby is on the Horizon

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Sumbo Bello

Sumbo Bello is a creative writer who enjoys creating data-driven content for news sites. In his spare time, he plays basketball and listens to Coldplay.

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