Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is out, and you will find about the price, launch date, specs for the new phone and its photos. The third generation of Samsung foldable phones is here. Samsung has learned a lot from previous experience, and presents a new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 much closer to what users need. It seems that this time yes, Samsung has succeeded.
In its third generation of mobile phones with a folding screen, after the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the nostalgic Galaxy Z Flip, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 manages to become a product suitable for all consumers, by combining design, performance, reliability and durability in the same model.
It may seem too presumptuous to call a single mobile generation, but it is true that with each new model Samsung has released notable improvements in software and hardware, which do appear to be a new generation.
The new Fold 2 is not only more powerful, reliable and appears to perform better than the folding screen : it also introduces new software functions proposed by users of previous models.
Galaxy Z Fold 2 design
The philosophy of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has not changed, compared to its predecessor: it is a mobile with the folding screen located inside, like a book, and it has an external screen to use the device without unfolding it.
The metal housing will be available in two colors, Mystic Bronze and Mystic Black, but the hinge can be customized with four other different colors:
Much more screen on both sides
The first obvious improvement on the Fold 2 is the larger size of both screens. The frames have been reduced by 27%, and also the huge notch or front eyebrow of the previous model has disappeared, replaced by a hole in the screen. The result is that both the front and interior screens cover the entire surface, offering much more screen without increasing the size of the mobile.
The great news is the variable frequency between 11 and 120Hz, which allows you to adjust the screen refreshment to all kinds of needs. Samsung has discovered that many users of the Fold bought the mobile to play video games, so they have added the 120Hz.
The exterior screen increases from 4.6 to 6.2 inches, while the interior, when unfolded, rises from 7.3 to 7.6 inches. Plus the new screen is brighter by 100 more nits.
The key is in the new hinge
With the Galaxy Fold, the hinge that folds the screen was a true nightmare for Samsung. It produced numerous failures in the screen, sometimes the panel was not completely flat, and dust and dirt got through it.
The hinge on the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 is completely different. It is based on the model used in the Galaxy Z Flip, which uses real physical hinges to fold the screen and keep it fixed at a certain angle, in this case from 75 to 180 degrees. It allows up to 200,000 folds during its useful life, the company says.
But the CAM structure of the Fold 2 has been reinforced by adding an additional hinge on each side, since the fold area is much larger than on the Z Flip.
Another important improvement, also taken from the Flip, is the use of a sweeper that covers the entire exterior of the hinge. Literally, a strip of fiber similar to a miniature broom, which cleans the hinge and at the same time prevents dust from entering the interior of the mobile
In the absence of testing it live, everything indicates that Samsung has achieved a hinge system for its folding screen that seems reliable, efficient and durable. And it does not compromise the operation of the smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 specs
To take advantage of the huge screen, Samsung has improved the hardware a bit, although many of the improvements are associated with the software, as we will see.
These are the official specifications:
| specs | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 |
|---|---|
| Interior screen | Dynamic 2X AMOLED display with 7.6 inches QXGA + (2,208 x 1,768 pixels) up to 900 nits |
| External screen | 6.2-inch Super AMOLED display with 2260 x 816 pixels |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 Plus |
| Memory | 12GB |
| Storage | 256GB (UFS 3.1) |
| Rear cameras | 12MP Ultra wide angle f / 2.2 and 1.12 micron pixel size
12MP wide angle f / 1.8, 1.8 micron pixel size, with OIS and Pixel AF 12MP telephoto f / 2.4 and 1 micron pixel size |
| Front camera | 10MP f / 2.2 and 1.22 micron pixel size |
| Cover camera | 10MP f / 2.2 and 1.22 micron pixel size |
| Connections | 4G LTE, 5G (Sub6 / mmWave), Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 6 (802.11 ax) |
| Audio | Dynamic stereo speakers |
| Dual SIM | Yes (depending on the country) |
| Battery capacity | Dual battery with 4,500mAh and fast wireless or wired charging |
| Operating system | Android |
| Security | Fingerprint reader and facial recognition |
| Unfolded dimensions | 159.2 x 128.2 x 6.9 – 6 mm |
| Folded dimensions | 159.2 x 68 x 16.8 – 13.8 mm |
| Weight | 282 grams |
| Colors | Bronze and Black, and four additional colors for the hinge |
Galaxy Z Fold 2 screen
The interior screen of the Galaxy Z Fold 2, as we have seen, reaches 7.6 inches with QXGA Plus resolution type Infinity-O (it occupies the entire screen). It doesn’t look much bigger than the 6.2-inch front end, but when measured against the diagonals, it’s misleading. The front is very narrow and the interior is almost a square, as you can see in the photos.
The displays are also brighter than those on the Fold, reaching a peak of 900 nits.
Processor and memory
Samsung uses a somehow familiar configuration, with Snapdragon 865 Plus as processor, 12GB memory and 256GB storage. Maybe the memory seems a bit high, but it will be very useful to handle photos, videos and multitasking apps, one of the strengths of the mobile.
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Galaxy Z Fold 2 cameras
For cameras Samsung has lowered the resolution of the main sensor a bit, down to 12 MP. Now the three rear cameras reach 12 MP each.
The main sensor is a wide angle with a very good f / 1.8 aperture with a pixel size of 1.8 microns, which is good because it lets more light through. It also has an optical stabilizer and Pixel AF. It is accompanied by an ultra wide angle and a telephoto sensor (see specs table above).
In the section of front cameras we have two different ones, depending on whether we use the mobile open or closed. But they are the same: a 10MP sensor with f / 2.2 aperture and 1.22 micron pixel size.
Although they are not the best Samsung cameras, they are at a very good level. But what is interesting are the different modes provided by the folding screen, and the two screens.
When taking a portrait photos, you can see the framing on the secondary screen, as if it is a mirror, so you can adjust the pose easily.
With the drop-down screen, the camera can show the controls and the editing of photos and videos in real time without having to stop focusing
You can also support the phone folded on a table to make captures, completely stable, as if you are using an image stabilizer.
The camera software uses artificial intelligence to direct the frame to the people in the scene, so we can record ourselves for a YouTube video or similar and the AI will not lose detail. And it is possible to control the camera with gestures.
Finally, a Night Mode is also released that captures photos and videos on low light conditions. Tese all seem important improvements, and very practical. But the camera in total doesn’t seem as impressive as the ones in Galaxy S20 or Note20.
The rest of the hardware
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 incorporates a dual battery (two cells) with 4,500 mAh, with fast charging via cable, or wireless. You can also use reverse wireless charging to charge your earbuds, another phone etc.
It also has a fingerprint reader, facial recognition, and the latest in connections: 4G LTE, 5G (both Sub6 and the most powerful mmWave), Bluetooth 5.0, and WiFi 6 (802.11 ax).
Z Fold 2 has two dynamic stereo speakers. Samsung assures that they are the best that it has ever equipped in a mobile. And you wouldn’t need a Bluetooth speaker with Galaxy Z Fold 2, but that seems a bit exaggerated.
New ways to use your mobile
What’s interesting about the Fold 2 is not in its hardware, but in how it takes advantage of its unique features.
We have already seen some news with the camera. But Samsung has also updated the software and apps, using feedback from Fold users.
Now the transitions from the outer to the inner screen are instantaneous, and when it is displayed more icons appear in the interfaceThanks to the new hinge, it will be much more common to use the mobile folded on a table, in what is called Flex Mode. Many apps adapt their interface to use the lower half of the screen to display controls, or secondary information.
Samsung has worked a lot with third-party companies to adapt their apps to the extended screen. Microsoft has adapted Office to work similarly to its tablet versions, with on-screen menus and tabs.
Multitasking has also improved a lot, with options to display 2 or 3 apps at the same time on the extended screen, and new functions to drag files from one to the other, or to take a screenshot only of an app window (and not of the full screen), to be able to take screenshots from one app to another.
It took three generations, but it seems that Samsung has finally managed to create the mobile with a folding screen that everyone expected,
Galaxy Z Fold 2 price and launch date
Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be out on September 18 with a $1,999.99 price tag.
