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Galaxy Fold Review: If This Is What The Future Looks Like, Smartphones Can Be Exciting Again


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The Galaxy Fold is a reality and we got to test out the smartphone for a few days to get to know what makes it tick. We had talked about rumours and leaks for years before a folding smartphone officially became a reality earlier this year. We tested the “improved” version of the smartphone that fixed all of the issues it had during the first iteration. We opened and closed it for days at times without any reason and still couldn't get enough of the Galaxy Fold. We took it out in the streets, used it for watching movies and play some games, yet didn't get bored with the phone. Sure, it may seem like a very expensive smartphone that comes with some gimmicks, a lot of innovation and a new way to use a smartphone, it was still a head-turner in many ways. 

The Galaxy Fold is no ordinary smartphone. It is for the affluent and for the tech enthusiast who wants the latest innovation in his/her hand. It's not your ideal smartphone that plays it safe with specifications, design and pricing; it's a smartphone that gives you a glimpse into what the future may look like. Here's our review of the Galaxy Fold and how our experience was using a foldable smartphone

Design and Display 

Galaxy Fold Review© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

You have probably seen enough pictures of the Galaxy Fold online to draw your own conclusions. It has a classic clamshell design and resembles the Nokia Communicator when unfolded. However, instead of revealing a keyboard and timing screen when unfolded, it reveals a 7.3-inch OLED display. Samsung knows that you cannot use the smartphone in the unfolded state all the time which is why there is a second 4.6-inch screen at the front for carrying out basic tasks such as reading texts or answering calls. While this display can be used for watching videos; the real experience lies in the bigger screen. Using the bigger screen is also ideal for typing out messages as the smaller screen at the front is too tight to use. It feels more comfortable to use the primary display as most keyboards like the Samsung Keyboard, Gboard and Swiftkey adapt according to the screen.

Galaxy Fold Review© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

At the back, there is a triple camera setup that looks similar to what you may have seen on previous Samsung smartphones. The front and back of the smartphone is supported by a hinge that also doubles up as a stem when unfolded. During the course of our review, the hinge felt really sturdy even though multiple people opened and closed it like maniacs. Having said that, the Galaxy Fold does have a noticeable gap between the two screens when unfolded. The gap is big enough for debris, lint and other small particles to get through. Due to this very reason, Samsung has reinforced the hinge with rubber caps to block debris' entry. 

Galaxy Fold Review© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

The other thing that may interest you is that the fingerprint sensor is placed at the side of the phone. The Galaxy Fold does not come with an in-display fingerprint scanner and instead uses a small, side-mounted fingerprint scanner. It can be a task to use this scanner due to its size, however it comes very handy in the dark. 

Galaxy Fold Review© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

When it comes to the display quality of the primary screen, we can say with confidence that it's by far the most beautiful display we've seen. Even though it has an aspect ratio of 1:1, we still enjoyed watching content on streaming services. There is a slight issue with the overall experience as there is a large notch on the upper right corner of the display. It houses a few cameras and due to this notch, some of your content may suffer the letterboxing effect. Certain applications and games tend to cut off that part of the content and not many applications have been optimised for this aspect ratio. Apart from these issues, the display is excellent for typing, reading ebooks and digital comics even though it takes a bit of time to adjust. 

Performance and Cameras

On the hardware front, you will find specifications that are very much similar to the Galaxy S10 or the Note 10. It is powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 chipset, has 8GB of RAM, a massive battery and a triple-lens main camera system. For selfies, the Fold has three selfie cameras: a 10-megapixel lens (when folded), another 10-megapixel lens and a wide-angle shooter that sits in the top-right corner notch. The camera performance of the smartphone is very much similar to the Note 10, so expect good images from both the primary and selfie cameras. 

Galaxy Fold Review© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

When it comes to the overall experience of the phone, it works almost identically to the previous flagship smartphone in terms of the software. It is clean, reliable and stable to use, however it is not the fastest Android smartphone you will use. The images taken are often over-processed or over-exposed. The camera performance is probably not the best you will experience but it is good enough for now. We have to mention though that using the camera is a very odd experience as the viewfinder on the small screen is not reliable enough for taking pictures. However, when taking images in the unfolded state, the camera experience is very much similar to taking pictures on a tablet. 

The Galaxy Fold comes with a 4,380 mAh battery which may not seem big enough for a phone with two screens, but the smartphone easily survives a full working day on a single charge. It kind of depends on what you are doing, to be honest. If you use it to watch a lot of videos and movies, you can expect the battery backup to drop down a bit. Regardless, we still got a screen on time of five hours on a single charge, which is quite a feat on its own. The Galaxy Fold can also be fast-charged like Note 10 and also supports wireless charging. 

Is It Worth It?

Galaxy Fold Review© MensXP/Akshay Bhalla

We've already tried to answer this question at the beginning of the review. The Galaxy Fold costs Rs 1.65 lakh which puts it in the luxury smartphone category. It is for the affluent or the tech enthusiast who has the means to afford this smartphone. Sure, it may not seem worthy to a lot of people, simply because of its price tag but then again, which luxury product isn't? We live in a world where people are willing to pay lakhs of rupees for designer handbags, wallets, and even sneakers, however there is never a backlash for these products being overpriced. Similar to such luxury products, even the Galaxy Fold is made in limited quality and is not available everywhere. However, it is packed with innovation that comes at a cost but makes it one of a kind. We can guarantee with full confidence that the Galaxy Fold will turn more heads than a super expensive luxury handbag or shoes. 


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