By Nathan Park Class of 2023
What do we know about the Samsung Galaxy Fold
Many imagined that our future phones will be foldable, paper-thin with a strong processing speed. Samsung finally brought our futuristic imagination closer to reality when they unveiled the world’s first ever foldable phone to be open to the public.
Currently, the phone is expected to be released on April 26, and created a lot of buzz online. With a price tag of $1980 (£1,515), many people are skeptical of whether or not it is worth the money. The Samsung Galaxy is a foldable phone that is able to be opened up and also closed. When closed the Samsung Galaxy Fold has a 4.7 inches exterior screen, about the equivalence to the screen of an iphone 5s with a thickness of about two phones. Although the phone is very thick and long, Youtuber, Casey Neistat says, “I couldn’t really notice the difference between this and sliding a pair of sunglasses in or any of my other cell phones.” (1:55)
When unfolded, the phone opens up to a 7.3 inch (18.5 cm) tablet-like display. The phone will be able to run three apps all at once because of its big display and also has the ability to take picture from any angle, thanks to its six cameras: three located on the back, two on the inside, and one on the front.
The phone has a 512 GB Storage and a 4,380mAh battery making it’s screen time range from about 7- 8 hours. The phone also has a Snapdragon 855 Processor and 12GB of RAM making it the fastest phone to date. In comparison, the iPhone XS has a Hex- core CPU and only 4GB of RAM and 3174mAh battery. The Galaxy Fold has wireless charging and objects such as the Galaxy Buds can be charged by simply being placed on top of the phone. The flexible OLED Display is one of its innovative components that makes it so flexible and vivid. These OLED displays are organic light emitting diode displays that work “by pulsing electricity through a mesh of organic compounds.” (howtogeek.com) These flexible displays are primarily manufactured by Samsung and are what gives their displays the flexible, foldable display.
Pros and Cons of the Samsung Galaxy Fold
The Samsung Galaxy Fold is an example of the future and how technology is advancing and changing as we know it. The foldable display on the phone is one of its most groundbreaking advancements. The tablet-like display gives the audience a more immersive and vivid experience when watching movies, playing games, and reading books or articles. It also is a very portable device and can easily go from a tablet to a phone in just a second. The Samsung Galaxy Fold gives its customers one less thing to carry and one less thing to buy.
Because of its large display, the phone has an enormous viewfinder compared to all the other phones and can take photos from any kind of angle. It also is very handy when it comes to multi-tasking. With the ability to have three apps working all at once, it’s easy to watch a Youtube video, text someone, and buy clothes online all at the same time.
Although the Samsung Galaxy Fold is a step towards the new design of phones, it also comes with many flaws and disadvantages. The Galaxy Fold is not water or dust resistant which is surprising due to its new futuristic characteristics. It is also very fragile and can easily be dented even in the slightest of drops. The phone is also experiencing many technical problems as more and more reviewers have gotten their hands on this new technology. Many of the reviewers’ phones broke just after one or two days of having it and some have had this problem because they had removed the protective film on top of the phone that is actually part of the phone. Others had simply left their phones alone when the phones started to glitch and eventually stop working.
On the display of the Samsung Galaxy Fold, there is a visible crease that is shown in the middle of the phone and there are ambivalent feelings on whether or not this crease is irritating or untroubling and easy to get used to. Despite the two products in one package idea, the Galaxy Fold is very thick and can easily slip out of someone’s pants because of its lengthy design. This makes it easy to lose and uncomfortable for a person when wearing jeans.
[References] 1. https://www.howtogeek.com/402920/how-do-foldable-phones-work-and-when-will-i-get-one/
2. https://www.bbc.com/news/technolo-gy-47277324
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-ROgEEBSEU
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86Lr_tChDAU
5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4y-F3a3Zn4Y
6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7W-pRzSnNAU