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Hands-On With Samsung's Latest Foldable Smartphones, the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip
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In some respects I think Apple is the intended audience for Samsung’s “test” devices. Foldables have been fairly low volume, high priced devices for Samsung. But since Samsung is also a major supplier for Apple, by putting out a “test” device they demonstrate what is possible, and what bugs need to be sorted out. It looks like the display quality has improved significantly over the past 3 years. Now the key is improving yields so the costs can come down.
They look lovely as always. The main problem for me is that they don't run iOS and I'm way too ingrained in the Apple Ecosystem to try an android phone. I think if Apple were to release a foldable I would at least try it. I do like having multiple devices and having a foldable iPhone would be at odds with my iPad mini. However I would give it a try if Apple made a foldable. They are great devices though.
I think they are interesting devices, I just will not use Android. I think Apple will eventually enter this space, but there are still some rough spots in implementation.
I like my notch. Especially since it doesn’t run down the center of my screen.
I don’t dispute that
Clearly Samsung and friends have the drive and are laying the groundwork, and Apple is learning from that. But the other companies are producing the devices before they’re “perfect” just to cash in on the hype and glory.
And there’s a whole weird nerd base that buys these things and justifies the quirks, rather than demand the device be well-designed or wait until it’s truly ready for the world. What I was getting at is Apple has mastered not participating in this before-it’s-ready stage and has learned from some of their mistakes to better stay in this “post-perfected” category of manufacturing.
Maps and MobileMe and some macOS versions aside, Apple tends to only release a device / feature / form factor / genre once they think they’ve perfected it. They’ll say they’re the First XYZ even though all the groundwork was pioneered by whoever else. It’s like they get to the destination before the others, who’ve been heading there the whole time. Because Apple see where the destination is going, but don’t make pit-stop devices along the way to paint the mirage of being at the destination.
These current folding phones with seams are pit-stop devices: showing us a glorious future that is, currently, barely functional or appealing.
I would not be surprised either if Apple is first to release the folding phone in “perfected form.” That is the main point I was getting out. They’re the the main company willing to hold out on the upfront hype to do it right in the end.
If they didn’t exist, the incentive to reach “perfected form” would be less, because all these other companies release things before they’re ready for prime-time (Samsung’s screen coating peeling from the folding…) and if they get to the perfect version, cool, but they’ve already made their money and feel successful about a half-baked product. And look at Palm: successful on the birth of mobile touch computing but never able to reach perfected form, because Apple took that from them. PalmOS runs printers, unless that’s been discontinued too, because they settled on their laurels and never ran for the future.
If Apple/Jobs hadn’t been able to hype up Apple on the basis of artform and craftsmanship and being a ~lifestyle company~, I’m not sure what company would exist that would mass-produce the ideal, end-goal, form of a device without making the public have to dabble with its “prototype versions.” Of course they’re working on folding tech in-house, but they’re not wasting our time with its juvenile stages of development, are they?
They don’t waste our time just to cash in on the hype of a future that’s barely functioning today.
And many of the other companies that create cute, crafted, perfect little devices, I’ve seen crash and burn. Apple has very few companions in the “doing it right” category instead of “wasting our time with hype”. Bang and Olufsen, for example.
Who else?? Who else is doing laptops + SOCs right? Who has a perfect touchscreen phone with tailor-integrated software? The rest of the world is a mélange of half-baked Android and Samsung and Intel devices and integrations that for some reason people at large buy — mostly because it’s cheap, not good.
I could ramble on about this for ages. But the best way I see to end my point is: what other companies deem viable for public production and take our money over, is what Apple deems viable only for private R&D and won’t waste our time over, and even post-Jobs their mindset seems to be to never release it unless it turns out the way it should.
That’s why they’re never there first (except for the mouse, did they invent that??), they just go to where the product/category is going and release a device if it gets there, but not beforehand.
It’s a huge difference in standards. I don’t value Apple because I’m a fanboy, I value Apple because they have values, and mistakes are mistakes, not their way of business.
I’m not sure where the disagreement is.
Clearly Samsung and friends have the drive and are laying the groundwork, and Apple is learning from that. But the other companies are producing the devices before they’re “perfect” just to cash in on the hype and glory.
And there’s a whole weird nerd base that buys these things and justifies the quirks, rather than demand the device be well-designed or wait until it’s truly ready for the world. What I was getting at is Apple has mastered not participating in this before-it’s-ready stage and has learned from some of their mistakes to better stay in this “post-perfected” category of manufacturing.
Maps and MobileMe and some macOS versions aside, Apple tends to only release a device / feature / form factor / genre once they think they’ve perfected it. They’ll say they’re the First XYZ even though all the groundwork was pioneered by whoever else. It’s like they get to the destination before the others, who’ve been heading there the whole time. Because Apple see where the destination is going, but don’t make pit-stop devices along the way to paint the mirage of being at the destination.
These current folding phones with seams are pit-stop devices: showing us a glorious future that is, currently, barely functional or appealing.
I would not be surprised either if Apple is first to release the folding phone in “perfected form.” That is the main point I was getting out. They’re the the main company willing to hold out on the upfront hype to do it right in the end.
If they didn’t exist, the incentive to reach “perfected form” would be less, because all these other companies release things before they’re ready for prime-time (Samsung’s screen coating peeling from the folding…) and if they get to the perfect version, cool, but they’ve already made their money and feel successful about a half-baked product. And look at Palm: successful on the birth of mobile touch computing but never able to reach perfected form, because Apple took that from them. PalmOS runs printers, unless that’s been discontinued too, because they settled on their laurels and never ran for the future.
If Apple/Jobs hadn’t been able to hype up Apple on the basis of artform and craftsmanship and being a ~lifestyle company~, I’m not sure what company would exist that would mass-produce the ideal, end-goal, form of a device without making the public have to dabble with its “prototype versions.” Of course they’re working on folding tech in-house, but they’re not wasting our time with its juvenile stages of development, are they?
They don’t waste our time just to cash in on the hype of a future that’s barely functioning today.
And many of the other companies that create cute, crafted, perfect little devices, I’ve seen crash and burn. Apple has very few companions in the “doing it right” category instead of “wasting our time with hype”. Bang and Olufsen, for example.
Who else?? Who else is doing laptops + SOCs right? Who has a perfect touchscreen phone with tailor-integrated software? The rest of the world is a mélange of half-baked Android and Samsung and Intel devices and integrations that for some reason people at large buy — mostly because it’s cheap, not good.
I could ramble on about this for ages. But the best way I see to end my point is: what other companies deem viable for public production and take our money over, is what Apple deems viable only for private R&D and won’t waste our time over, and even post-Jobs their mindset seems to be to never release it unless it turns out the way it should.
That’s why they’re never there first (except for the mouse, did they invent that??), they just go to where the product/category is going and release a device if it gets there, but not beforehand.
It’s a huge difference in standards. I don’t value Apple because I’m a fanboy, I value Apple because they have values, and mistakes are mistakes, not their way of business.
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I know you're just trying to be provocative, but my Flip 3 is also a year old and looks brand new.
A couple of people replied mentioning the flip. my comment was actually about the fold.
In that case, I've had my Z Fold 3 for just under a year now and the hinge looks and feels brand new as well. I've had no issues with it at all, nor have I had any issues with the cover or the main display and I removed both factory screen protectors about three months into ownership. I like the Fold 3 better without them, but then again I am very careful with all of my tech gear.
So what about Air Pods that have 0 dust resistance (IPX) are they for indoor use only and your wearing them wrong outside
Next you will be telling us these will never catch on and why would anyone want to fold there dollars in half LOL
Large slab phones only existed as the technology to make them more practical to carry etc did not exist at time of conception.
Now that it's here Samsung and others are correcting this anomaly for those that want it and taking it one step further with folding tablets
I simply do not understand so many objections to consumer choices on what suits the individual
The fold doesn't break that easily either.
They've continued to improve the hinge, so it is a change for the better again on the Fold 4. They explained all of this during the recent Unpacked event.
I like them. If this was an Apple folding phone all the nay sayers here would be begging to spend their money on one. I just don't understand all the negativity from people that have probably never owned one or looked at one for any length of time. The fold crease disappears the same as the notch on my iPhone 13 Pro. If Apple end up making one, they will probably use a Samsung screen in a similar fashion as they have for a lot of their phones.
I wouldn't expect them to do anything less. Even though I've preordered the Z Fold 4, I've also gone to my local BB and experienced the Z Fold 4 hands-on. The feel of the hinge is much better this time around, in terms of opening and closing it. You are correct though, only time will tell when it comes to durability, but if the improvements in durability from the Fold 1 to the Fold 2 and the Fold 2 to the Z Fold 3 are any indicator, I don't think we have much to worry about when it comes to the hinge durability of the Z Fold 4.
Did your BB have the new watches out? Mine did not, deciding if it is worth a trek to a further one in town.
I don't like the watches, the round format, while looking better, doesn't have quite the same functionality, so i'm keeping my Apple watch. It's not great on battery life when its phone is not near, but it's still pretty functional. I tried a Samsung watch, I think version 3, and really didn't like it much.
Samsung already does production testing like other manufactures so no need to guess or time will tell
The Xiaomi Mi Fold 2 is getting much closer than the Samsung Fold 4 at 11.2 mm thick while the Fold 4 is a whopping 15.8 mm thick. I used to carry the Lumia 920 at 10.7 mm thick.
The thickness is definitely twice but the weight is not compared to the iPhone 13 Pro Max (240 g) while the Z Fold 4 is 263 g or about 10% heavier.
But Xiaomi is leading the foldable in hardware at 11.2 mm thick folded and 5.4 mm unfolded - even thinner than an iPad Mini 6 at 6.4 mm. The Mi Fold 2 screen area is 206 cm^2 while iPad Mini 6 is 204 cm^2. The Mi Fold 2 is really close to an iPhone folded and an iPad Mini unfolded.