A question for tablet style, folding phone users...

[MasterYoshi]

Is it worth making the jump?

I may have made this thread before, maybe 1-2 years back.

Recently cooked my Galaxy S21+ for couple of minutes in a hot tub while on vacation, and I'm overdue for an upgrade. I've had my eye on the Galaxy Fold series for a few years.. but I'm never sure if it's the right time to pull the trigger, or how practical a tablet style phone would be in both on the go or everyday use around the house. I'm interested in utilizing the S Pen for things like taking notes or art, but from what I've read, there's still no built in slot in the Fold series.

I've also read that the next Fold may have a wider outer screen, with a lot of reviewers remarking that the outer screen is functional but a bit hard to adjust to compared to a conventional phone.

Just wanted to see some opinions on those who have these devices. What's it like for gaming? Streaming entertainment? At home and public use? Battery life?

 

[defaltoption]

Don't have one myself but the few people I know with one absolutely swear by them.

That said all three of them aren't big tablet users or don't own them at all.

I'm personally not really interested in a foldable but I use my tablet much much more than my phone.

 

[Chilikar]

I love it, it acts like a normal phone (albeit a bit compromised) when folded and is good for media consumption when unfolded.

However, what I do want to warn you about is that the durability concerns are real. I've had issues with 3 devices thus far. I've had issues (presumably) with cables snapping internally, screens cracking out of nowhere, and even the plastic screen protector getting holes in them.

I've had 5 phones (2 of which were replacements under warranty), treated them all very well, but unfortunately 3 of them have had issues. The one I'm using now is less than a year old and I'm hoping it'll last without issue for at least 2 years

EDIT: Sorry just noticed I didn't quite answer your question. The phone unfolded is great for things like books and comics. Videos will have black bars around them but it'll still be bigger dimension wise than most smart phones.

Video games generally scale quite well to the inside screen, but I've noticed HoyoVerse games have an issue where they zoom the camera in to compensate for the aspect ratio. Generally emulators are amazing on these devices as the 4:3 aspect ratio plays really well with retro content.

On the front screen, video games don't fare well as the unusual aspect ratio usually means there are giant boxes, or the visuals are heavily reduced to fit in the tiny screen.

Let me know if you have any questions or want me to take some screenshots for examples :)

 

[Flaurehn]

I am in the market for one, and everything I've read has convinced me to go for the OnePlus Open, the galaxy folds are too narrow and the pixel too chunky. But the One Plus is basically the size of an iPhone Pro Max and weights a little less. Plus they seem to hace really nailed the multitasking aspect.

 

[Xandalan]

I had a Samsung Fold 2 then now a Fold 5. It is great for multitasking but I rarely do that. I did not use it for gaming much but I had a S pen and it works fine but I never really had a use for it. The way I use it is to use the outer screen as a regular phone that you just glance do a few things then put down and open it up when you want a tablet experience. Sounds like you are already in the Samsung ecosystem. Negatives are mid range cameras and battery life. I never had durability issues but im the type to slowly open it and get a case for such an expensive device. To be honest I would have been better off with a regular phone cause I never really multitask that much.

 

[Zip]

I looked at the fold when considering a replacement phone but in person holding one felt like the screen crease would be too distracting. Feels like the tech needs a couple more years to mature.

 

[Lan]

Love it. I've been using a Fold4 since Oct 2022. Fundamentally changed how I engage with my phone. It effectively replaced casual consumption devices like tablets or personal laptop/Chromebook.

That said, I've had to get the screen protector replaced once. And a friend of mine with a flip had to get his replaced as well.

 

[m_shortpants]

I tried out a Fold 3 when it came out. I thought I was the ideal user for it, then I realized 99% of web sites and apps are designed for a "normal" form factor, and the extra screen space was essentially wasted and actually inconvenient to use since it required two hands now instead of one. I ended up returning it.

If you consume media, like books, comics, videos, maybe it would be better? But for me my primary use on my phone is web browsing, email, text, reading ebooks and YouTube basically. All of these were just as good on my normal phone, if not better, due to the ease of handling in comparison.

I think I might enjoy a wider aspect ratio like the Pixel Fold rather than the narrow Samsung. We'll see.

 

[Vagabond]

I had a Fold 4 since launch, and it is my primary driver. I would say that since I got it, I have been carrying my iPad Mini 6 a LOT less. It used to go with me everywhere and its still a neat EDC device but now it's mostly for travel.

Outside of the front screen, I havent had many problems with the aspect ratio of the inner screen. Right now, the new Facebook update (?) makes Facebook unusable on the outer screen, and Instagram also chops off the left and right of images, but everything looks great on the inner screen.

My main gripes are that battery life with the big screen drains a lot faster. It's an all-day device with the screen closed but lasts maybe 10-12 hours in tablet mode... which I guess is typical for most tablets. I had a 14 hour flight and had to charge my phone 9 hours in after using it in tablet mode most of the flight.

Currently, I dont see myself going back to a non-foldable although I really pray the next Fold improves the outer screen. I had a iPhone 12 Max and S21 Ultra as well, I keep the 12 Max for work but I will upgrade to the Fold 6 for personal use.

Sounds crazy but I hope they make something like the Fold 6+ thats slightly bigger and longer in foldable mode.

 

[Rodney McKay]

I am in the market for one, and everything I've read has convinced me to go for the OnePlus Open, the galaxy folds are too narrow and the pixel too chunky. But the One Plus is basically the size of an iPhone Pro Max and weights a little less. Plus they seem to hace really nailed the multitasking aspect.

Click to shrink...

This year's Galaxy Fold is rumored to finally be widening the outer screen to be more like a normal phone.

I would have gotten a OnePlus Open, but they don't sell it through carriers, and if I get a foldable I really want the option to easily exchange it at a local store to replace it if it breaks. I think OnePlus you'd need to ship it to them.
Otherwise it kinda seemed like my perfect phone. Foldable, but with a normal outer screen size, fast charging, and the multitasking features seemed great.

But I'll probably just go with the Galaxy Fold 6 this year if it really does widen the out screen. I do like the hardware of Samsung's foldables, I can get it through my carrier, and hopefully after 6 years now they'll have ironed out most of the kinks (always improving durability, software compatibility, etc).

I also liked the look of the Pixel Fold, but having had the Pixel 6 and currently have the 7, I'm kinda sick of Pixels. The "pure" Android software just isn't that great to me (and buggier than I remember any of my past phones being).

 

[Lightus]

Have had a Fold 4 for nearly 2 years now.

• I'm used to the narrow outer screen but still would prefer a wider one
• Inside screen is pretty good for manga, comics, videos, and books
• Some apps still don't scale well which can occasionally be annoying
• Battery is great for outer screen, just okay for interior screen
• My durability has been great, no issues aside from the interior screen protector coming off (been using it fine without it). Will note though I'm very gentle on my phones to the point where I basically never buy cases so ymmv

Overall, it's a jack of all trades, master of none device. If you're okay with some compromises it can work for you well. For instance, reading manga/comics is still better on an iPad and book reading is still a lot better on an eReader. So if I'm home I'll use those instead, but if I'm out and about it's nice to be able have a comfortable experience without lugging around multiple devices. Whether or not that's worth the price increase will be up to you. I got a big discount on mine through work, I don't think I'd spend full price on it though.

One thing to note, if you're looking to use the s pen, realize that without a case the phone doesn't sit flat when open. Meaning you won't be able to set it on the table and write on it without it rocking or putting stress on the camera/hinge.

 

[Shadow]

If these didn't have the durability issues with the screen, I would have probably got one instead of my S23 Ultra last year. I really like the idea and would use the features a lot, it's just that it needs to be just as durable as non-folding phone. 5 folding phones in with Samsung and they still haven't nailed it, so I'm not sure if they ever will sadly.

 

[Mesoian]

I only know one person who had a folding phone, it broke 3 weeks into having it and samsung couldn't fix it, so they just gave her the latest flagship phone and called it a day.

Seems the answer is still no.

 

[Ryan_09]

I had the Fold3 and Fold4 and I loved them. Unfortunately the quirks just added up and made it frustrating. Just got an S24 Ultra and I ain't looking back unless Samsung overhaul it.

Multi-tasking is fantastic. Setting a trio app for email, calendar, and reminders was awesome. The S Pen doesn't have air actions like the Ultra S Pens or Pro, but it is more comfortable to hold than the Ultra's. Lots of note taking space too. Media consumption is hit or miss. Most games don't scale properly so I ended up forcing them into 9:16 mode anyways. Controllers are pretty tricky too. Anything with a Backbone-style grip with a USB-C connection likely won't work, but bluetooth should be fine. Especially a full controller + a standing phone case is legit.
Video is the same way. Both end up not being much bigger than an Ultra screen. Split screen with media apps is top tier tho. Except anything to do with Discord. Discord has been an absolute trash fire on the Fold since they stopped supporting the Galaxy Store version of the app. Battery life is fine. No complaints even capping my max charge to 85% and using routines to optimize it.

The real deal breaker for me is how shit the cases are. And how expensive and inconvenient they are to replace. The cover screen needs cases with adhesive, and it's kind of a hassle to replace it yourself. And the surface area for the cover screen is so thin the thin plastic part alongside the hinge would just snap. My last one lasted 2 months despite no drops or any other impact. It can't be fixed properly either. This is true of all the Samsung and third party cases I've researched too. Overall the total cost of ownership just wasn't worth it anymore.