Samsung needs to go back to the drawing board with the Galaxy Z Fold 7

The Galaxy Fold series has been a bold and daring experiment in smartphone design. Samsung deserves all the credit in the world for pioneering the foldable form factor and taking a risk on everyone else to create this new category. And it all started with a lot of promises and a great hope that foldable phones could soon replace traditional phones.

But five years since the experiment began, one thing is clear: foldable phones have NO met expectations.

Technology research firm Canalys estimates that foldable phones account for only about 1% of total smartphone shipments in 2023. Samsung is estimated to sell approximately 15 million foldable phones per year, which is approximately 80% of all folding phone sales.

There are good reasons for this: the price has not dropped much, on the contrary, it has increased with the Fold 6. Worst of all, the Western markets have been isolated from the competition, making it very comfortable for Samsung. to crawl with innovation. And that was the landscape before the big launch of the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Now, the latest and greatest Fold is here, so what’s changed?

Galaxy Z Fold 6: the most refined Galaxy Fold design yet… for a form factor that should never have existed

If you’ve ever used a Galaxy Fold device, you’ll realize one thing the moment you touch the new Z Fold 6: this is what it should have been from the beginning.

Samsung has tweaked the design in all the right places, so the Fold 6 finally looks and feels… complete. The flat sides, the matte finish, the strong hinge, it’s refinement at its best.

But despite all that perfection, it’s still unmistakably a Galaxy Fold phone.

Issue #1

Uh, how are we supposed to type on this little cover screen?

The most prominent problem with the Fold’s design remains: the lid’s screen is too small (and particularly narrow) for comfortable use, while reaching the main screen still requires two hands.

This design basically guarantees that most of the simplest tasks will be done without unfolding the phone. Some statistics put the cover screen usage percentage at 70%, while the larger main screen is only used 30% of the time.

Samsung has obviously listened to these concerns, as the cover screen on the Fold 6 has been extended a bit wider, but this is merely a service to the cause and not nearly enough.

If you don’t have small fingers, typing on the tiny keyboard on the cover screen might be less frustrating, but it’s still frustrating. Web browsing is also not ideal with the narrow form factor.

Issue #2

Slim, but only if you’ve been living in a Samsung Galaxy vacuum

Another big problem is the thickness of the fold. When unfolded, it’s definitely impressive, with that large tablet-like display.

But when it’s closed, it’s a chunky gadget that bloats awkwardly in your pocket. We weren’t too stressed about it five years ago, but it’s downright disappointing to see the same issue still going on today. In comparison, rivals like the Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 and Honor Magic V3 are now available with thicknesses well below the 10mm mark. of Galaxy Z Fold 6 it’s almost 30% thicker!

You’d think this would at least have the benefit of a larger battery, but no. of Galaxy Z Fold 6 still has a 4,400 mAh battery size, while both alternatives from Xiaomi and Honor have a battery size of 5,100 mAh or more.

Knowing that brightness and portability are so important to one folding phonethe Fold’s dimensions are a significant hurdle and Samsung needs to catch up.

Issue #3

Same old cameras

The Fold’s camera system is another area where Samsung needs to up its game.

I strongly believe that photography is one of the main use cases for a foldable phone – the big screen just elevates your photos.

The Fold 6 is a very average camera. Hardware isn’t the only problem, but we can probably all agree that we’d like to see a longer zoom range.

The software, however, has a lot of room for improvement.

We keep talking about Samsung’s vivid colors, and the company is constantly changing them, but there is a much better solution: separate profile pictures for a saturated and natural look. This is something rivals from Xiaomi and Vivo have long understood.

These photos were taken on a phone, not a Galaxy

One of foldable phones I have used in the last weeks is the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro.

I was completely blown away by the attention to detail when it comes to the camera on this phone: great filters, great editing controls, beautiful bokeh, film simulations, the list goes on and on. The camera on that phone is so good, I’m now keeping it as my second device JUST because of that.

Software experience on Galaxy phones? None of these features are available, and we continue to argue about saturated colors in Samsung photos every year, over and over again. It’s getting absurd.

CONCLUSION

Samsung may have to go back to the drawing board

After all, the basic issue with Galaxy Z Fold 6 it can be very simple: the form factor itself.

Samsung has achieved impressive engineering feats, including perhaps the best and most durable hinge on the market. Some features of the software are surprisingly fun, like the new Sketch to Image.

But this is where the list ends. No other company makes foldable phones in the same way as the awkward TV remote form factor. It’s not comfortable to carry in your pocket and the flip screen isn’t big enough.

Samsung may deny this and stubbornly stick to the existing form factor, but even the most stubborn of companies can’t fight against the cold reality of sales figures.

of Galaxy Z Fold 6 it might be the prettiest in the lineup so far, but I don’t think it can move the needle and win over regular consumers.

What I do not doubt is this: Samsung has the resources and talent to create a true innovator folding phone. However, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and rethink the whole concept.