thought : Samsung has been the most renowned name make folding phone for nearly 5 years , yet one of the biggest issues with the first Fold equipment still exists with the Z Fold 6 . So , why has n’t Samsung fixed it ?
Samsung has just taken the wrapping off its latest slew of foldable phones ( and a very familiar - looking wearable too … ) at an event inside the iconic Louvre in Paris . In typical Samsung style , it was a plush event , full of product reveals and famous faces – include doer Sydney Sweeney .
Ahead of the issue in Paris , I attended a briefing session to pass some prison term with the vast raiment of devices on offer , from theZ Flip 6andZ Fold 6 , to theGalaxy Watch Ultra , Galaxy Watch 7and Galaxy Buds Pro 3 . I focussed most of my time on the foldaway phones , as having review every Fold equipment from Samsung it ’s always one of the more interesting releases of the year .
Foldables are n’t precisely new anymore – Samsung launched the very first Fold in 2019 – but they have n’t quite shoot the mainstream yet . They remain a class of earpiece where year - on - year upgrades can get noted change – only as there are more issues to sterilize .
In the six eld since theoriginal Foldlaunched with numerous return , Samsung has continually tweak and tuned .
Durability was the biggest issue at the start , with both the phone ’s consistence and screen far too delicate for everyday use . In 2024 , this is n’t anywhere almost as much of a trouble , with the Z Fold 6 have an IPX8 military rating for protection from water ( although not dust ) , a baffling aluminium body , a rigid hinge and tougher meth .
Other sphere where the first iteration of the foldable suffered , like in general display resolution quality and camera carrying out , have been address in recent years to a point where I can easy advocate a Fold twist to anyone who has become blase with the stock flagship like the S24 Ultra andiPhone 15 professional .
Yet , there ’s one fundamental issue that plagued the very first Galaxy Fold and remains a problem with version six , and that ’s the crease .
The crease runs down the centre of the display , and is get by the foldable nature of the machine . It ’s immediately noticeable , catches the lighter in irritating ways and feel peculiar when you operate your finger’s breadth across it .
In my review of the original Galaxy Fold , I said “ you could intelligibly see the logical argument down the eye of the screen where it folds and it ’s a distraction – especially when you ’re bet at it from an angle or in bright sun . It ’s there , it ’s annoying and it ’s severe to get over . ”
Five class and six version of the Fold after , I still have the same critique .
I would be less critical if the crease was just a trouble consort with all foldables , but in late years the competition have almost completely gravel rid of it , finding ways of tweaking the concealment and hinge to make the annoyance a matter of the past .
OnePlus managed to secrete its first foldable , theOnePlus Open , with a good - creasless display . In our review of the Open , we said : “ While there ’s still a slightly visible nick in the showing when seem at it off - angle , it ’s totally imperceptible when looking at it direct on – even running your finger over the central crease will reveal slight divots rather than … canyon ” . It ’s a similar storyHonor V2 , where the crease is barely visible .
If the contest can get rid of this folding foible , why ca n’t Samsung ? Especially as it has unfreeze legion looping of the Fold and fixed most of the other subject . I ’ve asked Samsung reps this question at every Fold launch , and a concrete answer never seems to appear . Occasionally it ’ll be noted that the crease has been made less obvious , yet I have never really found this when reviewing the sound .
Of course , the crease is more of an annoyance than a vindicated takings that would stop me from recommending the Fold 6 . In fact , having spend some meter with it it feels like the biggest upgrade to the series in a while .
The squared - off , flat design is gorgeous and the reduction in weight makes a renowned divergence to how comfortable it is to use . Yet . as the overall experience of using a Samsung Fold meliorate year - on - year , the issuance of the crease becomes even more obvious – and I hope with the Z Fold 7 , seek to fix it is given top priority .
