22 PCWorld OCTOBER 2020NEWS SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FOLD 2
When you open the Samsung
Galaxy Z Fold 2, you’ll be met with a
slightly larger 7.6-inch display with a
squarer 3.74:3 ratio (versus 4.2:3 on
the first Fold) that’s got a 120Hz
adaptable refresh rate and a hole
punch camera that looks way better
than the ugly notch on the original
model. The Fold 2 also borrows Flex
Mode from the Galaxy Z Flip (go.
pcworld.com/fl1p) with a redesigned
“hideaway hinge” that lets the Fold
be used at any angle.
It still doesn’t quite close as flush
as the Z Flip, but all in all, the Galaxy
Z Fold 2 looks every bit as premium
as its $2,000 price tag. The outside
screen takes away the awkwardness
of the original, and the move to a
hole-punch camera on the inside screen does
wonders for its appearance as do the thinner
bezels. And the new Mystic Bronze color
looks as good as it does on the Note no
matter which of the new customizable hinge
colors you choose (silver, gold, red, or blue).ALL DRESSED UP WITH
NO PLACE TO GO
However, while the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a very
compelling device, it still lacks a compelling
reason to exist. While Samsung touted
optimized apps from Google (Duo, YouTube)
and its own apps (Camera, Gallery, Clock) as
well as the ability to launch three apps atonce, drag-and-drop, and stream to a larger
display via wireless DeX, it’s harder than
ever to justify the Galaxy Fold’s existence,
especially with a higher price tag (that doesn’t
include Galaxy Buds or a case this time
around). Multitasking is still more for short
tasks than serious work, and there isn’t much
you can do that you can’t already do on other
large-screened phones.
That’s compounded by what Samsung
dubbed “the new normal” at its last
Unpacked event. With more people working
at home than ever before and millions still
unemployed, a luxury phone that doubles as
a tablet seems less likely to appeal to peopleThe Galaxy Z Fold 2’s outside screen is way larger than that
of the original model.