SINCE THE PRICEY Galaxy
Fold was fi rst announced,
questions have been swirling
about how its bendy new
technology works—and how
well it performs. So we bought
a few and gave them a rigorous
workup in our smartphone lab.
Most modern phone
screens, whether LCD or
OLED, are housed underneatha single sheet of tough glass.
But the Fold’s interior QXGA+
Dynamic AMOLED screen is
made from tissue-thin layers
of a unique polymer material,
which Samsung says is fl exible,
and thus able to perform its
signature task of folding.
When closed, you can use
the phone’s outer screen like a
traditional (if narrow and heavy)
phone. But unfolding the phone,
which opens like a book, reveals
a second, hidden 7.3-inch
interior touch screen that you
can use instead. Videos stretch
from one side to the other in a
sweeping span that’s far moredramatic and tablet-like than the
full-screen modes of even the
largest traditional smartphones.
Overall, our testers found
that the display quality was very
good—crisp with a resolution
around 300 dpi—though not as
sharp as some other phones
at the top of our ratings, such as
the Apple iPhone 11 Pro.
To get a better idea of how
much abuse the fl exible inner
screen can take, we folded and
unfolded the phone more than
37,000 times. It passed with
no noticeable blemishes, new
creases, or other defects. We also
tumble tested the Fold—droppingit 100 times—in both the open-
and closed-screen positions,
with mixed results. The back
glass on the closed phone broke
between 50 and 100 drops, but
when opened fully, the phone
made it through all 100 drops
with just minor scratches.
Though it does well overall
in our ratings, Richard Fisco,
CR’s head of electronics
testing, advises that you
hold off on getting one: “This
phone showcases impressive
new technology, but given its
fragility and price, may not
be a practical choice for most
consumers yet.”HOW DOES IT WORK?SAMSUNG
GALAXY FOLD
0
OVERALL(^85) SCORE
(^0) !Samsung
Galaxy Fold
$1,
The Fold isn’t dust- or
water-resistant, unlike
many other phones
on the market. A very
thin case (not shown)
comes with it. We
don’t know how much
protection, if any, the
case provides, but
given the phone’s
fragility in our drop
tests, it’s worth using.
Two batteries—
one on either side—
power the Fold. It has
better-than-average
battery life, lasting
31 hours, and can be
wirelessly charged.
The Fold’s display is
made from thin layers
of a flexible polymer
material. Our testers
could see a crease in
the middle, but only
when the screen was
completely black. You
can feel it, though,
by running a finger
over it. Our continued
testing will see
whether the crease
gets more noticeable
as the phone ages.
AMOLED
DISPLAY
The spine contains
a concealed hinge,
made with gears
that are similar to a
timepiece’s.
HINGE
BODY
TWO
BATTERIES
When folded, the front
panel has a narrow
4.6-inch touch screen
that you can use with
one hand, but it’s
better for notifications
than typing an email.
OUTER
SCREEN
For more smartphone ratings, All-Access and Digital members can go to CR.org/phone0220. FEBRUARY 2020 CR.ORG 17