The second generation of the Galaxy Fold lineup is official: alongside the Galaxy Note 20 lineup, Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The new revolutionary phone gets rid of all the issues and imperfections of the previous model: is it the definitive foldable phone? In order to answer this question, we decided to compare it with the original Galaxy Fold, so that you can know what changed, what has been improved, and which are the main upgrades of the new foldable phone which can turn into a tablet.
Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
| Samsung Galaxy Fold | Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| THICKNESS | Max 17 mm | 16.8 mm when folded, 6.9 mm when unfolded |
| DISPLAY | Main display: 7.3 inches, 1536 x 2152p (Full HD+), 414 ppi, 16:10 ratio, Dynamic AMOLED External display: 4.6 inches HD+, 21:9 ratio, Super AMOLED |
7.6 inches, 1768 x 2208p (Quad HD+), Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X External display: 6.23 inches, Super AMOLED, 816 x 2260 pixels (HD+) |
| PROCESSOR | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, octa-core 2.8 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+, octa-core 3.09 GHz |
| MEMORY | 12 GB RAM, 512 GB | 12 GB RAM, 256 GB |
| SOFTWARE | Android 9 Pie, One UI | Android 10, One UI |
| CONNECTIVITY | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, GPS | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax, Bluetooth 5.1, GPS |
| CAMERA | Triple 12 + 12 MP + 16 MP f/1.5-2.4 and f/2.4 and f/2.2 Dual 10 + 8 MP f/2.2 + f/1.9 front camera |
Triple 12 + 12 + 12 MP, f/1.8, f/2.4 and f/2.2 10 MP f/2.2 selfie camera 10 MP f/2.2 cover camera |
| BATTERY | 4380 mAh Fast charging 18W |
4500 mAh, Fast Charging 25W and wireless charging 11W |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | Foldable display, secondary external display, optional 5G | Foldable display, 5G support |
Design
The form factor of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 remains exactly the same as its predecessor. We are not talking about a phone that folds to become extremely compact like the recently-unveiled Galaxy Z Flip 5G. The new Galaxy Z Fold 2 is a foldable phone which turns into a tablet. Just like the original Galaxy Fold, it has a foldable display placed internally, while a standard smartphone panel is placed externally. The foldable display of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has improved resistance compared to the Galaxy Fold, thanks to the Ultra Thin Glass technology (UTG aka the same found on the Galaxy Z Flip). Both the handsets come with a glass back and an aluminum frame like most of the flagships.
Display
Samsung put a lot of effort into the displays of the new Galaxy Z Fold 2 which are a lot better than the ones found on the vanilla Galaxy Fold. The external display is bigger: while Galaxy Fold had a very compact 4.6-inch panel including thick bezels, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a borderless 6.23-inch external display with better quality and resolution. Even the resolution of the internal display increased. Further, Samsung added the 120 Hz refresh rate, which is amazing and unexpected for a foldable panel.
Specs & Software
The original Galaxy Fold is powered by the Snapdragon 855 chipset and it does not support 5G connectivity, but there is a 5G variant with 5G connectivity thanks to an external modem. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 brings 5G connectivity as well, but it has a more powerful chipset: the Snapdragon 865+ which is currently the best Qualcomm’s chipset. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 also comes with a faster UFS 3.1 internal storage (Galaxy Fold is UFS 3.0) and Android 10 out of the box (Galaxy Fold ships with Android Pie). But you should note that while Galaxy Fold has a 512 GB native storage, Galaxy Z Fold 2 offers just 256 GB and its storage can not be expanded through a micro SD.
Camera
On the paper, the original Galaxy Fold seems to sport better cameras. It has a main sensor with a variable focal aperture, as well as an additional 8 MP depth sensor for the front camera. The rest of the camera specifications are more or less the same: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 lacks a variable focal aperture (so it may shoot worse photos in low light conditions) and the 8 MP additional sensor for the front camera.
Battery
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a bigger battery, but this does not mean that it will last more on a single charge. The Samsung Galaxy Fold has more efficient components and it should last more in several scenarios. It has a smaller external display with lower energy consumption, it lacks the 120 Hz refresh rate and it even lacks 5G connectivity. These three things should make it last longer. But if you avoid using 120 Hz and 5G on the Galaxy Z Fold 2, then it will naturally be the opposite in the same usage scenarios. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a faster charging technology, while Galaxy Fold has faster wireless charging. Both support reverse charging.
Price
You can actually find the Samsung Galaxy Fold for less than $1500/€1700 thanks to online street prices, while Samsung is yet to unveil the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 (it is expected to cost €2,000 or more). At the end of the day, the original Galaxy Fold is able to provide similar camera performances and battery life to its new sibling, but the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has improved displays, hardware and build quality. These features make it a valid upgrade you should opt for.
Samsung Galaxy Fold vs Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2: PRO and CONS
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
PRO
- Bigger displays
- Better 5G connectivity
- Bigger battery
- Higher build quality
- 120 Hz display
CONS
- Costlier
Samsung Galaxy Fold
PRO
- More compact
- More affordable price
- More internal storage
- Potentially better cameras
CONS
- Inferior hardware
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