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blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,972
4,472
Massive improvement. Still super thick folded and I’m gonna guess $2000.
 

Zito Abroad

macrumors 6502a
Mar 17, 2019
535
1,218
Impressive devices all around. I absolutely am on the Fold train. There's a Fold 3, one year away, already with my name on it. I cannot wait. Anyone that's in the market for a new non-folding phone, just has to go Note 20 Plus. What a solid premium looking phone.
 

Tsepz

macrumors 601
Jan 24, 2013
4,887
4,698
Johannesburg, South Africa
Finally a more usable screen on the outside, it’s slowly becoming more usable like the Mate Xs when folded which is great.

Cannot wait to see the Z Fold 3 and 4, as Samsung seems to be making tremendous strides in this area, this is a nice jump from last years Fold.

I hope Foldables start truly picking up between 2021 and 2022, they seem to be the next step in mobile computing.

This was literally the only interesting device in the whole presentation, guess that is just a sign of the times, nobody can do much more in the current climate.
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,373
3,101
Australia
That guy’s big hands make the front seem skinnier than it is I think.

But still, I wonder if shortening & widening the design slightly would make it a better all-rounder in terms of making the front screen more type-friendly (I can see that guy struggling to type with such a narrow keyboard).
 
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tbayrgs

macrumors 604
Jul 5, 2009
7,467
5,097
That guy’s big hands make the front seem skinnier than it is I think.

But still, I wonder if shortening & widening the design slightly would make it a better all-rounder in terms of making the front screen more type-friendly (I can see that guy struggling to type with such a narrow keyboard).

Doing so would help use of the front display but it would create a ‘tablet’ form factor that’s impacted 2X by that change—it would basically make it a square when unfolded.

Edit—actually, maybe they should take it even further. After looking at the Surface Duo, when unfolded that device is much like an iPad Mini in landscape mode. Traditional widescreen video would look better with smaller black bars and side-by-side multi-tasking would have more useable windows, IMO.
 
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Hal~9000

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2014
2,184
2,183
But still, I wonder if shortening & widening the design slightly would make it a better all-rounder in terms of making the front screen more type-friendly (I can see that guy struggling to type with such a narrow keyboard).

Exactly this. Why make this device so tall and narrow instead of a little bit shorter and wider? Makes no sense from a usability standpoint.

I'm very tempted by the Fold 2, but I'll probably wait a few generations until Samsung comes out with a bigger / wider version. Hopefully by then they will also have brighter screens (500 nits is not enough) + more battery (5000 - 6000 mah).
 
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Awesomesince86

macrumors 68020
Sep 18, 2016
2,482
3,302
Exactly this. Why make this device so tall and narrow instead of a little bit shorter and wider? Makes no sense from a usability standpoint.

I'm very tempted by the Fold 2, but I'll probably wait a few generations until Samsung comes out with a bigger / wider version. Hopefully by then they will also have brighter screens (500 nits is not enough) + more battery (5000 - 6000 mah).

Because they are trying to maintain a certain aspect ratio for the inside screen. Make it shorter and wider would change that.
 

Hal~9000

macrumors 68020
Sep 13, 2014
2,184
2,183
Because they are trying to maintain a certain aspect ratio for the inside screen. Make it shorter and wider would change that.

So... change the aspect ratio?

Samsung admitted at their most recent event that OG fold owners use the front screen just as much as the inner screen.

Making future versions of the Fold just a tiny bit shorter & wider would improve the front screen usability that much more.

At the moment the front screen is an awkward amount of tall & narrow to use comfortably.
 
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Awesomesince86

macrumors 68020
Sep 18, 2016
2,482
3,302
So... change the aspect ratio?

Samsung admitted at their most recent event that OG fold owners use the front screen just as much as the inner screen.

Making future versions of the Fold just a tiny bit shorter & wider would improve the front screen usability that much more.

At the moment the front screen is an awkward amount of tall & narrow to use comfortably.

There are standard aspect ratios that most media sites use. Most phone manufacturers dont like to veer away from that too much because then you have to add black bars to your screen or do some weird fill screen that cuts off parts of videos. Im not saying I agree, but Im saying I bet thats part of the reasoning. The other is probably the way the internals parts lay out may not make a shorter, wider layout possible. Its hard to say.

I agree that it would look better from the front screen if it were wider and shorter, but I dont think the front display is their main concern. They made changes so that it was more usable, but its still the secondary screen on this phone.
 
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SteveJUAE

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2015
4,513
4,750
Land of Smiles
Exactly this. Why make this device so tall and narrow instead of a little bit shorter and wider? Makes no sense from a usability standpoint.

I'm very tempted by the Fold 2, but I'll probably wait a few generations until Samsung comes out with a bigger / wider version. Hopefully by then they will also have brighter screens (500 nits is not enough) + more battery (5000 - 6000 mah).
The current size when folded contra to many silly comments you read it actually works in storing it in your pocket

People seem to think its bulky but its slender width when folded is actually better than a wide slab, especially when you sit down and your front pocket seems to jab the phone in to your groin with slabs
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,373
3,101
Australia
The current size when folded contra to many silly comments you read it actually works in storing it in your pocket
Yeah it’s great for that.
People seem to think its bulky but its slender width when folded is actually better than a wide slab, especially when you sit down and your front pocket seems to jab the phone in to your groin with slabs
I was referring to a width somewhere in between normal slabs & the current Fold, with the main benefit being a more comfortable typing width. I can see the keyboard being a little frustrating to use on the front, although Swipe typing would help.

Maybe they’ll widen the form factor when they can make the whole thing thinner so it’s less cumbersome to handle.
 
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Zito Abroad

macrumors 6502a
Mar 17, 2019
535
1,218
Seeing the hands on videos, really seems Samsung has made major improvements in design. Honestly, if I didn't love my Note 10+ so much, I'd already preorder. This thing is gorgeous. So, in the meantime, I'll just keep drooling and waiting impatiently for the Fold 3. Here's another early hands on. Drool...

 

blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,972
4,472
The current size when folded contra to many silly comments you read it actually works in storing it in your pocket

People seem to think its bulky but its slender width when folded is actually better than a wide slab, especially when you sit down and your front pocket seems to jab the phone in to your groin with slabs
I don't think you can make that declaration. I have serious doubts it would fit comfortably in my front pocket. It's still super thick when folded. (Between 16.8 - 13.8 mm.)

Plus it's still a fortune, the front screen looks too narrow, not sure I could comfortably take this phone to the beach. It's obviously a massive improvement over first gen, but I still think we are a few years away from viable folding devices.
 

SteveJUAE

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2015
4,513
4,750
Land of Smiles
I don't think you can make that declaration. I have serious doubts it would fit comfortably in my front pocket. It's still super thick when folded. (Between 16.8 - 13.8 mm.)

Plus it's still a fortune, the front screen looks too narrow, not sure I could comfortably take this phone to the beach. It's obviously a massive improvement over first gen, but I still think we are a few years away from viable folding devices.
AS an owner of the FOLD i can assure you it's true :)

We all know pockets are not flat and actually are more like a pouch, we have all rolled up a paper or even stuffed a can or bottle of coke in our pockets or some equally shaped object

It almost does not matter how thin a flat rectangular object is, as you morph towards a thicker narrower object till finally a square then a circle of equal cross sectional area your pocket adapts easily and the restriction of movement eases

Equally we can all observe with jeans and a wide slab phone when we sit with it in our front pockets our groin and belly (LOL) squishes the phone out and to the hip side of your pocket and your thigh then tries to eject it to the floor with any leg raised movement. The less wide the phone the less this occurs

I have taken my Fold everywhere other than in the pool with no problem. Having 2 screens you can choose which one you like, its not compulsory to use the front screen :) those few initial days of nerves soon disappear with ownership

Given these phones and what they are bundelled with are only a few $100 more and if it can eliminate a tablet then their price becomes for more reasonable to some and even good value :)
 

blairh

macrumors 603
Dec 11, 2007
5,972
4,472
AS an owner of the FOLD i can assure you it's true :)

We all know pockets are not flat and actually are more like a pouch, we have all rolled up a paper or even stuffed a can or bottle of coke in our pockets or some equally shaped object

It almost does not matter how thin a flat rectangular object is, as you morph towards a thicker narrower object till finally a square then a circle of equal cross sectional area your pocket adapts easily and the restriction of movement eases

Equally we can all observe with jeans and a wide slab phone when we sit with it in our front pockets our groin and belly (LOL) squishes the phone out and to the hip side of your pocket and your thigh then tries to eject it to the floor with any leg raised movement. The less wide the phone the less this occurs

I have taken my Fold everywhere other than in the pool with no problem. Having 2 screens you can choose which one you like, its not compulsory to use the front screen :) those few initial days of nerves soon disappear with ownership

Given these phones and what they are bundelled with are only a few $100 more and if it can eliminate a tablet then their price becomes for more reasonable to some and even good value :)
Your response is all over the place. My point being at this thickness I’m not convinced it would fit comfortably in all my pants front pockets. My concern is the depth. This is still a VERY thick device in version 2.0.
 

Ralfi

macrumors 601
Dec 22, 2016
4,373
3,101
Australia
We all know pockets are not flat and actually are more like a pouch, we have all rolled up a paper or even stuffed a can or bottle of coke in our pockets or some equally shaped object

When it comes to clothing (pockets), they’re not all the same.

Sure, this Fold fits in yours ok, but some with tighter, shallow pockets are going to feel this form factor every time they take a step, especially when climbing stairs, sitting down, driving ect.
 

SteveJUAE

macrumors 601
Aug 14, 2015
4,513
4,750
Land of Smiles
Your response is all over the place. My point being at this thickness I’m not convinced it would fit comfortably in all my pants front pockets. My concern is the depth. This is still a VERY thick device in version 2.0.
My appols if my analogy or practical explanation was lacking :) I did try to respond to your points in order.

But real life experience opposed to your theorizing demonstrates otherwise, you may be surprised

There is a good reason most of us have wallets or purses that fold and no one is suggesting these should be thinner/wider and flatter to fit in our pockets because its easier
 
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