It’s a shame that the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition won’t arrive in Europe, at least not yet, because it looks like it will be one of the best phones launched by Samsung in many years. Now that the first units are arriving in users’ hands, it’s clear that this is one of the most important launches of the year.
The Galaxy Z Fold Edition is a new foldable mobile phone based on the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but with significant improvements in design; Although it uses the same processor, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, and the same battery, virtually every other element of the device has been improved, notably in terms of thickness, only 4.9mm when opened
But this phone is more than just a Galaxy Z Fold 6 with a different chassis; This is a glimpse into the future of Samsung and highlights some of the advancements the company has made in recent years, such as: a new flexible panel. The interior screen is not only the largest so far on a Samsung, reaching 8 inches, but it is based on a new manufacturing process which has saved millimeters in thickness.
But the great advantage of the new flexible screen lies in the central wrinkle, practically non-existent from many viewing angles. Wrinkling is something foldable cell phone users have had to deal with since day one, an effect caused by the fold required to close the screen on itself. Although it has been improved over generations, it has never completely disappeared and is the first thing a new folding user notices.
A video posted by @UniverseIce on X demonstrates that the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition’s center wrinkle is one of the best we’ve seen so far. Specifically, the video is about the Samsung W25, which is the Chinese version of the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition with exclusive colors. Although it’s obviously not the same to see the effect in a video as in person, testimonials from early users confirm that Samsung has outdone itself on this occasion.
The crease of the Samsung W25 is very shallow, almost the best on the market. pic.twitter.com/zMnDfJoJHX
– ICE UNIVERSE (@UniverseIce) November 7, 2024
The wrinkle effect is still visible, especially in backlight and with the screen off; but With the screen on and facing you, the wrinkle completely disappearsand is only visible from extreme angles where the device will be used very little.
However, this new screen does not come without sacrifice: the lack of stylus support. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 is compatible with Samsung’s S Pen, making it a great tool for taking notes and sketching anywhere; but this special edition just doesn’t have the “hardware” needed to use the stylus. The question then is whether Samsung will follow this path with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 which will be launched next year, or whether it will continue to focus on a thicker but stylus-compatible device.