I’m really torn. I’m still struggling to upgrade from my iPhone 15 Plus to my Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, and it just doesn’t seem to last more than a week.
Why am I so eager to ditch the iPhone? Well, I love it Z fold 5The form factor of, in theory. I love that it can literally do everything, in theory. It’s a phone, it’s a tablet and it’s even a PC (with Samsung DeX).
Unfortunately, because of Samsung’s stubbornness on certain things, its products (or lack thereof) disappoint me a bit. So let me vent…
With the Galaxy Z Fold 5 (and probably 6) you don’t actually get a big screen phone, paradoxically you get an even smaller screen phone
iPhone 15 Pro Max (left) and Galaxy Z Fold 5 (right) | Image credit – PhoneArena
I know what you’re thinking: “Why is it a smaller screen?” It’s a 7.6-inch foldable AMOLED screen! »
Well, you think about the folding screen, but guess what: you’ll use the exterior screen more than anything else.
With this in mind, normally using the Z fold 5 Throughout your day, you’re effectively stuck with an ultra-narrow screen, smaller than any modern smartphone you’re currently using.
He’s too small to type, he’s too small to properly watch media, and he’s too small to even absent-mindedly enjoy social media content.
I was really hoping that Samsung would finally fix this problem with the upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6, but alas, the latest reliable leaks tell us that it won’t get wide enough (unless we consider that the increased width of ‘around 2.5 mm is significant).
It’s a step in the right direction, sure, but still – it won’t be wide enough to fit a normal smartphone, typically stretching 10mm wider than the Z Fold 6’s rumored 60.2mm , which is disappointing.
So why is Samsung so stubborn about this? Why does the Z Fold remain in this narrow candy bar shape after almost 6 generations, when phones like the Google Pixel Fold and the first generation OnePlus Open have more than proven that it can be done, and it is a huge improvement? Go figure.
As I move on to Z fold 5, and I have to type a quick response on that cramped exterior screen, I know I’m about to make a “big” impression on whoever I’m talking to with those inevitable typos. Because even my reasonably skinny fingers can’t not press two keys at once, by accident.
Like his predecessors, and obviously his successor, the Z fold 5 Can’t really double as both a normal phone and a tablet, until it’s wider. When, or if, it gets there, using its exterior screen will no longer be an awkward compromise, but a natural one.
Without forgetting that its interior foldable screen will also benefit from being wider, because it will be much more suitable for watching videos and films. Because currently, with its image format close to 2:3, the screen also presents itself as a compromise. It doesn’t actually make your content much bigger than a normal big-screen phone, because it’s so square and you get black borders.
Watching content on a Z Fold compared to a normal phone unfortunately isn’t a significantly greater experience, but it’s so easy to fix that… | Image credit – PhoneArena
So Samsung remaining stubborn on this narrow form factor really hurts its flagship foldable phone experience for me. But there is something else that does it too…
Samsung, I can’t enjoy any content on your big beautiful screens, while the sound quality is still inferior to any iPhone
The Galaxy S24 Ultra, undoubtedly the perfect smartphone, except… | Image credit – PhoneArena
It’s really funny how any modern iPhone, regardless of size, including the abandoned mini, with its single downward-facing speaker, dominates the Galaxy Z fold 5and the Galaxy S24 Ultra when it comes to sound quality.
This is something that really excites me: why does Samsung give its phones every feature in the world, along with the best screens on the market, while stubbornly continuing to slack off in the speaker department?
Whether you’re browsing social media, watching YouTube videos and movies, or gaming, I’d say sound is an important part of the experience.
And either iPhones have spoiled me, or Samsung phones have always been disappointing in this area – from the ridiculously tinny-sounding S22 Ultra which I remember being visibly upset about when I first heard it, to the current model. Galaxy Z fold 5 I use, which somehow has less noticeable bass than its predecessor… things don’t get better.
True, maybe having a rich, full sound with a reasonable amount of bass, iPhone-style, might not be as important to the average consumer as it is to me, but if Apple can do it, Samsung would surely want to match, if not surpass it, right?
And yes, most Android phones generally lag behind the iPhone when it comes to sound, so if you’ve never bought a fruit phone, you won’t notice that you’re missing anything. thing, but come on… Let me sell you on this.
Hearing is one of our primary senses, along with sight and touch. I think Samsung nailed the last two – its flagship phones are nice and premium, as you’d expect for the price.
But the quality of the speakers isn’t improving, and it’s a shame to see Samsung decide to stagnate where it is, when improvements can clearly be made.
Once again, the company that generously gives us the most phone features, all the form factors, the best screens… stubbornly continues to not care about sound. It’s a strange choice, that’s for sure.
Where is the AR/VR headset, Samsung?
The Apple Vision Pro; Are you going to let this pass, Samsung? | Image credit – PhoneArena
You know you’re late to the party when even Apple beats you, with its VisionPro helmet.
I know what you’re about to say: “Samsung already had the Gear VR headset many years ago, so it’s not late to party!”
Gear VR was a failed experiment designed to follow the Google Cardboard trend of 2014, and while cool, it unfortunately wasn’t much fun to try out for a short while. It wasn’t even a real one VR headsetjust a plastic case for your phone, which itself acted as a virtual reality screen.
But we have entered the age of spatial computing, which means that one device, one headset, does everything. The Meta Quest 3 is the best in my opinion, but the Apple Vision Pro also comes to mind, obviously.
These headsets have the potential to ultimately change the world, when they become smaller, lighter and, above all, cheaper.
A gaming machine is also a computer, with its own virtual screens to work on, its own speakers, compatible with physical keyboards and mice, combining the real and virtual worlds for you…
Perhaps current AR/VR headsets won’t be as big as future AR glasses with similar capabilities will be, once the technology for them is ready, but it’s important to start now, which is why Apple ‘did.
It’s important to not get left behind and show the world that you have what it takes to enter and crush this new market with unlimited potential.
Samsung is rumored to be working on a modern AR/AR system.VR headsets – sure – and if you asked me a year ago, I’d bet one would come out before Apple, but we both know that’s not what happened.
Apple’s headset arrived, with its insane price, made less noise in the market than expected (but appears to be enjoying pretty good commercial adoption, according to Apple CEO Tim Cook), but Samsung remains silent …
We can surely expect a Samsung headset soon, especially now that Meta has made its popular Quest AR/VR operating system open source and available for any company, including Samsung, to adopt, in the same way that Google open source Android…
But try not to lag behind and question this AR/VR thing further, Samsung. I want you to succeed and provide Apple with the competition it needs, just like you do in the smartphone world.
What do you think of Samsung’s next moves?
Whether you agree or disagree, you are welcome to share your thoughts in the comments section below.
Do you think Samsung will eventually make the Z Fold wider, or has this narrow design become part of its identity forever?
Do you notice that Samsung phones have poor speaker quality, or are you happy with it?
And are you excited about the AR rumor/VR headset? Do you think the Korean company will strike a deal with Meta and use its ecosystem, or will it build its own from scratch? Will Samsung’s headset be much more affordable than Apple’s? Share your speculations and hopes!