This week Samsung went all-in with foldable telephones, unveiling its new Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 alongside the Galaxy Watch 4 and Galaxy Buds 2.
However, via all of the clambering makes an attempt to point out simply how nice foldable gadgets are I solely had one thought working via my head: how is that this any higher than a brand new Galaxy Observe?
Don’t get me fallacious, I’m a well-known foldable sceptic, however this thought was correctly drilled residence on the finish of the Fold’s launch when Samsung began speaking in regards to the new cellphone’s S Pen stylus assist.
To catch up anybody that missed the preliminary information, the Fold 3 is a cellphone that does what it says on the tin. It has a customized folding display that allows you to use it as an everyday cellphone or pill. The brand new model is the primary to characteristic S Pen assist, with Samsung promoting two non-obligatory variations of the stylus as extras.
Particularly, there’s a bigger Professional model that helps Bluetooth and works throughout all supported Galaxy telephones after which a smaller Z Fold 3-exclusive one which doesn’t assist Bluetooth.

On paper, this feels like a match made in heaven. I can personally attest to the productiveness advantages of getting a stylus on a pill, having used a number of Floor gadgets and Apple iPads with Pencils through the years.
Even on the Galaxy Observe telephones, which I’ve conceded had been too small to totally utilise the stylus successfully, had some nice makes use of for it. All too usually I’d use the S Pen to handle Excel sheets, or jot down procuring lists when out and about reviewing one of many telephones. However, for me, the Fold doesn’t have the chops to actually take advantage of the S Pen for 2 causes.
First, as a result of whichever one you get is superfluous because the Fold 3 doesn’t have any method to dock the pens with out investing in a separate case, which can make the already chunky cellphone even thicker and extra cumbersome to make use of. I may assure, primarily based on my expertise with the Apple iPad and Pencil, that the S Pen will go walkies pretty quick.
Quite a few occasions I’ve grabbed my iPad pondering I’d spend a while sketching in Procreate, solely to understand I’ve no clue the place I’ve left the stylus. The identical recreation of test underneath the couch cushions to find the lacking pen will inevitably occur with the Fold 3.
Then there’s the display. Certain it’s greater, which can possible make it higher in some cases. And sure it has spectacular specs, that includes a variable refresh charge 120Hz OLED panel. However there’s one massive downside: the facet ratio makes it distinctly sq..
That is problematic for quite a lot of causes, chief of which is that the majority Android apps aren’t optimised accurately for the Fold’s display. On prime of that the majority digital portray and picture modifying work is finished on rectangular canvases, so a sq. isn’t precisely superb.
I can also’t see Krita or Adobe tweaking their providers to run correctly on the facet ratio only for the Galaxy Fold.
That is why, regardless of feeling Samsung by no means 100% nailed the Observe, I couldn’t assist however really feel a twinge of sorrow on the Galaxy Observe 21’s absence throughout the occasion.
Right here’s hoping the road returns in 2022 with a brand new greater and higher Observe that lastly does the S Pen justice.
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