Let’s get one thing straight: This isn’t going to be successful piece on Samsung’s costly however spectacular Galaxy Z Fold 4. I feel it’s a fantastic pill that folds to disclose a slender however usable exterior show for fast duties. It’s quick, it has nice cameras, and the 7.6-inch show is magnificent.
It’s additionally not for me.
After eight days of utilizing the Galaxy Z Fold 4 as my main telephone, I lastly gave up, moved my SIM again to Microsoft’s Floor Duo 2, and despatched the Z Fold 4 again to Samsung. It’s not as a result of I really feel obligated to make use of Floor Duo 2 and even write this text (truly, switching to Fold 4 and ditching Duo could be extra spicy and newsworthy).
I merely identical to Floor Duo 2 extra.
I already laid out my fundamental gripes with the Z Fold 4, together with quite a few issues I cherished about it. However basically, Fold 4 and Floor Duo 2 are radically completely different experiences. I perceive the urge to match them, however they’re simply not the identical.
The Goldilocks drawback
One meta subject that bothered me with Fold 4 was all the time selecting which show to make use of.
Would you like the small outer show or the massive, wonderful inside one?
With Floor Duo 2, there isn’t a selection. You open it and have two shows, and the expertise is all the time constant.
And the Fold 4 show selection is bizarre. You both get a slender, cramped, considerably compromised cowl display screen or a large 7.6-inch pill the place the app is gigantic. It’s just like the story of Goldilocks, the place I wished one thing extra within the center.
Usability and velocity
Right here’s one I didn’t see coming: I’m sooner with Floor Duo 2 than Galaxy Z Fold 4. By this, I imply opening the machine, checking a notification, and doing fast work like responding to an e-mail, sending a photograph, or responding in Slack.
Operating apps facet by facet additionally helps triage incoming information the place multitasking turns into king. I can do extra, sooner on Floor Duo 2.
A part of it’s associated to selection, as famous above, being an issue. On Fold 4, you get a notification, activate the duvet show, see it, and now if you wish to reply to it, you need to both use the cramped outer display screen or open the telephone for pill mode. That fixed back-and-forth expertise causes a break up second of hesitation.
At this level, I ponder why not simply have an everyday telephone however with a greater, larger display screen like a Samsung Galaxy S22 Extremely.
And when you can multitask on Fold 4 by splitting the display screen, it is a considerably cumbersome expertise that slows me down.
As famous beforehand, I discover it clumsier to open and maintain Fold 4 than Floor Duo 2. This criticism appears trivial and possibly even dumb, however I take into account it a usability subject. I’d usually really feel compelled to make use of the duvet display screen for primary duties, together with responding to messages, as a result of I do not like opening Fold 4.
Many individuals will rightly argue that you simply use the Fold 4’s cowl display screen for the fundamentals, and whenever you sit down or have a while, you may pop into pill mode for a extra immersive expertise. And I get that — it’s simply not one thing I needed to decide between when utilizing Floor Duo 2. I opened it, did my duties, and closed it with much less effort. There was no compromise, as I all the time had two appropriately sized shows to perform my objectives.
I additionally love opening Floor Duo 2 and even reverse folding it — Microsoft’s hinge work right here is astonishingly excellent.
One other criticism is how tall the Fold 4’s shows are: I’m doing a number of reaching to the highest for interactions and low for typing or menus. Floor Duo 2’s two shows are a lot shorter, particularly with these massive (however practical) bezels.
Ergonomically, I discovered contact navigation higher on Microsoft’s design as a result of Floor Duo 2 shouldn’t be a pill. That appears apparent when written, however I am unsure it’s one thing folks comprehend when evaluating these two units.
Thinness > Weight
Floor Duo 2 is 21 grams heavier than the Z Fold 4, however you’d by no means understand it holding each in your fingers. Microsoft leaned in the correct course by making Floor Duo 2 (particularly Floor Duo) absurdly skinny because it hides its weight.
Attributable to its density, I by no means grew to become accustomed to carrying the Fold 4 in my pocket, and placing a case on it made it worse. Once I eliminated the Samsung Silicone Grip cowl, I had second ideas about returning Fold 4 because it feels higher with none case. I feel those that go caseless will benefit from the Fold 4 extra, as long as they will maintain nervousness at bay with potential injury.
Due to how vast Floor Duo 2 is, it by no means bothers me in my pocket by comparability.
Oh, pen, the place artwork thou?
Samsung is way forward of Microsoft concerning pen interactions on Fold 4. Not solely does the S Pen really feel good with negligible latency, however there are numerous extra apps and makes use of for that pen, because of Samsung’s intelligent software program add-ons.
The problem is methods to carry that pen; an issue Floor Duo had that Floor Duo 2 principally solved. With Samsung, you may get the S Pen case, which was “free” with my buy so as to add a silo to the again. It really works and even provides a bit extra grip to the Fold 4 — it additionally made the Fold 4 much more large to hold. The tradeoff wasn’t value it as I not often use the pen, however I like having one.
Slim Pen 2 on Floor Duo 2 is flat and magnetically sticks to the entrance. It’s easy. Want it to cost? Seize the Floor Duo 2 Pen Cowl. Microsoft’s flat pen design is simply higher.
Fewer distractions
Like Floor Duo 2, this will likely be a distinct segment opinion: I choose how once I shut the Duo, I’m not distracted by a canopy display screen lighting up with incoming notifications.
This place is probably going a dropping battle in the long run. I do know that. A Floor Duo 3 might go the way in which of a single-screen foldable, requiring an exterior show. However, for now, I like how Floor Duo 2 closes like a e-book as a result of I’m completed.
I am going to get pleasure from this function whereas it lasts.
Floor Duo 2 may be a lot better
None of that is to sugar coat Floor Duo 2 and a few of its downsides. Nonetheless, a lot of the issues I appreciated concerning the Samsung Fold 4 had been {hardware} associated: Newer, extra environment friendly processor, extra RAM, higher cameras, superior contact expertise, and so on. It made every little thing sooner and smoother.
However there isn’t a purpose that newer tech can’t be integrated into an up to date Floor Duo.
Typing was the one significant factor I believed Fold 4 did a lot better than Floor Duo 2. I cherished typing on the Fold 4 with the break up thumb keyboard.
Microsoft may gain advantage from barely narrowing the Duo’s shows to make it extra comfy to carry and sort on, along with merely utilizing a greater contact digitizer (or higher software program).
Transferring on and selection
The large takeaway right here shouldn’t be that I’d considerably change Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, however me recognizing that I’m not the target market for it.
And that is OK. The identical might be mentioned about Floor Duo 2 for many individuals as properly. However I’ve argued earlier than that “area of interest” is not a adverse in expertise. Not every little thing must be for everybody.
I’m glad to have skilled what a “pill that matches in your pocket” looks like to make use of every day, and to those that adore it, I hope you proceed to take action. For purpose, Samsung is the highest Android maker, and its continued growth and assist for the Fold sequence will likely be enjoyable to observe.
However for me, I would like what Floor Duo 2 presents. Two abnormal, albeit vast, telephone screens that slot in my pocket like a digital pocket book. I’m unsure Microsoft will proceed down the trail of twin screens versus giving into the single-screen foldable development. Nonetheless, for now, that is the one telephone for me.
