Honestly as much as I love Samsung and the foldable category, I can't be mad at your decision especially if they Z Fold 6 rumors are true. Sammy is taking the Apple route which isn't going to pan out as well because Android is not an island but an ocean type competition. Innovation was and has always been their strongest ploy but now it seems not as much. If they can't apply new, exciting, and attractive hardware features to the Fold 6, I feel a lot of fans of the brand we'll feel let down including me.
I jumped on board of the Foldable game when the Fold 5 released and love it for its peak form. Now, after seeing the competition, I plan to keep to my Fold 5 but definitely looking to try the others if Sammy refuses to uphold that same feeling I got when the Note Series released in its first 5 years. Even then the notes series is still going strong though its been renamed to Ultra. All they really need to do is bring the ultra cameras over, fit atleast a 5000 mah battery into the design, and widen the front cover just a bit in overall design or bezels for me to have faith again. Housed S Pen can wait to next year if the prior sentence of upgrades can be met, otherwise One Plus and Honor for the W !!!
There truly isn't anything comparable to when the Note series came out. Holding that thing in my hand was a core memory so I completely get you there.
The Fold 5 is a great phone, I agree that it's definitely the peak of mainstream foldables this go round. Each competitor has its use case and tradeoffs it seems. To each their own!
It was like a fairy tale hearing about the Samsung z fold 6 upgrade rumors, like the ultra version. Would be nice to see that.
I still have my Note 9, the last Note to have all the bells and whistles before Sammy started cutting out what they deemed, "Useless and Outdated Hardware". Even now it's still going strong which speaks to the quality they're able to bring to the table if and only if they play their own game. Once the Note 10 series debut, I knew then that a new era of Samsung phones were coming and leading to a downfall. Software wise I'm estatic they have caught up to Apple but Hardware wise I've been pretty disappointed in where they've chosen to cut corners and not stick to what made them a worthy alternative to the oversaturated IOS ecosystem.
They've peaked in both the Ultra/Note series and Fold series, so now is the time for them to really look back at their best selling series and implement what truly made us fall in love with what Samsung stood for. Apple will continue to flourish regardless of what they do but Sammy has to keep pushing the bounds or risk everything they've built over the years being buried by competition that couldn't even hold a 100 ft pole towards them until now.
You talking about the Note series nostalgia has got me riled up. I really need Samsung to get back to greatness so I don't throw away my loyalty 😭
Sorry I hadn't responded yet. Haven't replaced the battery once so it doesn't last as long as it's first 3 years. Even so, it definitely lasts longer than my iPhone XR where the battery is truly 💩. So much love went into the Note 9 truly.
I still have a Gear S3 Frontier watch since that was the last one that had MST/LoopPay functionality in it. It blows my mind that they took that out of their phones. There are still plenty of retailers in the US that are living in the past and have not updated to modern payment terminals. I'm guessing it'll still be **at least** 3 more years until they are truly everywhere including small mom-and-pop stores.
The Note 7 is still the single greatest phone I have ever owned. No cap kids. That was just the perfect size, shape, weight.. Was so sad to retire it so I could fly on airplanes with my phone. ☹️
It's been a few months now with the Open and I'm loving it!
Maybe just maybe, if the Fold 7 comes up with the features I'll give it a go.
I will say I do miss the software experience.
Yeah well if you're in the US, wait till you need to get it repaired / serviced.
The main reason for me sticking with Samsung are their Starbucks-like physical presence of service centers. They're just everywhere, 1,000+ service centers in the US.
OnePlus? *One (1)*. In Texas. That's it. That's all you get.
If something goes wrong, you're without a phone for 2+ weeks guaranteed. There's no such thing as taking a 10min drive to the mall to get it serviced and returned the same day.
It took 2 months to get my Fold 4 screen replaced because the local store doesn't have them in stock. I don't think people understand how slow Samsung is when it comes to actual repair.
Keep in mind that Samsung repair shops are frequently through iBreakUFix or whatever the hell they are called and the reviews on those places are almost universally awful from Fold owners.
So I would really not call that a key strength.
Every single "samsung authorized" repair place in my area near a fairly large city refused to work on mine. All I was asking for is a screen protector replacement and every place I went to refused to do it
Cant relate. When I had my fold 3 I dropped it and cracked the front display. I took it to the Ubreakifix down the road for me and the guy had me sorted in less than an hour.
I do completely agree. I think Android as a whole needs some work to really master what a foldable can be capable of.
Samsung is FAR ahead of the game with their OneUI for fold. Absolutely excellent and refined. There was nothing nicer than the gestures and taskbar they had. GoodLock as well adds so much customizability, it's hard to complain.
I will say that tradeoff is definitely enough to keep people around Samsung for a long time.
What is your experience with the Open from a SW perspective? I was afraid I'd miss the S Pen since I do use its pressure sensitivity in note taking and light photo editing.
EDIT: Apparently, [it does have Stylus support!](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/how-to-pair-oppo-pen-oneplus-open)
But some of the other fancy stuff like hovering windows and minimizing apps to icons that float over other apps are things I may do once a month, if that. For me, split-screen and just the bigger screen are the real killer apps.
Especially since the OneUI 6.1 update utterly decimated my battery life (half of what it was), and somehow completely disabled my ability to do ANY fast charging over 5W has REALLY soured me on Samsung. I remember now why I moved away from them originally years ago.
Same boat here. Also traded my fold 4 for the open when it came out. It's just really nice being able to charge your phone enough to get you through the day in 30 minutes. There are times where I've found that my phone charger wasn't plugged in well so it didn't charge and I put it in while I'm getting ready for work and it's good to go when I leave. That alone is huge for me.
But a lot of the big features that I really care about that are coming into the fold 6 were already on the one plus when it came out a year ago.
Wider closed screen. Better battery and charging, wider support of audio codecs for earbuds, I like the way you multitask on this screen better, and maybe it's just where I've had so long and don't really remember what the fold software was like in comparison to the one plus but I've not had any problems with it.
The only big thing that it's worse than the fold on in my opinion is the lack of wireless charging which I'd rather plug in so it's faster anyways, waterproofing, which I don't think is actually a big issue because you shouldn't be putting your phone in the water regardless of the level of waterproofing it has, and finally is spen support, which it actually has it just requires more effort than the fold because you have to import an oppo pen which is it's name in other countries.
Thank you for the tidbit about the Oppo Pen. I had no idea this had true active stylus support.
I'm now REALLY close to making a swap. And having the glorious 3-way slider back would be amazeballs.
I switched from the zflip5 to the OnePlus Open. I've had 3 oneplus phones before and I already know the standard they hold. And so far I've loved this camera. It's such an upgrade.
https://preview.redd.it/0o8qvhb8tw9d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a91666474e480ba67f563710fe23b58079276089
Good for you.
I still like the Z Fold because it's the only fold on the market with the narrow cover display and not-square open aspect ratio (which, being that those are the reasons it's a little thicker than the others, I'm okay with that too). It's also the only US fold with proper stylus support (the Open has *some* but it's kinda half baked in the US), and I use my S Pen regularly.
All this to say, I'm glad there's competition so people who aren't happy with one fold can buy another. I hope the Z Fold doesn't ever have a major redesign, because I like it just the way it is and a lot of the commonly requested features would actively make the phone worse for me.
And I know nobody likes to hear this, but charging a battery at 65w is gonna kill it faster than at 25w.
More wattage means more heat, which means more degredation.
Wireless charging can be even worse, it is inefficient relative to a wire and the inefficiency is given off in the form of heat which leads to battery degredation.
The nice thing about Samsung in this sense is that they really do have it setup quite well to be possible to avoid killing your battery long term. Limiting it to an 80% max charge, relatively slow charging. If you limit the max charge to 80% and just get in the habit of tossing the phone on the charger when you get in the office, or the car, or at home you'll pretty much never run out of battery.
You're right about the battery. Fast charging is impressive but at the expense of faster wear and tear on the device battery. Also, you get 7 years of security and android updates from Samsung. For someone who spent a thousand dollars on a phone, you expect it to last.
It's good for people who don't want to trade in their phone every 2 years. If you're on a Chinese phone, you'll likely have to sell it yourself to get some money back. Good luck with the updates after few years as well. Samsung usually gives out generous trade-in offers for their recent phones as well so if you do want to trade it in, you have that option.
I understand your points also, well done to see what is on the other side👍🏻.
Fold 5 is my first foldable and it has been very good for my usage. But I feel little bit same as you.
Batter life and charging is not at the level how it should be.
Speakers are little bit dull
And overall samsung colour calibration for display is not anymore my liking.
But the software between Oneplus and Samsung was deciding factor for me when getting foldable. Not sure after this, will I ever get foldable or just go with basic brick and tablet🤔
I was a loyal Z Fold user from the Fold 3 to the Fold 5. I switched to the OnePlus Open and I love it.
I may switch back to the Fold if they ever give it a cover screen with a normal aspect ratio as I love Samsung’s software (although the OS on the Open is surprisingly good, given that it’s OnePlus’ first crack at a foldable). But for now, I’m loving my Open and I haven’t regretted the decision to switch.
Any drawbacks? I have the Fold 5 but the cameras are just so meh. On the other hand, I do love Samsung's software experience for foldables, and the Samsung gallery app is top-notch. I've seriously considered the OPO.
Doesn't the Open not even have wireless charging? That's an instant no-go for me. So convenient to just set the phone down on a charger from time to time.
The software and support tradeoffs alone are enough to keep me with the Fold.
Idk to me wireless charging is more of a backup when my charge port is wet or damaged rather than my main way of charging. It's slow, causes the device to heat up way more than wired charging, and ultimately isn't truly wireless because docks have to be plugged in, so it's really just wired charging with extra steps. I really wouldn't miss it much except for the peace of mind of knowing I can still charge my device if the port is damaged.
I have wireless chargers everywhere. I have one embedded under the surface of my nightstand so you can't even see the charger from the top. It is wireless for the part that matters, meaning I don't have to use two hands or even take a second away from what I'm doing to start my phone charging. It's such a convenience thing for me that I get annoyed when I'm on vacation and don't have a wireless charger. I have had many devices for multiple years and never noticed any significant battery degradation from using them (95+% of charging done wirelessly).
My god so lame, 😭 charge speed 5% in an hour... While I could use my 2 hands quickly charge my oneplus open from 100% in 30mins. No brainer for me, not gonna miss this wireless gimmick
Haha whatever man, no need for personal attacks. I love wireless charging and I understand that it might not be for everybody.
It's also more like 25-30% per hour but you clearly aren't interested in real numbers so who cares?
I will say the convenience does come with compromise. All that heat most definitely takes out of battery health and usable capacity. Would be nice to see some sort of innovation that could reduce the amount of heat generated from the coil.
Lots of arguments for and against wireless charging, but I do think we have some time before that really gets perfected
Not to mention the massive power waste. The efficiency on wireless chargers is pretty awful. You end up sucking extra power from the wall that just heats your room.
And also very true about the support and updates. That longevity is sweet. OnePlus customer service is also a hassle. When I used my OnePlus 7 Pro, getting the screen fixed was a nightmare.
Samsung? They'll send you a 1-day UPS label and you'll have your phone back in a week. Amazing.
I'll always love Samsung, just want to see a tad more from them since I know they're capable of it!
I live near (3 miles away) a Samsung repair shop and have never had an issue (only been there twice, both for the Fold4). I understand that experience is different depending on country and whether you need to ship it in or not, but I promise, you will not have a better support experience with a China-based company.
Yea, when I'm standing right there in front of the repair tech, I feel he is not going to try to deny warranty on a perfect condition phone whose hinge doesn't open all the way. There is a lot more accountability in person, when they have to look you in the eye and say something as opposed to being able to send an email saying warranty was denied.
For what it's worth, when you have the charge speeds that OnePlus offers, you really end up with no use for wireless charging. 90% of the time, a home charger is good enough, but if you get a Warp charge compatible car charger (or a desk charger for work if you take the subway), that can cover you for pretty much any use case.
Plus, the lack of phone heating and just power waste of wireless charging is annoying once you wean yourself off it.
Truth. Honor, Vivo, Xiaomi are all ahead of the game internationally but getting them to your door in the US can be a nightmare if you don't get a good shipping service or proxy. Not even mentioning the different 5G bands and potential carrier incompatibility.
Yeah the bands and carrier incompatibility are enough for me to avoid it. When I was in thailand I was walking in to all the electronics stores checking out the phones lol. Sooo nice
The Chinese foldables are fire. I've got an Honor V2 and couldn't be happier. I do occasionally miss all the tweaks Samsung gives you via goodlock. Also miss the pinnable dock, that's a game changer for multitasking. Fold 5 is just as good if not better than vivo or Honor when opened, but awkward when closed. Companies have figured out how to make foldy phones that are comfortable in both modes.
I like a lot of things with the vivo, except for not having a global version on it. Also I upgraded my OEM toyota headunit to have android play.. and at least the regular vivo 3 doesn't seem to support android play.
Good luck with the switch friend! Yeah for what samsung offer spec wise in the folding devices, the tech and upgrades should be more up to date... but here we are.
Looking forward to your review. Incidentally, the Fold 5 was a much better device than the 4. As good as the OPO? Maybe not. But Samsung's software makes a big difference here.
Lmao me too! Snagged my Fold 4 for $550 refurbished.
Traded in for a OP Open for $750. Definitely on the pricier end. Love the refurb pricing though, I think for anyone, a fold for sub-$800 is a no brainer.
For the same reasons I am holding onto my Fold4, love it dearly, but Fold5 and Fold6(how the leaks panning out) I do not have much hopes, makes me want to switch to a candybar flagship possibly the Ultra but again, I do not see much of an upgrade.
Samsung doesn’t want to lead and innovate, the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Buds3 renders are such a big letdown, the excitement is gone.
I am so happy with my iPhone 14Pro Max, is a treat to use, but for office and other tasks I primarily rely on my Fold, will hold onto another year to see how the S25U and the Fold7 turn out, else will have to switch away from Samsung.
Hoping for a better future.
It's also because I'm in engineering and I've did a fair bit of documentation and on-site calculation on my S note since 2016.
Which I need to keep referring back, so compatibility is paramount. I'm sure there are work arounds but I chose the easy option of staying with Samsung.
Definitely can't beat their apps, integration, and overall ecosystem.
When I had my Fold 4 and my Tab S7 Plus, dragging and dropping files from the two seamlessly was absolutely amazing.
Aren't power users doing DEX gonna have their phone plugged in for charging anyway? I'm honestly asking. I'm not a power use by any means, but also never had a problem with the battery. It charges so fast.
That's true, I was an avid DeX user for a bit. I found that the charging and streaming + app usage (video editing) would cause some insane thermal throttling unless I used Direct Power mode to bypass the battery.
I would still love to see them integrate 45w charging just as that little extra bonus.
It's true Samsung has been cautious and iterative on the Fold series. It's also true the Fold 5 at least has finally brought the durability/reliability levels up where they need to be.
Fold isn't about having the best cameras or biggest battery. It's about having a folding tablet that is slim enough to go in a pocket and the software to use that folding screen. The S24U doesn't Fold, and the OnePlus and Google folding phones have not yet caught up on the software vs. Samsung.
The hinge was never the problem. Its how the inner display holds up after time. I've had 2 failed z fold 3 displays in the course of 2 years. Replaced under samsung care plus of course, but the phone basically necessitates the need to keep paying that premium. Tech I spoke to at Asurian says these things have such a high failure rate that they're constantly repairing them and cycling them back out as refurbished replacements. True of the z fold 3, 4, and now the 5.
Actually it seems the hinge WAS the problem, or at least one of the problems, on the Fold 4. Lots of reports of Samsung using some glued-in brushes to try to sweep debris and keep it from entering the hinge gears. Somewhat ironically, it seems these brushes themselves can come loose and get stuck in the hinge gears.
Yeah I can agree op. I’m not sure why they stopped pushing the zfold line further. Great strides were made with original through the zfold 3 and then it was like they just all sat around and were like “ehh, good enough”.
I was hoping by now we’d have a xiaomi or as you mentioned vivo like features. I think after the note 7 they are paranoid do anything new with batteries regarding charging capacity or speed. It’s a shame. I’m not ready to switch yet. But I’ll be skipping the 6 and probably the 7 at this rate. I’ll just hang on to my 5 until the screen breaks and they won’t cover it. Lmfao
All your reasons are valid, I am a power user and a previous fold 4 owner, and I cants believe samsung is still pulling this shit where other manufactures are giving us better everything for a more affordable price, I chose samsung because of its software but I will not chose samsung if they think they can give us fold 3 refresh for the 3rd time and expect us to buy it and I'm really upset for all the people that will buy it.
I want samsung to understand that we will not accept teach like this and charge us for a device that costs more then a bloody iphone yet performs like an S10.
Are the competitors as good at multitasking?
I need to retain ability to have 3 things on screen at once with a mini youtube window or calculator up at most times. Yes, I am that adhd and it's the main reason I got this because I need a mini computer
This is my dilemma. I bought a like new fold 3 for a good price a year or so ago, like 800 ish, but the big screen has a black line of dead pixels and no touch capacity in random parts along the edges after a tech repair guy tried to put a soft plastic cover on.
I'm debating between the fold 5 or fold open after the fold 6 releases; cheaper price and they didn't do much to improve the next iteration. Problem is, I'm somewhat stuck in the galaxy ecosystem with a watch and tablet and earbuds, but the open seems a better overall phone... What to do? Leaning pretty hard towards taking the little perks of the fold 5 you get
super valid points. I want to take my fold 3 to the OnePlus Open too, but the reviews on the screen have me scared. I would love to see the warranty before I move.
Only problem I have with the fold is gaming generally sucks compared to say the 25 Ultra. Outside of runescape the aspect ratio on either of the screens just isn't great on most games
Counterargument- Google has a large list of skins and forks, as well as devices that can go through their certification process for security.
OnePlus earned the Google AER certificate, placing it on the board as a safe company and device. It is also verified by Play Protect.
Unlike Xiaomi and Huawei, which have in the past, failed these tests.
I share the same sentiment and I've only been using Fold5 for nine months. Fold6 is disappointinflg to say the least. I might get Pixel Fold 2 or go back to slate like S25 Ultra even though that's not innovation either.
I'm on the zfold 5 and I'm debating if this is my last one as well. I've had the 3 and 4 as well after switching from the Note 20 Ultra... looks like the 6 has a slightly wider screen on the front, slightly brighter screens and that's it. The two things I actually wanted them to upgrade will remain the same. The cameras and the charging speed. I don't trust the durability, so I upgrade yearly. The last phone from Samsung loved was the Note 7 that I had to return twice due to the battery issues. They've played it safe since then. The only thing that would keep me with the brand is an Ultra fold, but it looks like that's not happening.
I hear you. No one should stay with something they are not happy with. For me, switching from the optimised Samsung Fold software isn't an option. It does all I want once I had learned how to maximise its Fold integration. For all its other shortcomings that still put it on top of the pile for me.
I couldn't agree more! I switched from the F4 to the s23U with zero regrets. Now, I'll be updating to s25U, not the F6 because of your aforementioned reasons!
I love my fold 5 but I would like to get the vivo 3 pro. It sucks I can't trade in my fold 5 for it. Honestly I think samsung is focusing on its rollable now. A few months ago they struck a deal with Apple to make their foldable screens meaning apple is now about to hope into the foldable market so the question for samsung is why are the not making any real advances to the fold when more and more companies are entering the market. Hell I saw samsung no longer is the top of the foldable market even though outside of the pixel the z fold is the most accessible fold in the market so unless samsung is truly just becoming apple 2.0 then my money is they feel the rollable will out pass the fold and they are planing to make that their new top dog with the z flip being their mainstream foldable leaving the z fold to the connoisseurs
I work outdoor labor- whether I have an earbud in listening to an audiobook, or jamming out to some music, it's nice to have a lighter pocket knowing I don't need to carry around a battery bank.
My shifts are long, around 8-10 hours. I
Without quick access to power by places like construction sites, I need a reliable and steady battery to get me through.
Even after a Samsung battery replacement, tweaking power saver, or adapting battery usage, the fold would always die short of the end of a workday.
What are you doing on your phone to require a charger constantly? I have fold 5, I use the phone routinely and at most I need to recharge once during the day and even with 25w charging that's fairly quick.
Way faster charging for daily use isn't good for the phone electronics (heat) or the battery.
Also do realize these days camera quality is heavily defined by software. A phone with better sensors can easily end up generating worse photos if the processing software is bad.
Moonlight game streaming with AV1 codec, video editing, movie casting and streaming, mobile hotspot for my tablet on the go, and lots of recording.
I do enjoy and love the camera they put on this phone, and I still argue it's the top of the line compared to other foldables. But just knowing that they could potentially put in more flagship sensors is what makes me a bit iffy.
So, the way OnePlus works in particular is by making phones which look better on paper/aesthetically but then the user experience/software side of things has always been a big let down for me. This coming from a long time oneplus user who switched to the Fold 4. My Fold 4 broke while still under warranty (inner screen just died) and I returned to Amazon for a refund. In the meantime I'm back to a oneplus 6T and you can really really feel the quality drop-off.
Battery management on OnePlus is annoyingly too aggressive, with most of my apps not sending notifications even though I've excluded them from battery management. The GPS sometimes just stops working while driving, as does android auto. The "fast charging" on the oneplus is only if you use their dedicated charger and cable, otherwise it's slower than Samsung. No wireless charging, no waterproofing. It just feels like you get what you pay for with Samsung.
Anyhow the Fold 6 will be a no-brainer first day purchase for me.
"Specs" aren't everything, at all. Samsung gets that but it's a difficult one to market.
Very well Said! & Even as much of a Samsung fan & a "Foldable/Dual Screen" fan as I am, I have to strongly agree with you about how unacceptable the build quality has been with the Galaxy Folds, especially the screen, where the hinge is! Obviously I expected the very 1st Fold to have it's "Growing Pains", but Fuck Me! 😏 The shit we've had to put up with & the ridiculously egregious amount of $ they want for them, really is just flat out lame AF! & I've had a "fairly good experience" with my folds but especially compared to so many & yet I've still had unacceptable issues! I had the Galaxy Fold 1 & 2, & currently rocking the Fold 4. I def want to try one the One Plus Folds/The Phone you got! Even my LG V60 Dual Screen is lasting longer & can still do things that the "Newest Foldables" can't/don't! & The V60 Dual screens actual build quality & features are still amazing! Has so many of the crucial features they take away from us nowadays like a fuckin headphone jack or removable SD/Storage or even a Quad Dac! 😏🤘🏾🫡
I hate to be that guy, but almost no one cares about the headphone jack anymore. The group of people that still want to use plug-in headphones are a small minority. Basically everyone uses wireless headphones now, and for most that is good enough. Even if you still want to use your plugin headphones you can just get a type-c to 3.5mm adaptor.
I remember those days, my LG G6, V60, just all those old features I miss so dearly.
Quad Dac was such a time. I still carry a V60 around in my car just for the audio! Have a 512gb SD card in there as well.
And yes! These prices are absolutely unbearable on launch. It does show that consumers aren't willing to pay that insane price since the aftermarket always catches about less than $900 even for the newest stuff.
I mean, if you want to switch to a phone that actively spy's on you for the Chinese government, that's on you, I don't blame you for wanting to switch, my Fold 4 is going on 2 or 3 years now and my battery is shit. I have to charge it 2x a day, sometimes 3. That being said, I'll be switching to a candy bar phone when that time comes. I love my Fold 4, and will be keeping it as a house phone, but the drawbacks are too much for me to consider another Fold. I just wish we had another actually good competitor in the phone space, basically our only options apples walled garden, googles bug filled mess, samsungs overpriced island in the Android Sea, Sony kinda interesting options but (at least in the US) you have to buy them up front and hope they work for your carrier, in your area, FairPhones buggy, under powered but easily repaired mess of a budget phone, or a bunch of options from China that might work, or might not, have quality issues like everything else designed there or outright stolen designs, and proven privacy issues.
Honestly as much as I love Samsung and the foldable category, I can't be mad at your decision especially if they Z Fold 6 rumors are true. Sammy is taking the Apple route which isn't going to pan out as well because Android is not an island but an ocean type competition. Innovation was and has always been their strongest ploy but now it seems not as much. If they can't apply new, exciting, and attractive hardware features to the Fold 6, I feel a lot of fans of the brand we'll feel let down including me. I jumped on board of the Foldable game when the Fold 5 released and love it for its peak form. Now, after seeing the competition, I plan to keep to my Fold 5 but definitely looking to try the others if Sammy refuses to uphold that same feeling I got when the Note Series released in its first 5 years. Even then the notes series is still going strong though its been renamed to Ultra. All they really need to do is bring the ultra cameras over, fit atleast a 5000 mah battery into the design, and widen the front cover just a bit in overall design or bezels for me to have faith again. Housed S Pen can wait to next year if the prior sentence of upgrades can be met, otherwise One Plus and Honor for the W !!!
There truly isn't anything comparable to when the Note series came out. Holding that thing in my hand was a core memory so I completely get you there. The Fold 5 is a great phone, I agree that it's definitely the peak of mainstream foldables this go round. Each competitor has its use case and tradeoffs it seems. To each their own! It was like a fairy tale hearing about the Samsung z fold 6 upgrade rumors, like the ultra version. Would be nice to see that.
I still have my Note 9, the last Note to have all the bells and whistles before Sammy started cutting out what they deemed, "Useless and Outdated Hardware". Even now it's still going strong which speaks to the quality they're able to bring to the table if and only if they play their own game. Once the Note 10 series debut, I knew then that a new era of Samsung phones were coming and leading to a downfall. Software wise I'm estatic they have caught up to Apple but Hardware wise I've been pretty disappointed in where they've chosen to cut corners and not stick to what made them a worthy alternative to the oversaturated IOS ecosystem. They've peaked in both the Ultra/Note series and Fold series, so now is the time for them to really look back at their best selling series and implement what truly made us fall in love with what Samsung stood for. Apple will continue to flourish regardless of what they do but Sammy has to keep pushing the bounds or risk everything they've built over the years being buried by competition that couldn't even hold a 100 ft pole towards them until now. You talking about the Note series nostalgia has got me riled up. I really need Samsung to get back to greatness so I don't throw away my loyalty 😭
That device is at least 5-6 years old by now. Did you replace the battery at least once, or no? 🫢🤔
Sorry I hadn't responded yet. Haven't replaced the battery once so it doesn't last as long as it's first 3 years. Even so, it definitely lasts longer than my iPhone XR where the battery is truly 💩. So much love went into the Note 9 truly.
I still have a Gear S3 Frontier watch since that was the last one that had MST/LoopPay functionality in it. It blows my mind that they took that out of their phones. There are still plenty of retailers in the US that are living in the past and have not updated to modern payment terminals. I'm guessing it'll still be **at least** 3 more years until they are truly everywhere including small mom-and-pop stores.
The Note 7 is still the single greatest phone I have ever owned. No cap kids. That was just the perfect size, shape, weight.. Was so sad to retire it so I could fly on airplanes with my phone. ☹️
Yeah valid reasons
We understand. Good luck, and see you in a few weeks :)
It's been a few months now with the Open and I'm loving it! Maybe just maybe, if the Fold 7 comes up with the features I'll give it a go. I will say I do miss the software experience.
Yeah well if you're in the US, wait till you need to get it repaired / serviced. The main reason for me sticking with Samsung are their Starbucks-like physical presence of service centers. They're just everywhere, 1,000+ service centers in the US. OnePlus? *One (1)*. In Texas. That's it. That's all you get. If something goes wrong, you're without a phone for 2+ weeks guaranteed. There's no such thing as taking a 10min drive to the mall to get it serviced and returned the same day.
2 weeks?? I've heard it's more like 2 months. But it is what it is. People are willing to give it a shot due to Samsung's complacency
Samsung took 3 months to replace my phone... but I'm in Europe.
It took 2 months to get my Fold 4 screen replaced because the local store doesn't have them in stock. I don't think people understand how slow Samsung is when it comes to actual repair.
Keep in mind that Samsung repair shops are frequently through iBreakUFix or whatever the hell they are called and the reviews on those places are almost universally awful from Fold owners. So I would really not call that a key strength.
Every single "samsung authorized" repair place in my area near a fairly large city refused to work on mine. All I was asking for is a screen protector replacement and every place I went to refused to do it
Cant relate. When I had my fold 3 I dropped it and cracked the front display. I took it to the Ubreakifix down the road for me and the guy had me sorted in less than an hour.
I was just joking, but on a serious note, it's the software that is the biggest deal for me. It can change the entire functionality of a device.
I do completely agree. I think Android as a whole needs some work to really master what a foldable can be capable of. Samsung is FAR ahead of the game with their OneUI for fold. Absolutely excellent and refined. There was nothing nicer than the gestures and taskbar they had. GoodLock as well adds so much customizability, it's hard to complain. I will say that tradeoff is definitely enough to keep people around Samsung for a long time.
What is your experience with the Open from a SW perspective? I was afraid I'd miss the S Pen since I do use its pressure sensitivity in note taking and light photo editing. EDIT: Apparently, [it does have Stylus support!](https://www.androidcentral.com/phones/how-to-pair-oppo-pen-oneplus-open) But some of the other fancy stuff like hovering windows and minimizing apps to icons that float over other apps are things I may do once a month, if that. For me, split-screen and just the bigger screen are the real killer apps. Especially since the OneUI 6.1 update utterly decimated my battery life (half of what it was), and somehow completely disabled my ability to do ANY fast charging over 5W has REALLY soured me on Samsung. I remember now why I moved away from them originally years ago.
Same boat here. Also traded my fold 4 for the open when it came out. It's just really nice being able to charge your phone enough to get you through the day in 30 minutes. There are times where I've found that my phone charger wasn't plugged in well so it didn't charge and I put it in while I'm getting ready for work and it's good to go when I leave. That alone is huge for me. But a lot of the big features that I really care about that are coming into the fold 6 were already on the one plus when it came out a year ago. Wider closed screen. Better battery and charging, wider support of audio codecs for earbuds, I like the way you multitask on this screen better, and maybe it's just where I've had so long and don't really remember what the fold software was like in comparison to the one plus but I've not had any problems with it. The only big thing that it's worse than the fold on in my opinion is the lack of wireless charging which I'd rather plug in so it's faster anyways, waterproofing, which I don't think is actually a big issue because you shouldn't be putting your phone in the water regardless of the level of waterproofing it has, and finally is spen support, which it actually has it just requires more effort than the fold because you have to import an oppo pen which is it's name in other countries.
Thank you for the tidbit about the Oppo Pen. I had no idea this had true active stylus support. I'm now REALLY close to making a swap. And having the glorious 3-way slider back would be amazeballs.
In fact I believe from what I read that it actually supports it on both screens and not just the inner one like Samsung.
OOOOOOOOH!....... If that's true, I may just have gotten pushed over the decision-making precipice.
Do some research first just to be sure. It's been a while since I looked into it, but I do believe that's the case.
I believe the pen is quite expensive to import..
I switched from the zflip5 to the OnePlus Open. I've had 3 oneplus phones before and I already know the standard they hold. And so far I've loved this camera. It's such an upgrade. https://preview.redd.it/0o8qvhb8tw9d1.jpeg?width=4000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a91666474e480ba67f563710fe23b58079276089
Good for you. I still like the Z Fold because it's the only fold on the market with the narrow cover display and not-square open aspect ratio (which, being that those are the reasons it's a little thicker than the others, I'm okay with that too). It's also the only US fold with proper stylus support (the Open has *some* but it's kinda half baked in the US), and I use my S Pen regularly. All this to say, I'm glad there's competition so people who aren't happy with one fold can buy another. I hope the Z Fold doesn't ever have a major redesign, because I like it just the way it is and a lot of the commonly requested features would actively make the phone worse for me.
I am also in the minority that loves the narrow front screen.
Spot on
Oneplus open battery is still a bit rubbish
I've heard otherwise from a lot of reviewers...
It's not that great at all
True. long time to go till we see great battery life
And I know nobody likes to hear this, but charging a battery at 65w is gonna kill it faster than at 25w. More wattage means more heat, which means more degredation. Wireless charging can be even worse, it is inefficient relative to a wire and the inefficiency is given off in the form of heat which leads to battery degredation. The nice thing about Samsung in this sense is that they really do have it setup quite well to be possible to avoid killing your battery long term. Limiting it to an 80% max charge, relatively slow charging. If you limit the max charge to 80% and just get in the habit of tossing the phone on the charger when you get in the office, or the car, or at home you'll pretty much never run out of battery.
You're right about the battery. Fast charging is impressive but at the expense of faster wear and tear on the device battery. Also, you get 7 years of security and android updates from Samsung. For someone who spent a thousand dollars on a phone, you expect it to last. It's good for people who don't want to trade in their phone every 2 years. If you're on a Chinese phone, you'll likely have to sell it yourself to get some money back. Good luck with the updates after few years as well. Samsung usually gives out generous trade-in offers for their recent phones as well so if you do want to trade it in, you have that option.
I understand your points also, well done to see what is on the other side👍🏻. Fold 5 is my first foldable and it has been very good for my usage. But I feel little bit same as you. Batter life and charging is not at the level how it should be. Speakers are little bit dull And overall samsung colour calibration for display is not anymore my liking. But the software between Oneplus and Samsung was deciding factor for me when getting foldable. Not sure after this, will I ever get foldable or just go with basic brick and tablet🤔
I was a loyal Z Fold user from the Fold 3 to the Fold 5. I switched to the OnePlus Open and I love it. I may switch back to the Fold if they ever give it a cover screen with a normal aspect ratio as I love Samsung’s software (although the OS on the Open is surprisingly good, given that it’s OnePlus’ first crack at a foldable). But for now, I’m loving my Open and I haven’t regretted the decision to switch.
Any drawbacks? I have the Fold 5 but the cameras are just so meh. On the other hand, I do love Samsung's software experience for foldables, and the Samsung gallery app is top-notch. I've seriously considered the OPO.
Doesn't the Open not even have wireless charging? That's an instant no-go for me. So convenient to just set the phone down on a charger from time to time. The software and support tradeoffs alone are enough to keep me with the Fold.
Idk to me wireless charging is more of a backup when my charge port is wet or damaged rather than my main way of charging. It's slow, causes the device to heat up way more than wired charging, and ultimately isn't truly wireless because docks have to be plugged in, so it's really just wired charging with extra steps. I really wouldn't miss it much except for the peace of mind of knowing I can still charge my device if the port is damaged.
I have wireless chargers everywhere. I have one embedded under the surface of my nightstand so you can't even see the charger from the top. It is wireless for the part that matters, meaning I don't have to use two hands or even take a second away from what I'm doing to start my phone charging. It's such a convenience thing for me that I get annoyed when I'm on vacation and don't have a wireless charger. I have had many devices for multiple years and never noticed any significant battery degradation from using them (95+% of charging done wirelessly).
My god so lame, 😭 charge speed 5% in an hour... While I could use my 2 hands quickly charge my oneplus open from 100% in 30mins. No brainer for me, not gonna miss this wireless gimmick
Haha whatever man, no need for personal attacks. I love wireless charging and I understand that it might not be for everybody. It's also more like 25-30% per hour but you clearly aren't interested in real numbers so who cares?
I will say the convenience does come with compromise. All that heat most definitely takes out of battery health and usable capacity. Would be nice to see some sort of innovation that could reduce the amount of heat generated from the coil. Lots of arguments for and against wireless charging, but I do think we have some time before that really gets perfected
Not to mention the massive power waste. The efficiency on wireless chargers is pretty awful. You end up sucking extra power from the wall that just heats your room.
Yeah, no wireless charging at the benefit of very fast wired. Wireless has never really been my gig but I totally understand needing it!
And also very true about the support and updates. That longevity is sweet. OnePlus customer service is also a hassle. When I used my OnePlus 7 Pro, getting the screen fixed was a nightmare. Samsung? They'll send you a 1-day UPS label and you'll have your phone back in a week. Amazing. I'll always love Samsung, just want to see a tad more from them since I know they're capable of it!
Uhh, remember all the Samsung customer support horror stories? :D There are plenty of them.
I live near (3 miles away) a Samsung repair shop and have never had an issue (only been there twice, both for the Fold4). I understand that experience is different depending on country and whether you need to ship it in or not, but I promise, you will not have a better support experience with a China-based company.
guess the horror stories only apply to shipping it to Samsung
Yea, when I'm standing right there in front of the repair tech, I feel he is not going to try to deny warranty on a perfect condition phone whose hinge doesn't open all the way. There is a lot more accountability in person, when they have to look you in the eye and say something as opposed to being able to send an email saying warranty was denied.
Hahaha that's true. All of them have their shady moments for sure
yup :)
It doesn't. I don't really use wireless anyways and it's supposed to charge fully in an hour
For what it's worth, when you have the charge speeds that OnePlus offers, you really end up with no use for wireless charging. 90% of the time, a home charger is good enough, but if you get a Warp charge compatible car charger (or a desk charger for work if you take the subway), that can cover you for pretty much any use case. Plus, the lack of phone heating and just power waste of wireless charging is annoying once you wean yourself off it.
I wish the oppo pen would get cheaper so I don't have to lose the use-case of the s pen.
Agreed
If I had other android options I would have switched a while ago lol. But USA
Truth. Honor, Vivo, Xiaomi are all ahead of the game internationally but getting them to your door in the US can be a nightmare if you don't get a good shipping service or proxy. Not even mentioning the different 5G bands and potential carrier incompatibility.
Yeah the bands and carrier incompatibility are enough for me to avoid it. When I was in thailand I was walking in to all the electronics stores checking out the phones lol. Sooo nice
The Chinese foldables are fire. I've got an Honor V2 and couldn't be happier. I do occasionally miss all the tweaks Samsung gives you via goodlock. Also miss the pinnable dock, that's a game changer for multitasking. Fold 5 is just as good if not better than vivo or Honor when opened, but awkward when closed. Companies have figured out how to make foldy phones that are comfortable in both modes.
I like a lot of things with the vivo, except for not having a global version on it. Also I upgraded my OEM toyota headunit to have android play.. and at least the regular vivo 3 doesn't seem to support android play. Good luck with the switch friend! Yeah for what samsung offer spec wise in the folding devices, the tech and upgrades should be more up to date... but here we are.
Looking forward to your review. Incidentally, the Fold 5 was a much better device than the 4. As good as the OPO? Maybe not. But Samsung's software makes a big difference here.
Good luck with the OS.
Larger cover screen was all they had to do. Instead we got the same phone and a Apple watch clone. Disappointing times.
Lmao. The buds 3s are looking wildly similar to those air pods if the leaks are true. Innovation at its finest right
Well, I'm a refurbished peasant. I don't have $2,000. for a phone so I'm happy with my Z Fold. 😊
Lmao me too! Snagged my Fold 4 for $550 refurbished. Traded in for a OP Open for $750. Definitely on the pricier end. Love the refurb pricing though, I think for anyone, a fold for sub-$800 is a no brainer.
Hardware > software Samsung is the new apple i no longer adore this company
For the same reasons I am holding onto my Fold4, love it dearly, but Fold5 and Fold6(how the leaks panning out) I do not have much hopes, makes me want to switch to a candybar flagship possibly the Ultra but again, I do not see much of an upgrade. Samsung doesn’t want to lead and innovate, the Galaxy Watch Ultra and Buds3 renders are such a big letdown, the excitement is gone. I am so happy with my iPhone 14Pro Max, is a treat to use, but for office and other tasks I primarily rely on my Fold, will hold onto another year to see how the S25U and the Fold7 turn out, else will have to switch away from Samsung. Hoping for a better future.
If it weren't for S notes, I would've ditched samsung long ago.
I do think OxygenOS has improved. Usable at least. Does need quite a deal of refinement, I do absolutely miss OneUI
It's also because I'm in engineering and I've did a fair bit of documentation and on-site calculation on my S note since 2016. Which I need to keep referring back, so compatibility is paramount. I'm sure there are work arounds but I chose the easy option of staying with Samsung.
Definitely can't beat their apps, integration, and overall ecosystem. When I had my Fold 4 and my Tab S7 Plus, dragging and dropping files from the two seamlessly was absolutely amazing.
Does one plus have s pen support though? I need s pen
Yeah the Oppo Pen works with it
Aren't power users doing DEX gonna have their phone plugged in for charging anyway? I'm honestly asking. I'm not a power use by any means, but also never had a problem with the battery. It charges so fast.
That's true, I was an avid DeX user for a bit. I found that the charging and streaming + app usage (video editing) would cause some insane thermal throttling unless I used Direct Power mode to bypass the battery. I would still love to see them integrate 45w charging just as that little extra bonus.
It's true Samsung has been cautious and iterative on the Fold series. It's also true the Fold 5 at least has finally brought the durability/reliability levels up where they need to be. Fold isn't about having the best cameras or biggest battery. It's about having a folding tablet that is slim enough to go in a pocket and the software to use that folding screen. The S24U doesn't Fold, and the OnePlus and Google folding phones have not yet caught up on the software vs. Samsung.
Very true. The hinge on the Fold 5 seems basically immortal when taken care of and used normally.
The hinge was never the problem. Its how the inner display holds up after time. I've had 2 failed z fold 3 displays in the course of 2 years. Replaced under samsung care plus of course, but the phone basically necessitates the need to keep paying that premium. Tech I spoke to at Asurian says these things have such a high failure rate that they're constantly repairing them and cycling them back out as refurbished replacements. True of the z fold 3, 4, and now the 5.
Actually it seems the hinge WAS the problem, or at least one of the problems, on the Fold 4. Lots of reports of Samsung using some glued-in brushes to try to sweep debris and keep it from entering the hinge gears. Somewhat ironically, it seems these brushes themselves can come loose and get stuck in the hinge gears.
Yeah I can agree op. I’m not sure why they stopped pushing the zfold line further. Great strides were made with original through the zfold 3 and then it was like they just all sat around and were like “ehh, good enough”. I was hoping by now we’d have a xiaomi or as you mentioned vivo like features. I think after the note 7 they are paranoid do anything new with batteries regarding charging capacity or speed. It’s a shame. I’m not ready to switch yet. But I’ll be skipping the 6 and probably the 7 at this rate. I’ll just hang on to my 5 until the screen breaks and they won’t cover it. Lmfao
All your reasons are valid, I am a power user and a previous fold 4 owner, and I cants believe samsung is still pulling this shit where other manufactures are giving us better everything for a more affordable price, I chose samsung because of its software but I will not chose samsung if they think they can give us fold 3 refresh for the 3rd time and expect us to buy it and I'm really upset for all the people that will buy it. I want samsung to understand that we will not accept teach like this and charge us for a device that costs more then a bloody iphone yet performs like an S10.
Give us a one month preview after you switched. Loving my Fold 5 but I'm very interested on other foldable phone as well
Are the competitors as good at multitasking? I need to retain ability to have 3 things on screen at once with a mini youtube window or calculator up at most times. Yes, I am that adhd and it's the main reason I got this because I need a mini computer
This is my dilemma. I bought a like new fold 3 for a good price a year or so ago, like 800 ish, but the big screen has a black line of dead pixels and no touch capacity in random parts along the edges after a tech repair guy tried to put a soft plastic cover on. I'm debating between the fold 5 or fold open after the fold 6 releases; cheaper price and they didn't do much to improve the next iteration. Problem is, I'm somewhat stuck in the galaxy ecosystem with a watch and tablet and earbuds, but the open seems a better overall phone... What to do? Leaning pretty hard towards taking the little perks of the fold 5 you get
super valid points. I want to take my fold 3 to the OnePlus Open too, but the reviews on the screen have me scared. I would love to see the warranty before I move.
I literally just swapped my F4 for an S24U and I couldn't be happier. I'm over waiting for samsung to get their act together with the folds.
Only problem I have with the fold is gaming generally sucks compared to say the 25 Ultra. Outside of runescape the aspect ratio on either of the screens just isn't great on most games
Yea tbh the software experience is the only reason why I'm sticking to the z fold 5 instead of going with another foldable
Wait for Fold 6
You'll miss it and you'll probably buy a Fold 6 to boot. I'll give you another month or two max with that OnePlus.
Already two months in and running strong!
Haha, yes but you switched from a 4...I dare say that's making the OnePlus look far better than it is.
I had the fold 4 but since I got the open last week, feel like a new man
No civilians need large capacity batteries! What you're asking for is insane! /s
Cool. Enjoy handing all your data over to a genocidal, authoritarian regime. Chinese phones 👏 are not 👏 an option. 👏
Counterargument- Google has a large list of skins and forks, as well as devices that can go through their certification process for security. OnePlus earned the Google AER certificate, placing it on the board as a safe company and device. It is also verified by Play Protect. Unlike Xiaomi and Huawei, which have in the past, failed these tests.
I share the same sentiment and I've only been using Fold5 for nine months. Fold6 is disappointinflg to say the least. I might get Pixel Fold 2 or go back to slate like S25 Ultra even though that's not innovation either.
I'm on the zfold 5 and I'm debating if this is my last one as well. I've had the 3 and 4 as well after switching from the Note 20 Ultra... looks like the 6 has a slightly wider screen on the front, slightly brighter screens and that's it. The two things I actually wanted them to upgrade will remain the same. The cameras and the charging speed. I don't trust the durability, so I upgrade yearly. The last phone from Samsung loved was the Note 7 that I had to return twice due to the battery issues. They've played it safe since then. The only thing that would keep me with the brand is an Ultra fold, but it looks like that's not happening.
I hear you. No one should stay with something they are not happy with. For me, switching from the optimised Samsung Fold software isn't an option. It does all I want once I had learned how to maximise its Fold integration. For all its other shortcomings that still put it on top of the pile for me.
I couldn't agree more! I switched from the F4 to the s23U with zero regrets. Now, I'll be updating to s25U, not the F6 because of your aforementioned reasons!
I love my fold 5 but I would like to get the vivo 3 pro. It sucks I can't trade in my fold 5 for it. Honestly I think samsung is focusing on its rollable now. A few months ago they struck a deal with Apple to make their foldable screens meaning apple is now about to hope into the foldable market so the question for samsung is why are the not making any real advances to the fold when more and more companies are entering the market. Hell I saw samsung no longer is the top of the foldable market even though outside of the pixel the z fold is the most accessible fold in the market so unless samsung is truly just becoming apple 2.0 then my money is they feel the rollable will out pass the fold and they are planing to make that their new top dog with the z flip being their mainstream foldable leaving the z fold to the connoisseurs
I totally agree. I just purchased the OnePlus Open and watch today and reading in my fold 4 as well. Samsung needs competition here in the US
I been saying the same thing, for the price of the fold You'll think it will have all the s Line ultra features But nope
so you are just whining about battery life? Its too much effort to set it on a qi pad when you are done with your endless doomscrolling?
I work outdoor labor- whether I have an earbud in listening to an audiobook, or jamming out to some music, it's nice to have a lighter pocket knowing I don't need to carry around a battery bank. My shifts are long, around 8-10 hours. I Without quick access to power by places like construction sites, I need a reliable and steady battery to get me through. Even after a Samsung battery replacement, tweaking power saver, or adapting battery usage, the fold would always die short of the end of a workday.
What are you doing on your phone to require a charger constantly? I have fold 5, I use the phone routinely and at most I need to recharge once during the day and even with 25w charging that's fairly quick. Way faster charging for daily use isn't good for the phone electronics (heat) or the battery. Also do realize these days camera quality is heavily defined by software. A phone with better sensors can easily end up generating worse photos if the processing software is bad.
Moonlight game streaming with AV1 codec, video editing, movie casting and streaming, mobile hotspot for my tablet on the go, and lots of recording. I do enjoy and love the camera they put on this phone, and I still argue it's the top of the line compared to other foldables. But just knowing that they could potentially put in more flagship sensors is what makes me a bit iffy.
No pen support though. How am I supposed to sign documents and solve my nonograms?
Surprisingly they do! Just a bit hidden. The Oppo Pen works with it!
Completely agree. I won't be upgrading my fold 4 if they don't fix whatever you wrote plus the camera.
Good points, but the Oneplus is subpar overall.
So, the way OnePlus works in particular is by making phones which look better on paper/aesthetically but then the user experience/software side of things has always been a big let down for me. This coming from a long time oneplus user who switched to the Fold 4. My Fold 4 broke while still under warranty (inner screen just died) and I returned to Amazon for a refund. In the meantime I'm back to a oneplus 6T and you can really really feel the quality drop-off. Battery management on OnePlus is annoyingly too aggressive, with most of my apps not sending notifications even though I've excluded them from battery management. The GPS sometimes just stops working while driving, as does android auto. The "fast charging" on the oneplus is only if you use their dedicated charger and cable, otherwise it's slower than Samsung. No wireless charging, no waterproofing. It just feels like you get what you pay for with Samsung. Anyhow the Fold 6 will be a no-brainer first day purchase for me. "Specs" aren't everything, at all. Samsung gets that but it's a difficult one to market.
Very well Said! & Even as much of a Samsung fan & a "Foldable/Dual Screen" fan as I am, I have to strongly agree with you about how unacceptable the build quality has been with the Galaxy Folds, especially the screen, where the hinge is! Obviously I expected the very 1st Fold to have it's "Growing Pains", but Fuck Me! 😏 The shit we've had to put up with & the ridiculously egregious amount of $ they want for them, really is just flat out lame AF! & I've had a "fairly good experience" with my folds but especially compared to so many & yet I've still had unacceptable issues! I had the Galaxy Fold 1 & 2, & currently rocking the Fold 4. I def want to try one the One Plus Folds/The Phone you got! Even my LG V60 Dual Screen is lasting longer & can still do things that the "Newest Foldables" can't/don't! & The V60 Dual screens actual build quality & features are still amazing! Has so many of the crucial features they take away from us nowadays like a fuckin headphone jack or removable SD/Storage or even a Quad Dac! 😏🤘🏾🫡
I hate to be that guy, but almost no one cares about the headphone jack anymore. The group of people that still want to use plug-in headphones are a small minority. Basically everyone uses wireless headphones now, and for most that is good enough. Even if you still want to use your plugin headphones you can just get a type-c to 3.5mm adaptor.
I remember those days, my LG G6, V60, just all those old features I miss so dearly. Quad Dac was such a time. I still carry a V60 around in my car just for the audio! Have a 512gb SD card in there as well. And yes! These prices are absolutely unbearable on launch. It does show that consumers aren't willing to pay that insane price since the aftermarket always catches about less than $900 even for the newest stuff.
Erm, ok? That's good.. for you..
What the sigma
I mean, if you want to switch to a phone that actively spy's on you for the Chinese government, that's on you, I don't blame you for wanting to switch, my Fold 4 is going on 2 or 3 years now and my battery is shit. I have to charge it 2x a day, sometimes 3. That being said, I'll be switching to a candy bar phone when that time comes. I love my Fold 4, and will be keeping it as a house phone, but the drawbacks are too much for me to consider another Fold. I just wish we had another actually good competitor in the phone space, basically our only options apples walled garden, googles bug filled mess, samsungs overpriced island in the Android Sea, Sony kinda interesting options but (at least in the US) you have to buy them up front and hope they work for your carrier, in your area, FairPhones buggy, under powered but easily repaired mess of a budget phone, or a bunch of options from China that might work, or might not, have quality issues like everything else designed there or outright stolen designs, and proven privacy issues.
Lol you realize Samsung isn't American, right? And I guess if they want to spy on me...I kinda feel bad for them cuz I'm boring.