These new Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 5G features make it the best foldable phone

UPDATE: The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 is now official.

This immediately puts Samsung's second vertical folder in one series with the Galaxy Z Flip despite the drastic design differences - after all, the Flip is a horizontally folding clamshell, while the OG Fold and the Fold 2 bend over a vertical line in the middle of the display.

While the Fold and Fold 2's "in-folding" design ostensibly protects the display more than the "out-folding" Mate Xs, for instance, in practice Huawei made the best foldable phone so far precisely because of its screen being on the outside. A big 6"+ phone when closed, a veritable 8" tablet when opened - that's what foldable phones were supposed to bring, and Huawei still managed to keep things relatively thin and small.

In contrast, the OG Fold has a puny 4.6" HD display on the outside which is only good for answering a call or checking the weather (no offense, iPhone SE 2020 lovers). The Galaxy Z Fold 2, however, with just a few of its new features, rights all the OG Fold's wrongs, and continues to become the best foldable phone in the process, when it comes to specs and usability.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is expected to sport a larger 6.23-inch outside screen with much thinner bezels than on the Fold. The internal display with Ultra-thin Glass (UTG) cover clocks at 7.7-inches compared to the 7.3-inches found on the original unit, and is expected to carry a 120Hz refresh rate.

The Snapdragon 865+ Mobile Platform, Qualcomm's current flagship chipset, would power the device with a standard configuration that includes 12GB of memory and 256GB of storage. A variant with 512GB of storage is also said to be incoming. 

Multiple battery packs will provide a combined capacity of 4365mAh; the battery will feature 25W fast charging and 15W wireless charging. It also comes with Samsung's Wireless Power Share which is known generically as reverse wireless charging. Judging from the big camera island in the press renders, it has the Galaxy Note 20 series delightful set of cameras, too. All in all, a very respectable tally, but a few of these new hardware and design elements will make it stand out.

Not only did Samsung go back to the drawing board after the Galaxy Fold fiasco that saw the review units sent out to reporters crack under pressure with everyday use, only to release an overhauled version in the fall, but it has also listened to users on how to improve the Fold's successor. Unfortunately, the S Pen is not happening, as the company is still mastering the display covering needed to both bend and be used with a stylus.

The sheer diagonal growth of the external screen - from the pathetic 4.6" to 6.23" - adds incomparable amount of value to the Galaxy Z Fold 2. With just this (admittedly belated) move, Samsung increases the usability of the Fold 2 to the nine, as no longer would its owners have to use the hinge and open the screen every time they need to do something more than a quick notification/weather/time check. 

Need a larger screen for a long reading session, working on docs side by side, playing games, or simply watching videos? Just then you can pop open the screen, like the way it already is on the Mate Xs foldable phone.

We recently sat down for an interview with Pixelworks, the folks that are behind some of the most breathtaking advancements in mobile display technology of late - namely dynamic refresh and video frame rates, as well as individual post-production screen calibration. When we asked them will those come to foldable phones, here's their answer:

PhoneArena: Will dynamic 120Hz, MEMC and the other unique features be possible with foldable displays like on the Galaxy Fold or the Huawei Mate Xs, too?

Sr. Director Vikas Dhurka: From a capability point of view, the technologies that we provide are agnostic to the screen size and the mechanical design of the display. With the Pixelworks processor, any display could have a visual experience that is far superior than anything else that's out there.

There you have it, nothing is preventing manufacturers from employing high refresh rate screens on foldables, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 would be the first bendy device to have 120Hz refresh rate display. It may still not be at the full resolution, like what the Galaxy S20 series is offering, but it will bring smoother scrolling, animations, and more pleasant reading and gaming sessions.

The OG Fold had a polyimide film cover on top of the display that many a reviewer confused with an out-of-the-box screen protector, so they tried to peel it off with disastrous results, as it is actually an integral part of the display. For the actual release edition last fall, Samsung extended the film over the corners so that nobody would confuse it with a screen protector, but for the Z Fold 2 it will use something completely different - the so-called Ultra Thin Glass (UTG).

How can glass bend without breaking, though? Well, ultrathin and ultradurable one can, and Samsung has wiggled its way into an exclusive long-term contract with its local manufacturer DoInsys. Apparently, the notorious rigidity of a glass structure isn't as valid for glass that is 100 micrometer thin, and that's exactly what DoInsys has developed, potentially going down to 30 micrometer even.

That's what Samsung already uses for the Galaxy Z Flip and will now apply it on a much larger screen real estate which should be a sight to behold. UTG is, needless to say, tougher than the "regular" polyimide protective film that the Galaxy Fold uses, and less prone to scratching or wrinkling at the crease area, too, and the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will be the first non-clamshell foldable to employ it.

If you are a Galaxy Fold owner, you may have been miffed about the inability to use the 4.6" external display, however small, as a viewfinder. This would mean that you can take the best selfies in the category by using the rear camera when the phone is unfurled. 

Well, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 should be able to return said best foldable phone selfies, as not only will it fire up the 6.23" external display as a viewfinder for the main camera when the device is open, but would also employ Samsung's next-gen camera set that is borrowed directly from the Note 20. The Mate Xs already does that, and with pretty splendid results, given how much better the main cameras are compared to their puny front-facing brethren.

To recap, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is not only shaping up to be Samsung's best foldable phone but, pending reviews, it would be the best foldable phone, period. The combination of flagship specs, huge external display, and a high refresh rate internal one with ultrathin glass cover, will be second to none in the category, and we can't wait to take the Galaxy Z Fold 2 for a spin after Samsung unveils it on August 5's Unpacked event.