Samsung showed off its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 2 at its Unpacked Part2 livestream today. During the stream, Samsung showed off the foldable phone that features several improvements over the original Galaxy Fold, including a much larger cover display than its predecessor and greatly reduced bezels. It also packs the spec sheet with a 120Hz display, multiple cameras, 5G support, and a Snapdragon 865+ processor.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 comes with a hefty price tag of $2,000. While that is significantly higher than the $1,400 price of the Surface Duo, we couldn't help but ask if the Galaxy Z Fold 2 will steal some of the Surface Duo's thunder. While the two devices take different approaches to providing people more screen real estate, there are enough similarities to warrant a comparison.
The Surface Duo has a hinge that remains at any angle, allowing you to freely use the device in different modes. Samsung aimed to deliver the same thing, focusing on improving the hinge and allowing it to stop throughout its rotation.
The Surface Duo is optimized for multitasking, featuring smooth transitions when folding and unfolding the phone. Again, Samsung has aimed to deliver a similar feel. During its livestream, Samsung showed how the Galaxy Z Fold 2 can seamlessly continue videos and app content on its outer cover when closing the device.
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 can also rotate into landscape mode and span multiple apps across two halves of its display separated by the fold. The Surface Duo also focuses on being able to work in portrait or landscape mode and spans apps across both of its displays.
The most obvious difference is that the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a large display that folds and an outer display while the Surface Duo has two displays that can flip around for a single screen experience. Samsung and Microsoft have taken two different approaches to multitasking on the go.
Which device do you prefer? Do you still want a Surface Duo after getting a closer look at the Galaxy Z Fold 2? Let us know in the comments below and by voting in our poll.
A massively refined take
The Galaxy Z Fold 2 improves on a number of the original Fold's design traits, and includes modern specs and 5G support. Its hefty price won't appeal to most buyers, but it could be worth the money to foldable enthusiasts and multitaskers.
Two screens are better than one
Microsoft delves into the future of foldables with an ambitious dual-screen device, featuring two ultra-thin 5.6-inch AMOLED displays bound by a 360-degree hinge. This pocketable inking-enabled Android smartphone marks the latest in the Surface lineup, geared for mobile productivity.
