Samsung Galaxy Z Fold smartphone special review

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Smartphone Special Review: Not long ago, Samsung introduced another exclusive foldable phone for the South Korean smartphone market. The new device is known as Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. But on first impression, there are not many differences compared to the Z Fold 6. However, it will be equipped with a larger screen, slimmer build, and an impressive camera as its main sensors. Aside from this key difference, there aren’t many differences compared to the Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The device was unveiled in October 2024 and is expected to launch in China under a different name. From the ground level inspection, the special edition Galaxy Z Fold will bring the latest features expected from a premium foldable smartphone. But the key update in the camera department is somewhat unexpected. Of all the foldable smartphones, is the Z Fold special edition worth buying? Let’s find out in the next review.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold smartphone special review

Highlights

1. The special edition offers an 8.0-inch foldable 2X dynamic AMOLED LTPO with a 6.5-inch clamshell display.
2. As for the software layers, the Android 14-based OneUI 6.1.1 operating system will appear on this phone.
3. The hardware reaches the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset with support for Adreno 750 GPU.
4. The rear panel features a 200MP triple camera setup, a 4MP cover display camera, and a 10MP selfie camera.
5. As for charging support, the 4400 mAh battery can use a 25W wired charger or a 15W wireless charger to recharge.

Design and display

There is no denying that the Samsung Galaxy Z fold Special looks similar to the design of the Honor Magic V2. But the standard black color provides a stunning matte finish, making the Galaxy phone more attractive. In addition to the square design, you’ll notice the identical camera module with a sleek hinge design on the side panel. The rear panel offers a triple camera module. At the same time, the device offers a 6.5-inch Dynamic LTPO AMOLED 2x display as a cover.

In terms of protection, the device offers the standard IP48 rating with an aluminum frame with enhanced armor. On the other hand, the cover display ensures that users get the best display experience with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate, 2600 nits brightness, and Gorilla Glass Victus protection. Specs aside, the display offers vibrant colors and contrast while streaming content and playing casual games. At the same time, the FHD resolution viewing experience is smooth with the advanced display. Now, let’s move on to the foldable screen.

An 8.0-inch LTPO AMOLED 2x dynamic foldable display offers stunning colors and contrast support. Sleek haptic feedback can be achieved with the 120Hz refresh rate, while HDR10+ handles content consumption the best. Additionally, the company also added ultra-flexible glass on the foldable screen, ensuring no damage even after thousands of folds.

Memory and internal

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special hardware section equips the snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, which is designed to support multitasking without any problem. At the same time, the eight-core process can increase the processing limit up to a cloaking speed of 1 × 3.39 GHz, which is considerably good. Coming to the gaming aspect, the Adreno 750 GPU setup ensures that users get decent visuals and smooth gaming experience.

In addition to this, the software interface integrates OneUI 6.1.1. update on Android 14 operating system. There are many native Samsung applications available on the interface, which you can use according to your needs. In addition to this, there are several customization features for foldable screens and additional multitasking support. After this, Samsung makes sure that users get one year of operating system without any problem. Getting more updates is great for long term use.

Not to forget, the new Samsung devices also feature the latest artificial intelligence technology, including live audio and video translation features. In addition, Samsung is also creating its artificial intelligence ecosystem. While some features will cost an annual fee, most of those tools are currently free to use. As for storage support, the device offers a UFS 4.0 space configuration of 512 GB and 16 GB of RAM. Unfortunately, the phone features only one storage variant option without the external storage drive.

Camera

Coming to the special camera department of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold, you will notice the 200MP main camera lens that features optical image stabilization. With this lens, the device can capture stunning photos and videos without worrying about the camera settings. In a typical scenario, the images will come out vibrant and beautiful. You can also rely on the camera’s native features to adjust filters, color, and background as per your choice.

Next, the triple camera includes a 10MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. This combination has appeared on a handful of Samsung flagship phones, ensuring you won’t be disappointed with the camera results. The telephoto lens can achieve up to 3x optical zoom, while the ultra-wide-angle lens can provide a dynamic 123-degree view. At the same time, recording can easily reach resolution up to 8K.

Additionally, video stabilization software provides clear video quality. Additionally, low-light photos didn’t have much noise, while colors will look natural with almost all camera modes. Additionally, the image quality remains consistent even after switching to different modes. Lastly, the phone equips a 4MP lens on the foldable screen and a 10MP selfie lens on the outer screen. Both provide decent stills and support for 4K video recording with stabilization.

Battery and others

Under the hood, the special edition Samsung Galaxy Z Fold houses a 4400 mAh battery that supports normal activities without any problem. But the battery life depends on the use of the screen. If you are gaming, your battery life may be a little shorter. Next, the device equips a Type-C charging port, which can be used with a 25W wired charger. Usually, it will take no less than about an hour to fill the battery percentage to the maximum.

On the other hand, the 15W wireless charger will need approximately hours and 15 minutes to recharge the battery percentage from zero. In terms of additional features, the phone offers a search circle, ultra-wideband, Samsung Dex, side biometric sensors, NFC support, and an AKG-tuned speaker. Overall, the sensors and communications are top notch. Last but not the least, the phone is priced at around $2021 (Rs 1,70,000 in India) approximately.

Special pros and cons of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Detail of special specifications of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold

Below you can see the Full specifications of Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special smartphone.

Conclusion

The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition smartphone is an excellent addition to the foldable line. It has a larger screen, slimmer body, and impressive camera features. But apart from this, the rest of the specifications are identical to the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Apart from that, the phone is currently exclusively in South Korea and will most likely be launched in China with a rebrand.

But as a foldable phone, Samsung offers unique multitasking features, an exciting design, and a classic build. Without forgetting that the rest of the advantages offer an incredible user experience. Overall, the special edition is not a bad phone. However, if you look for the competitor, you will find the Vivo X Fold 3 Pro as an alternative. It has almost the same features at a slightly lower price. Still, if the Galaxy Z folds special to suit your needs, pick it up right away as it’s not a bad phone. But if it doesn’t meet your criteria, choose any other phone you like.