Definition: Galaxy Fold

Samsung's foldable smartphone. Introduced in the fall of 2019 and initially available only from AT&T, the Galaxy Fold uses a flexible OLED screen. When closed, the Fold is a thick smartphone but opens up to a small tablet, enabling apps to be viewed side-by-side. It includes three main cameras from 12 to 16MP and up to 1TB of internal storage. There is no microSD card slot. As expensive as a top-end laptop computer, Folds have ranged from $1800 to $2000.

Galaxy Z Fold5
The Fold5, introduced in 2023, is a bit thinner and lighter than the Fold4 with an improved hinge. The screen is the same size; however, the S Pen is thinner and fits in the case better.

Galaxy Z Fold4
In 2022, the latest Fold weighs a little over nine ounces and features a much larger phone screen, flatter hinge and improvements to the on-screen keyboard. As in a desktop computer, a taskbar on the bottom of the unfolded 7.6" screen makes switching apps faster. The fingerprint reader is on the side.

Fold, Z Fold2 and Z Fold3
In 2020, the second Fold debuted with a redesigned hinge and a "Z" in the name like the Galaxy Z Flip. The Fold2 is slightly larger at 7.6" vs. 7.3", and the outside phone screen jumped to 6.2". Video refresh increased from 60Hz to 120Hz.

In 2021, the Z Fold3 is similar to the Z Fold2; however, the Fold3 supports the Samsung S Pen and includes Qualcomm's newer chip (Snapdragon 888 vs. 865). Both models are 5G capable. See Galaxy Z Flip, foldable iPhone, FOLED, Galaxy S, Galaxy A and Galaxy C.

It's a Phone; It's a Tablet

When closed, the Fold is a rather thick smartphone but when opened, it offers the convenience of a 7" tablet. (Images courtesy of PCMag.com.)