Another year, another folding phone that costs more than a used Honda Civic.
Samsung's latest flagship foldable just dropped, and the reviewers who got early units are already doing that thing where they whisper "it's basically a tablet" while quietly ignoring the $1,900 hole in their checking account.
The headline feature this cycle is a thinner hinge and a brighter inner display.
It cost $400 and doesn't require a payment plan.
Samsung keeps promising it's "less noticeable," which is corporate speak for "yes, you can still feel it with your thumb, but we'd prefer you didn't mention it in the YouTube comments." Every foldable review since 2019 has used the word "improved" next to "crease," like a hostage video where the hostage keeps saying they're fine.
Here's the actual pitch: you get a phone that unfolds into a small tablet.
That's genuinely useful if you're the kind of person who watches Netflix on a train and hates carrying a bag.
For everyone else, it's a solution hunting for a problem, wrapped in glass that scratches if you look at it wrong.
The durability numbers are better this year, allegedly.
Samsung says the screen survives hundreds of thousands of folds.
What they don't say is that the factory-installed screen protector starts peeling around month eight, and replacing it costs real money.
Ask any Fold owner from two years ago how that went.
Check the subreddits if you don't believe me.
Everything is fine, which is the problem when the price tag screams "exceptional." A $1,900 device should not be described as "fine" by people whose job is to be excited about gadgets.
At that price, the camera should read your mind and the battery should last through a cross-country flight with juice to spare.
The software is where things get interesting, and not always in a good way.
App developers still treat the big screen like an afterthought.
You'll open Instagram and get a stretched-out mess with black bars.
You'll open a banking app and watch it refuse to rotate.
If you have $1,900 burning a hole in your pocket and you genuinely need one device that does two things mediocre-ly, sure.
If you're a normal person who wants a great phone, buy a regular flagship for $800 and use the leftover grand to, I don't know, feed your family.
The folding form factor isn't going away, and that's a good thing.
Competition from Google and the Chinese brands is forcing Samsung to actually try.
But we're still in the "early adopter tax" phase, and the tax is steep.
The crease will still be there, but at least it'll be cheaper to pretend you don't notice it. **The Verdict:** Impressive engineering, absurd price, and a crease that haunts your thumb like a bad ex.
It's the best foldable yet, which mostly tells you how low the bar has been.
Final Thoughts
Otherwise, keep your wallet closed and your flip phone nostalgia in check.