The honeymoon phase with folding phones is officially OVER.
I've spent the last two weeks carrying Samsung's latest $1,900 flagship in my pocket, and while my thumb loves the magic trick, my wallet is filing for emotional damages.
This thing folds, unfolds, and folds again — but so does my patience every time I catch that faint valley running down the middle of the screen under bright office lights.
Let's be clear about what you're actually buying here.
You get a phone that turns into a tiny tablet, a hinge that feels like it was engineered by Swiss watchmakers, and a camera system that can hang with the best slabs on the market.
You also get a device that's heavier than your old phone, thicker than your old phone, and absolutely terrified of pocket lint, sand, and the general chaos of being alive in America.
Two weeks in, it hasn't vanished, and it never will.
Every time you scroll through a white webpage or watch a bright video, your eye catches that subtle dip like a speed bump on a freshly paved road.
Samsung swears the screen is tougher than ever, and sure, the new hinge is rated for hundreds of thousands of folds — but nobody I know has ever worn out a hinge.
Good luck doing that with this thing and not having a heart attack.
Battery life is the other elephant in the room, and it's a hungry one.
Folding and unfolding that big inner display is basically cardio for your battery, and heavy users will be hunting for a charger by mid-afternoon.
That's not a dealbreaker if you're near an outlet all day, but if you're the kind of person who lives on the move, this phone will remind you constantly that it's a luxury item, not a workhorse.
If you're a gadget obsessive with disposable income who wants the coolest thing at the coffee shop, knock yourself out — it genuinely is a conversation starter.
If you're a normal person who wants a reliable phone that survives three years of chaos, keys, and kids, a $900 slab phone will treat you better and cost you a thousand dollars less.
The foldable dream is real, and it's getting closer every year.
But "closer" isn't "there," and paying flagship-plus prices to be a beta tester for the future is a choice, not a smart purchase.
Final Thoughts
The crease, the battery, and the price tag all need to grow up first.