Another shiny folding phone has landed on American doorsteps, and this time the price tag will make your wallet file a missing person report.
We got our hands on the latest book-style foldable, and after two weeks of drops, spills, and pocket lint, we have thoughts.
Spoiler: your old slab phone is looking pretty good right now.
Let's talk about the crease first, because that's the thing everyone zooms in on like it's a crime scene.
After 14 days of obsessive opening and closing, a faint valley has formed right down the middle of the screen.
You can see it when the light hits at an angle.
Is it annoying on a device that costs more than a decent used car?
The hinge is the real star here, and we'll give credit where it's due.
It snaps open with a satisfying thunk that makes you feel like you're unfurling a tiny briefcase.
Samsung and its rivals have spent years grinding on this exact part, and it shows.
The phone holds its shape at almost any angle, which sounds gimmicky until you're propping it up to watch a video on a tray table at 30,000 feet.
Battery life is where the dream starts to crack.
A screen that big eats juice like a frat house on a Saturday night.
We barely limped past 5 p.m. on heavy days, and that's with the always-on display turned off.
If you're a power user who streams, scrolls, and games, plan on carrying a charger everywhere.
That's a tough pill when the phone already costs a mortgage payment.
Just solid, reliable, flagship-adjacent good.
Daylight shots pop with color, and the ultrawide holds up fine.
But step into a dim restaurant and the noise creeps in fast.
For this kind of money, "fine" feels like a slap in the face.
Durability is the elephant in the room, so we tested it.
We dropped it on hardwood (small scuff), on concrete (bigger scuff), and into a puddle (survived, but we held our breath).
The folding screen picked up a few tiny scratches from nothing more than living in a pocket with keys.
This is not a phone you toss around like a beater.
Early adopters with disposable income, tech reviewers who need content, and that one guy at your office who has to have the newest thing.
For everyone else, this remains a luxury toy with real compromises baked into the glass.
Our honest take: foldables are getting better fast, but this generation still asks you to pay a premium for the privilege of babysitting your own phone.
If you crave the wow factor and don't mind the anxiety, go for it.
Final Thoughts
If you just want a phone that works, wait another year or two — the tech is almost there, but it isn't there yet.