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Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G Smartphone Review: A foldable handset with an air of confidence

Nothing for moaners - The Galaxy Fold is the first commercially available foldable smartphone, a device that Samsung has revised after its failed launch earlier this year. Read on to find out whether the changes have been worthwhile and what the Galaxy Fold offers in this detailed review.

The Galaxy Fold is Samsung's first folding smartphone and the first to reach the market, at least in Europe. The company originally started the release schedule in spring, but hardware issues resulted in Samsung postponing the official launch. Now, the South Korean company has released a revised version of the Galaxy Fold for 2,100 Euros (~$2,304) in Germany. While Samsung sells 4G and 5G versions of the Galaxy Fold in some markets, only the 5G version is available in Europe.

While all other European variants of 5G Samsung handsets come with an Exynos chipset, the Galaxy Fold features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 that integrates a Qualcomm X50 modem. We should also point out that the 5G model has a slightly smaller battery than its 4G counterpart. The former has a 4,235 mAh capacity, while the 4G SKU has a 4,380 mAh capacity, for reference.

The focus of this review is the 7.3-inch foldable OLED display. Samsung has, as you may already know, included a smaller secondary display too, so you need not open the Galaxy Fold every time you want to use it. We shall, of course, see how practical this new concept and form factor is, along with whether it can withstand the rigours of our tests.

Samsung Galaxy Fold
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 8 x 2.8 GHz, Cortex-A76 / A55 (Kryo 485)
Graphics adapter
Memory
12 GB 
, LPDDR4x
Display
7.30 inch 12.6:9, 2152 x 1536 pixel 362 PPI, Capacitive touchscreens, both 10-point multitouch, Infinity Flex Display (Dynamic AMOLED, 7.3") and Super AMOLED (4.6"), Foldable 7.3-inch main display + 4.6-inch Super AMOLED display (21:9, 1,680 x 720), glossy: yes
Storage
512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash, 512 GB 
, 460.3 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, Audio Connections: USB Type-C, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Barometer, digital compass, G-Sensor, proximity sensor, DEX, OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/ax = Wi-Fi 6/), Bluetooth 5.0, GSM/GPRS/Edge: 850, 900, 1,800 and 1900 MHz. UMTS/HSPA+: Bands 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 34, 39. LTE Cat. 18: Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 28, 66, 38, 39, 40, 41. 5G: N78, 3,500 MHz., LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 6.9 x 160.9 x 117.9 ( = 0.27 x 6.33 x 4.64 in)
Battery
4235 mAh Lithium-Ion, Two cells
Charging
wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 9.0 Pie
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix , f/1.5/f/2.4 variable aperture, 1.4 μm, 77°, Super Speed ​​Dual Pixels AF, OIS. 16 MPix ultra-wide-angle, f/2.2, 1.0 μm, 123°. 12 MPix 2x telephoto zoom, f/2.4, 1.0 μm, 45°, PDAF, OIS.
Secondary Camera: 10 MPix , f/2.2, 1.22 μm, 80°. 8 MPix RGB depth camera, f/1.9, 1.12 μm, 85°.
Additional features
Speakers: Dual speakers, Keyboard: Virtual, Aramid fibre cover, data cable, power adapter, OTG adapter, Galaxy Buds, SIM tool, documentation, One UI 1.5, 24 Months Warranty, Wireless PowerShare, 1-year Samsung Care+, SAR values: Body - 1.267 W/kg, Head - 0.542 W/kg., fanless
Weight
276 g ( = 9.74 oz / 0.61 pounds), Power Supply: 58 g ( = 2.05 oz / 0.13 pounds)
Price
2100 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Device comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
86.4 %
10/2019
Samsung Galaxy Fold
SD 855, Adreno 640
276 g512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash7.30"2152x1536
87.1 %
09/2019
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU
226 g64 GB SSD6.50"2688x1242
84.5 %
01/2019
Huawei Mate 20 X
Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10
232 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash7.20"2244x1080
87.4 %
07/2019
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12
198 g256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.70"3040x1440
85.1 %
07/2019
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
SD 855, Adreno 640
178 g128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash6.47"2340x1080

Case - Glass, stainless steel and a sensitive plastic display

A look at the care instructions that Samsung includes with the Galaxy Fold, albeit in German.
A look at the care instructions that Samsung includes with the Galaxy Fold, albeit in German.

When folded, the Galaxy Fold fits nicely in our hands and measures 160.9 x 62.8 x 17.1 mm. The device looks stylish, especially because of its narrow and compact design. No-one should have any issues with slipping the Galaxy Fold into their trouser pocket, for example.

One of the issues that Samsung has revised is the protective film, which either started to peel up on early units or was mistaken for a removable screen protector. The protective film now wraps under the plastic frame rather than finishing at its edges as it did previously, hopefully making the Galaxy Fold more durable. Samsung also points out that no screen protector should be adhered atop of the protective film, as doing so could damage the device. The company has added small pieces of plastic around the upper and lower display edges too, which should make it harder for dust and other foreign objects to get under the screen.

The Galaxy Fold looks solid in the flesh and but for the reports about the device's fragility, we would take the same precautions using it as we do with any other smartphone. The Fold held up surprisingly well to being abused by JerryRigEverything, although he noted that fingernails can cause permanent damage to the foldable display. Samsung has published a care video making the same point too, stressing that care should be taken when using the touchscreen. The company has also published care instructions for using the Fold, which you can find here.

The Galaxy Fold has a glass exterior and a permanently installed battery, just like other high-end Samsung smartphones. The device has no IP or MIL-STD certifications though, making it vulnerable to the ingress of dust and liquids.

Size Comparison

174.6 mm / 6.87 inch 85.4 mm / 3.36 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 232 g0.511 lbs162.6 mm / 6.4 inch 77.1 mm / 3.04 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 198 g0.4365 lbs160.9 mm / 6.33 inch 117.9 mm / 4.64 inch 6.9 mm / 0.2717 inch 276 g0.608 lbs159.2 mm / 6.27 inch 73.4 mm / 2.89 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 178 g0.3924 lbs158 mm / 6.22 inch 77.8 mm / 3.06 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 226 g0.4982 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - No surprises with the Galaxy Fold

The Fold shares most of its connectivity with the Galaxy S10 5G. Hence, Samsung has not included an IR blaster or a radio receiver, both of which some OEMs still include in their devices. The Galaxy Fold lacks a heart-rate sensor too, along with a headphone jack and a microSD card slot.

The USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C port that Samsung has included can be used for charging and transmitting data and also outputting audio and video via HDMI or DisplayPort. You will need the appropriate adapter, with which you could also use DeX, Samsung's desktop replacement mode. The Type-C port supports USB Power Delivery (PD) too. Incidentally, the Fold offers ANT+, Bluetooth 5.0, MST and NFC.

Top side: speaker, microphone
Top side: speaker, microphone
Left-hand side: SIM card slot
Left-hand side: SIM card slot
Right-hand side: volume rocker, power button, fingerprint sensor
Right-hand side: volume rocker, power button, fingerprint sensor
Underside: USB Type-C, microphone, speaker
Underside: USB Type-C, microphone, speaker

Software - Better multitasking

The Galaxy Fold currently ships with One UI 1.5, an in-house customised version of Android 9.0 Pie. Samsung has adapted the OS specifically for foldable smartphones, with it being possible to display three apps simultaneously when the device is unfolded. You can also run the same app on both displays, but only those that have been adapted to do so. Currently, that only applies to a few Google and Samsung apps, though.

Unfortunately, our review unit comes with plenty of bloatware. Not only are there many Google and Samsung apps, but the Galaxy Fold has Microsoft, Facebook, Spotify and Netflix apps preinstalled too. While some people may find it useful to have these apps already on their phone when they first set it up, the inability to uninstall them is frustrating.

Samsung has not included any user account control either, so you cannot set up multiple profiles like you can on other Android smartphones. Our review unit had the August 1, 2019 set of Android security patches installed during our tests, which were relatively up to date. Samsung promises to furnish the Fold with regular updates for at least two years.

Communication & GPS - Turbo data connection makes the difference

5G data transfer speeds on Vodafone Germany
5G data transfer speeds on Vodafone Germany
4G data transfer speeds on Vodafone Germany
4G data transfer speeds on Vodafone Germany

The Galaxy Fold supports not only 2G, 3G and 21 LTE bands, but also 5G. The device utilises LTE Cat. 18, which is great but it is something that we would have expected from a premium smartphone. Over 5G, the device can theoretically achieve 2.3 Gb/s downloads and 469 Mb/s uploads but only if the network to which you are connected supports those speeds. The device also only supports one 5G band in Europe, though.

Vodafone Germany kindly provided us with a 5G-enabled SIM card for our tests, but we did have to drive to find a 5G mast. While the data transfer speeds may not be that impressive on paper, websites appeared immediately with loading times in practice. We even encountered no loading or buffering times when streaming HD videos. Instead, it felt like we were watching offline content. However, the data rates of the transmitting mast were not all that impressive, yet.

The Galaxy Fold also supports the new Wi-Fi 6 standard. While the device can theoretically achieve up to 1.2 GB/s transfer speeds over Wi-Fi, it could not do so during our tests. Our Linksys EA8500 reference router proved a bottleneck here as it does not support Wi-Fi 6. It did certify that the Galaxy Fold can maintain stable Wi-Fi connections, though.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei Mate 20 X
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
633 (564min - 663max) MBit/s +10%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
A13 Bionic GPU, A13 Bionic, 64 GB SSD
589 (461min - 625max) MBit/s +2%
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Adreno 640, SD 855, 512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
576 (544min - 601max) MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
548 (399min - 599max) MBit/s -5%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
527 (481min - 556max) MBit/s -9%
iperf3 receive AX12
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Adreno 640, SD 855, 512 GB UFS 3.0 Flash
662 (623min - 679max) MBit/s
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Adreno 640, SD 855, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
613 (284min - 694max) MBit/s -7%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
A13 Bionic GPU, A13 Bionic, 64 GB SSD
580 (550min - 597max) MBit/s -12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Mali-G76 MP12, Exynos 9820, 256 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
567 (371min - 667max) MBit/s -14%
Huawei Mate 20 X
Mali-G76 MP10, Kirin 980, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
566 (514min - 586max) MBit/s -15%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s -43%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Fold; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø662 (623-679)
Samsung Galaxy Fold; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø576 (544-601)
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: Inside
GPS Test: GNSS
GPS Test: GNSS

The Galaxy Fold uses BeiDou, Galileo, Glonass and GPS for location services. The device does not support SBAS or dual-band GPS, though. Our review unit finds a satellite fix quickly but requires a moment or two to lock on. It can find us from inside buildings too, but with less accuracy and a little longer before it can find a satellite.

The Galaxy Fold performed well on our bike ride, although it occasionally placed us next to the track on which we were cycling rather than on it. However, it is still one of the better devices of its kind in this regard.

GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Loop
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G - Overview
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G - Overview
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G - Cycling around a lake
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G - Loop
GPS test: Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G - Loop

Telephone Features & Call Quality

One thing to bear in mind when making calls with the Galaxy Fold is that you must use it in folded mode to use the earpiece. The earpiece sits on the other side of the foldable screen, making the former obscured when the Galaxy Fold is unfolded. Hence, you must use speakerphone or headphones if you are making a call with the Galaxy Fold in the latter state. It is easy to switch between folding states during a telephone call, though.

Our review unit has good call quality, but this only applies to its earpiece. By contrast, the loudspeaker distorts easily, while voices on the other end of the line sound rather dull. Our call partner reported that our voice had a slight echo to it too.

The Galaxy Fold supports voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling (VoWiFi). However, your carrier must provision the Galaxy Fold on its network before they will work on your device. Incidentally, Samsung has not integrated SIP functionality within its in-house telephony app.

Cameras - Six lenses in the Fold

Taking a selfie with the dual front-facing cameras
Taking a selfie with the dual front-facing cameras
Taking a selfie with the single front-facing camera
Taking a selfie with the single front-facing camera

The Galaxy Fold has three front-facing cameras, the main of which is a 10 MP sensor that sits above the smaller secondary display. The second and third sensors, which are 10 MP and 8 MP, respectively, sit in the cut-out within the main display. Our review unit takes decent-looking photos with these cameras, but only if enough light is present. Correspondingly, image quality decreases dramatically in low light.

Samsung has included three rear-facing cameras too, which remind us of those that Samsung included in the Galaxy S10 or Galaxy S10+. On paper, the three devices share the same sensors, which our tests reinforce. All three devices have similar imaging performance, with there perhaps being some software optimisations at best. However, we could not tell the difference between photographs when comparing the three devices side-by-side.

The Galaxy Fold can also record videos in up to UHD at 60 FPS. Samsung does not enforce a time limit, either. Again, the Galaxy Fold has just as good imaging performance as its Galaxy S10 siblings.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
ColorChecker
13.8 ∆E
9.9 ∆E
12.9 ∆E
18.3 ∆E
11.2 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
11.8 ∆E
11.2 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
5.6 ∆E
7.8 ∆E
8 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
11.6 ∆E
10.7 ∆E
2.3 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
3.1 ∆E
2.2 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
5.8 ∆E
1.9 ∆E
3.7 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy Fold: 8.24 ∆E min: 1.91 - max: 18.35 ∆E
ColorChecker
28.6 ∆E
44.8 ∆E
36.5 ∆E
34.3 ∆E
40.5 ∆E
55.2 ∆E
42.7 ∆E
32 ∆E
30.6 ∆E
28 ∆E
53.6 ∆E
54.6 ∆E
29.4 ∆E
44.4 ∆E
26.2 ∆E
56.3 ∆E
35.1 ∆E
41.3 ∆E
55.9 ∆E
58.7 ∆E
46.3 ∆E
36.5 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Samsung Galaxy Fold: 39.53 ∆E min: 13.35 - max: 58.66 ∆E
A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail
A photo of our test chart taken in low light

Accessories & Warranty - Galaxy Buds and Care+

Samsung has been rather generous with what accessories it includes in the box. Our review unit arrived with a modular power supply, USB cable, OTG adapter, SIM tool and the usual documentation that OEMs include with smartphones. Additionally, the Galaxy Fold comes with a matching fibre cover and Galaxy Buds (SM-R170), Samsung's wireless earbuds that retail for US$129.99. Samsung colour matches the accessories too, so if you buy a white Galaxy Fold, then you will find white accessories in the box. Samsung includes a black fibre cover irrespective of the model purchased, for some reason. The company also sell a leather cover, should you want some additional protection for your Galaxy Fold.

The Galaxy Fold comes with 24 months manufacturer's warranty. However, Samsung affords six months for the accessories that it includes in the box and 12 for the battery. Every Galaxy Fold purchase has a year's Samsung Care+ too, an accidental damage insurance product. You must register the device within 30 days to activate this, and it covers your Galaxy Fold against damage to its display, back, liquid damage and any other physical damage that prevents it from being used. You must pay a 130-Euro (~$142) deductible for each claim, though.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

The Samsung Galaxy Fold and its bundled accessories. (Image source: Samsung)
The Samsung Galaxy Fold and its bundled accessories. (Image source: Samsung)

Input Devices & Operation - Foldable, but also wavy

Both displays have 10-point multitouch touchscreens, while the smaller display has a glass finish on which we found it easy to perform multi-finger gestures. The display is large enough to complete most tasks in our opinion, even if the keyboard is rather small by the standard of today's smartphones. The comparatively low screen-to-body ratio bothered us most here, with it seemingly being possible for Samsung to have included a larger display instead.

Samsung covers the foldable main display with a plastic film, as we mentioned earlier. The display always retains a slight fold to it even when unfolded, which does not look great. This did not bother us in daily use though as light image content simply outshines the distortion that the folded part creates. The plastic surface offers more resistance than glass does too, which sometimes irritated us when gaming.

Magnets hold the Galaxy Fold securely together when folded. These do not accidentally open during daily use and the hinge mechanism feels clean when in-use. It is not infinitely adjustable though, in case you were wondering.

The Galaxy Fold has a fingerprint sensor too, which Samsung has integrated under the secondary display. The one in our review unit unlocks the device quickly, but then so does using the facial unlock, a pattern, password or PIN. The facial unlock takes a 2D picture of your face using the front-facing camera, so it is not as secure as 3D equivalents like Apple Face ID.

Displays - Strong with small compromises

Sub-pixel array (foldable display)
Sub-pixel array (foldable display)

The highlight of the Galaxy Fold is its 7.3-inch foldable display. Called a flexible Dynamic AMOLED panel, the display has a 2152x1536 resolution that is crisp enough to read a newspaper page on without having to zoom in for additional clarity.

The Galaxy Fold has a dimmer display than its Galaxy S and Galaxy Note siblings, though. Our review unit achieved an average maximum luminosity of 530 cd/m² during our tests, which is still a good value. Even if Samsung claims that the device supports HDR10+, its main display does not get bright enough to take advantage of the functionality. Even the more practical APL50 test records a maximum luminosity of 640 cd/m², making HDR10+ out of reach for the Galaxy Fold. Disabling automatic brightness results in an average peak luminosity of 331 cd/m² too. Since the panel is an OLED one, it theoretically has an absolute zero black value and an infinite contrast ratio.

Well-known features like night mode and an always-on display (AoD) are on board too. The device uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to regulate brightness too, which can cause health issues like eyestrain and headaches for some people. The main display in our review unit flickers at between 235.8 and 240.4 Hz, for reference.

530
cd/m²
530
cd/m²
533
cd/m²
541
cd/m²
531
cd/m²
536
cd/m²
524
cd/m²
534
cd/m²
533
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 541 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 532.4 cd/m² Minimum: 1.59 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 97 %
Center on Battery: 531 cd/m²
Contrast: ∞:1 (Black: 0 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 2.3 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
99.6% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.15
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Infinity Flex-Display (Dynamic AMOLED, 7,3") und Super AMOLED (4,6"), 2152x1536, 7.30
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
OLED, 3040x1440, 6.70
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
Dynamic AMOLED, 3040x1440, 6.80
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
OLED, 2688x1242, 6.50
Huawei Mate 20 X
OLED, 2244x1080, 7.20
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
AMOLED, 2340x1080, 6.47
Screen
-31%
-8%
20%
10%
-59%
Brightness middle
531
735
38%
683
29%
790
49%
421
-21%
402
-24%
Brightness
532
735
38%
694
30%
790
48%
418
-21%
399
-25%
Brightness Distribution
97
94
-3%
96
-1%
97
0%
96
-1%
92
-5%
Black Level *
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
2.3
3.9
-70%
2.9
-26%
1.4
39%
1.1
52%
4.1
-78%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
3.7
10.9
-195%
4.8
-30%
3.4
8%
2.2
41%
6.5
-76%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.5
1.4
7%
2.2
-47%
1.9
-27%
1.4
7%
3.7
-147%
Gamma
2.15 102%
2.09 105%
2.11 104%
2.23 99%
2.23 99%
2.23 99%
CCT
6631 98%
6549 99%
6247 104%
6466 101%
6723 97%
7841 83%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 240.4 Hz ≤ 99 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 240.4 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 99 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 240.4 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The foldable display is colour accurate too, but the white point is a bit too warm for our liking on the default natural display profile. It still looks natural, though. We should also point out that only the vivid mode uses the wider DCI P3 colour space, with Samsung having based the natural on sRGB, instead.

CalMAN: Grayscale - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
5.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2.8 ms rise
↘ 2.8 ms fall
The screen shows very fast response rates in our tests and should be very well suited for fast-paced gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 12 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
8.4 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4 ms rise
↘ 4.4 ms fall
The screen shows fast response rates in our tests and should be suited for gaming.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 16 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The main display is bright enough to use outside on a sunny day too. We would recommend using shady places where possible though, as the display reflects quite strongly.

Using the Galaxy Fold outdoors in the sunshine
Using the Galaxy Fold outdoors in the sunshine
Using the Galaxy Fold outdoors in the shade
Using the Galaxy Fold outdoors in the shade

Likewise, the panel has stable viewing angles. We noticed no colour inversions during our tests, although content looks a bit cooler at acute viewing angles than it usually would. This also applies to the smaller display, which also loses more luminosity at oblique angles.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Exterior display - smaller, but also brighter

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array
Brightness levels
Brightness levels

The secondary display is a 4.7-inch Super AMOLED panel that resolves at 1680x720. While it is only a 720p panel, its small footprint allows content to still look crisp. The smaller display is noticeably brighter than the main one too while offering comparable colour accuracy. Samsung limits the display to being used in vertical mode, though.

The secondary display uses PWM too, with the one in our review unit flickering at between 225.8 and 245.1 Hz when set to below 100% brightness. Incidentally, setting the display to peak luminosity causes the PWM frequency to drop to 60 Hz.

Again, all well-known features of Samsung smartphones like night mode, AoD and colour profiles are available on the smaller display. All apply to both panels simultaneously though. Hence, one cannot be in day mode and the other in night mode, for example.

The display has excellent colour reproduction too, along with the same black and contrast benefits that the main display has, thanks to it also being an OLED panel. The secondary display reached almost 700 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2 and 867 cd/m² in APL50, making it significantly brighter than the main panel. It can also be dimmed to just 1.69 cd/m² but is limited to 330 cd/m² with the ambient light sensor disabled.

PWM frequency
PWM frequency
Switchover time, black to white: 4.0 ms
Switchover time, black to white: 4.0 ms
Switchover time, grey to grey: 4.0 ms
Switchover time, grey to grey: 4.0 ms
Using the exterior display outdoors in the sun
Using the exterior display outdoors in the sun
CalMAN: Grayscale - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - natural colour profile, sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Mixed colours - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour saturation - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space
CalMAN: Colour space - vivid colour profile, DCI P3 target colour space

Performance - Bringing the Snapdragon 855 into the Fold

Samsung equips the Galaxy Fold with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, an old acquaintance that currently remains one of the faster mobile SoCs on the market. Qualcomm released a Snapdragon 855 Plus SoC too, but the two are essentially identical. Samsung complements the Snapdragon 855 with 12 GB of LPDDR4x RAM and 512 GB of UFS 3.0 flash storage, while the Adreno 640 that Qualcomm integrates within the SoC handles graphics.

Expectedly, our review unit performed comparatively strongly in synthetic benchmarks. The Galaxy Fold delivers excellent system performance in daily use too.

Geekbench 5.0
5.0 Single-Core (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
740 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
1344 Points +82%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
749 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (725 - 750, n=8)
742 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (703 - 1668, n=12, last 2 years)
963 Points +30%
5.0 Multi-Core (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
2699 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
3242 Points +20%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2531 Points -6%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2441 - 2852, n=8)
2616 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1908 - 4353, n=12, last 2 years)
3139 Points +16%
OpenCL Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
2395 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
2218 Points -7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2218 - 2395, n=7)
2302 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (498 - 9123, n=7, last 2 years)
3975 Points +66%
Vulkan Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
2107 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1918 Points -9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (1849 - 2154, n=7)
2032 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (261 - 7988, n=6, last 2 years)
3373 Points +60%
Metal Score 5.0 (sort by value)
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
6448 Points
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3234 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4529 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3476 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3406 - 3537, n=14)
3480 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
9852 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10489 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10765 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (10187 - 11388, n=14)
10955 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
5759 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
10192 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7553 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (7372 - 8024, n=12)
7629 Points
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
12276 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
9867 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
9557 Points -22%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
11857 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (10330 - 14439, n=19)
12161 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +23%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9655 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
7772 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7704 Points -20%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9664 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (8342 - 11440, n=19)
9710 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +13%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
68675 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
96826 Points +41%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
34035 Points -50%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
54087 Points -21%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
60279 Points -12%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (55771 - 83518, n=17)
70036 Points +2%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
106066 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
206190 Points +94%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
42579 Points -60%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
66990 Points -37%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
106799 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (97354 - 110432, n=17)
105781 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
30743 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
33898 Points +10%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
19993 Points -35%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
32308 Points +5%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
23877 Points -22%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (20636 - 45072, n=18)
32923 Points +7%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7479 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
7893 Points +6%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2567 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5186 Points -31%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7407 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5251 - 7820, n=18)
7091 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points -53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9918 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
11302 Points +14%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2347 Points -76%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
6058 Points -39%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9932 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (6122 - 10008, n=18)
9272 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points -61%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4019 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
3839 Points -4%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3816 Points -5%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3448 Points -14%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3919 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3001 - 4618, n=18)
3925 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points -26%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7434 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2525 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4766 Points -36%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7716 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5268 - 8141, n=18)
7186 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9014 Points +21%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9489 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2536 Points -73%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5307 Points -44%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
10279 Points +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (6358 - 10420, n=18)
9569 Points +1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15728 Points +66%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4228 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2488 Points -41%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3513 Points -17%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4120 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2345 - 4703, n=18)
3892 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4327 Points +2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5722 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
5471 Points -4%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3575 Points -38%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4579 Points -20%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5661 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (4556 - 5747, n=20)
5489 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points -53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
6350 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
6088 Points -4%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3528 Points -44%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5152 Points -19%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6356 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5429 - 6362, n=20)
6201 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points -58%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4250 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
4038 Points -5%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3751 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3296 Points -22%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4093 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2705 - 4612, n=20)
3954 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points -27%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
6227 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
3599 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4821 Points -23%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6162 Points -1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3969 - 6404, n=20)
5819 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=175, last 2 years)
6514 Points +5%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
7114 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
4103 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5418 Points -24%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
7083 Points 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5184 - 7148, n=20)
6793 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=174, last 2 years)
9281 Points +30%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4336 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
Points -100%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
2517 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
3480 Points -20%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4235 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (1934 - 5024, n=20)
3942 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=174, last 2 years)
4150 Points -4%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4974 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4515 Points -9%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
4866 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3800 - 5012, n=20)
4719 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (365 - 6439, n=97, last 2 years)
2594 Points -48%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
5884 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
5565 Points -5%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5779 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (4236 - 5884, n=20)
5618 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 8601, n=97, last 2 years)
2755 Points -53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
3228 Points
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
2720 Points -16%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
3134 Points -3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2104 - 3452, n=20)
3045 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1667 - 3525, n=97, last 2 years)
2668 Points -17%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
60 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
59 fps -2%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
58 fps -3%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
59 fps -2%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
59 fps -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (59 - 91, n=20)
63.4 fps +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +38%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
115 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
287 fps +150%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
119 fps +3%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
97 fps -16%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
166 fps +44%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (85 - 167, n=20)
153.1 fps +33%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +112%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
58 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
60 fps +3%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
58 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
53 fps -9%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
59 fps +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (46 - 85, n=20)
59.6 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +22%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
90 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
157 fps +74%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
78 fps -13%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
85 fps -6%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
100 fps +11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (50 - 102, n=20)
92.3 fps +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +53%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
46 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
60 fps +30%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
50 fps +9%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
37 fps -20%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
57 fps +24%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (27 - 58, n=20)
47.7 fps +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +30%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
62 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
100 fps +61%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
53 fps -15%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
67 fps +8%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
70 fps +13%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (35 - 71, n=20)
62 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +56%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
32 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
48 fps +50%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
28 fps -12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
23 fps -28%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
37 fps +16%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (16 - 41, n=20)
31.7 fps -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +34%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
42 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
63 fps +50%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
28 fps -33%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
43 fps +2%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (22 - 43, n=20)
39.2 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +40%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
32 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
58 fps +81%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
29 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
26 fps -19%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
38 fps +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (17 - 38, n=20)
32.5 fps +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=219, last 2 years)
43.2 fps +35%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
42 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
75 fps +79%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
30 fps -29%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
46 fps +10%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
42 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (22 - 43, n=21)
39.9 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=219, last 2 years)
63 fps +50%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
21 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
46 fps +119%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
20 fps -5%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
16 fps -24%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
25 fps +19%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (11 - 26, n=20)
20.9 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=219, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +53%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
17 fps
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
29 fps +71%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
13 fps -24%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
17 fps 0%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
17 fps 0%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (8.5 - 24, n=21)
16.2 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=219, last 2 years)
25.1 fps +48%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
367169 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
462516 Points +26%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
273409 Points -26%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
327454 Points -11%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
371848 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (217967 - 398720, n=16)
354450 Points -3%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
251927 Points
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
253082 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
283270 Points +12%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
254602 Points +1%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (239512 - 268271, n=12)
255436 Points +1%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4835 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
5607 Points +16%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
4104 Points -15%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4226 Points -13%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
5188 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (3847 - 5397, n=19)
4796 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +18%
System (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
8825 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
14189 Points +61%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
7923 Points -10%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
7793 Points -12%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
8652 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (5993 - 9143, n=19)
8539 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +9%
Memory (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
4945 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
2350 Points -52%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
5700 Points +15%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
4502 Points -9%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
6253 Points +26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (2661 - 7500, n=19)
5097 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +26%
Graphics (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
9510 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
16996 Points +79%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
5070 Points -47%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
8981 Points -6%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
9361 Points -2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (8125 - 9510, n=19)
9174 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +46%
Web (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy Fold
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 12288
1317 Points
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Apple A13 Bionic, A13 Bionic GPU, 4096
1745 Points +32%
Huawei Mate 20 X
HiSilicon Kirin 980, Mali-G76 MP10, 6144
1239 Points -6%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
Samsung Exynos 9820, Mali-G76 MP12, 8192
1012 Points -23%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, Adreno 640, 6144
1431 Points +9%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
  (1076 - 1601, n=19)
1356 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +13%

The larger and correspondingly higher resolution display than its peers does not affect browser performance either. The Galaxy Fold scored highly in browser benchmarks, while the preinstalled Samsung Browser 10.1 remained fluid and fast throughout our tests.

Jetstream 2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
129.1 Points +140%
Average of class Smartphone (13.8 - 351, n=167, last 2 years)
104.5 Points +94%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (45.5 - 67, n=16)
58.8 Points +9%
Samsung Galaxy Fold (Samung Browser 10.1)
53.8 Points
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
52.7 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samung Browser 9.2)
44.35 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samung Browser 9.2)
42.69 Points -21%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
301.9 Points +166%
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +71%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
118.3 Points +4%
Samsung Galaxy Fold (Samsung Browser 10.1)
113.7 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (84.4 - 120, n=17)
108.4 Points -5%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
93.2 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
90.9 Points -20%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
84.5 Points -26%
Speedometer 2.0 - Result
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
153 runs/min +149%
Average of class Smartphone (14.9 - 445, n=151, last 2 years)
105.7 runs/min +72%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
66.3 runs/min +8%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (42.5 - 67.9, n=15)
62 runs/min +1%
Samsung Galaxy Fold (Samsung Browser 10.1)
61.5 runs/min
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
57 runs/min -7%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
runs/min -100%
WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
181 Points +40%
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=119, last 2 years)
131.8 Points +2%
Samsung Galaxy Fold (Samsung Browser 10.1)
129 Points
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
118 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
115 Points -11%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (90 - 129, n=20)
105.2 Points -18%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
98 Points -24%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
86 Points -33%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
49388 Points +105%
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +39%
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
25640 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy Fold (Samsung Browser 10.1)
24128 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (17011 - 33918, n=21)
23749 Points -2%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
21208 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
20653 Points -14%
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
19135 Points -21%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Samsung Galaxy Note10+ (Samsung Browser 9.2)
2528 ms * -26%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 (1852 - 2611, n=19)
2147 ms * -7%
Huawei Mate 20 X (hrome 71)
2145 ms * -7%
Samsung Galaxy Fold (Samsung Browser 10.1)
2003 ms *
ZTE Axon 10 Pro (Chrome 74)
1852 ms * +8%
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G (Samsung Browser 9.2)
1823 ms * +9%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +17%
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (Safari Mobile 13.1)
571 ms * +71%

* ... smaller is better

Having 512 GB of storage almost makes up for the lack of microSD card expansion, although we should point out that Samsung does sell a 1 TB version of the Galaxy S10+. The Galaxy S10 series and Galaxy Note 10+ have microSD card readers too. Galaxy Fold owners must put up with using cloud or external storage solutions if they need more space, though.

Positively, the Galaxy Fold has fast internal storage. While it averaged 30% higher transfer speeds in AndroBench than the Galaxy S10 5G could muster, it is resoundingly beaten by the Galaxy Note 10+. The Mate 20 X and ZTE Axon 10 Pro also pull away from the Fold here.

Samsung Galaxy FoldHuawei Mate 20 XSamsung Galaxy S10 5GZTE Axon 10 ProSamsung Galaxy Note10+OnePlus 7 ProAverage 512 GB UFS 3.0 FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
124%
-30%
108%
131%
-2%
142%
227%
Sequential Read 256KB
1303
912
-30%
816
-37%
769
-41%
1504
15%
1468
13%
1593 ?(1303 - 1802, n=5)
22%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
13%
Sequential Write 256KB
394.5
182.7
-54%
246.3
-38%
503
28%
588
49%
387
-2%
565 ?(386 - 911, n=5)
43%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
173%
Random Read 4KB
158.4
144.4
-9%
135
-15%
150.4
-5%
196.2
24%
174.1
10%
211 ?(158.4 - 324, n=5)
33%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
52%
Random Write 4KB
34.41
237.6
590%
23.79
-31%
189.5
451%
183.6
434%
24.8
-28%
196.5 ?(34.4 - 319, n=5)
471%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
670%

Games - The Fold is a gaming monster

The Galaxy Fold has a much higher display resolution than its contemporaries, so we expected Samsung to limit performance somewhat. Thankfully that is not the case, with our review unit able to average 58.1 FPS in PUBG Mobile according to GameBench. Likewise, the device averaged 59.7 FPS while playing Battle Bay, during which it never dropped below 59 FPS. Overall, the Galaxy Fold is an excellent gaming smartphone.

Battle Bay
PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Fold; 0.14.0: Ø58.1 (30-60)
Battle Bay
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Samsung Galaxy Fold; 4.6.22531: Ø59.7 (59-60)

Emissions - A Fold with good speakers

Temperature

T-Rex
Manhattan

The surface temperatures of the Galaxy Fold are always harmless. No area of our review unit ever exceeded 37.2 °C during our tests.

The Galaxy Fold also had no issues during the older T-Rex GFXBench battery test. However, our review unit throttled by about a third in the more complex Manhattan benchmark.

Max. Load
 35.6 °C
96 F
36.6 °C
98 F
32.8 °C
91 F
 
 34.1 °C
93 F
32.6 °C
91 F
31.2 °C
88 F
 
 30.1 °C
86 F
31.4 °C
89 F
29.8 °C
86 F
 
Maximum: 36.6 °C = 98 F
Average: 32.7 °C = 91 F
32.4 °C
90 F
35.1 °C
95 F
35 °C
95 F
28.7 °C
84 F
30.5 °C
87 F
32 °C
90 F
28.3 °C
83 F
28.9 °C
84 F
29.4 °C
85 F
Maximum: 35.1 °C = 95 F
Average: 31.1 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  30.2 °C = 86 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.7 °C / 91 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 36.6 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35.1 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.7 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the front of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load
Heat map of the back of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Fold with two AKG-optimised speakers that support Dolby Atmos and offer a comparatively good listening experience. As our measurements below demonstrate, frequencies between 375 and 12,000 Hz are almost linear at medium volumes. Increasing the volume to near maximum results in high-pitched tones being overrepresented, causing audio to sound a touch echoey.

Alternatively, you could connect external audio equipment via USB Type-C or Bluetooth. The latter supports dual audio for outputting to two devices simultaneously, along with all common Bluetooth audio codecs. However, Samsung continues to eschew support for aptX HD, despite the Galaxy Fold being powered by a compatible Qualcomm SoC.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.244.22536.234.13129.127.8403026.45042.342.16326.827.58020.321100252712517.231.216017.950.420017.150.325017.957.331516.26140016.56550015.368.163015.670.380015.670.1100014.873.5125014.472.2160014.673.9200014.776.8250014.174.7315014.474.3400014.475.1500014.972.5630014.770.8800014.571.11000014.868.6125001559.31600016.658.2SPL27.185.2N0.963.6median 15median 70.1Delta1.37.532.239.436.225.529.126.83027.742.342.426.827.220.325.22536.717.244.817.954.317.153.817.95316.253.616.55615.35915.664.415.664.814.867.214.472.314.67314.776.914.176.414.476.914.475.914.973.514.773.814.57214.866.6156316.649.427.185.80.961median 15median 64.81.39.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseSamsung Galaxy FoldApple iPhone 11 Pro Max
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Samsung Galaxy Fold audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 23.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (16.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 90% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 24% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 70% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 21% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 71% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 51% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management - Better runtimes with Qualcomm

Power Consumption

The Galaxy Fold has class-leading power consumption even with its comparatively large display. Our review unit consumes between 0.6 W and 1 W when idling, values that only the ZTE Axon 10 Pro gets close to matching. The Galaxy Fold also consumes between 4.47 W and 9.02 W under load, which puts it ahead of the Mate 20 X and Galaxy S10 5G, but behind our other two comparison devices. As expected, the smaller secondary display requires less power than its bigger sibling, so the Galaxy Fold should have all-round excellent battery life regardless of how you use it.

The Galaxy Fold also supports up to 15 W wired and 12 W wireless charging. The device can charge other devices too, like the bundled Galaxy Buds, thanks to Samsung's Wireless PowerShare.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.19 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.6 / 0.85 / 1 Watt
Load midlight 4.47 / 9.02 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Samsung Galaxy Fold
4235 mAh
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
3969 mAh
Huawei Mate 20 X
5000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
4500 mAh
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
4000 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 855
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-88%
-50%
-51%
-10%
-43%
-40%
Idle Minimum *
0.6
0.92
-53%
0.79
-32%
0.66
-10%
0.76
-27%
0.939 ?(0.58 - 1.96, n=19)
-57%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-49%
Idle Average *
0.85
2.9
-241%
1.72
-102%
1.82
-114%
1.15
-35%
1.506 ?(0.85 - 2.8, n=19)
-77%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
-70%
Idle Maximum *
1
2.94
-194%
1.83
-83%
1.83
-83%
1.18
-18%
1.799 ?(1 - 2.9, n=19)
-80%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
-63%
Load Average *
4.47
3.65
18%
5.53
-24%
6.11
-37%
3.95
12%
4.61 ?(3.64 - 5.8, n=19)
-3%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-25%
Load Maximum *
9.02
6.18
31%
9.85
-9%
9.81
-9%
7.49
17%
9.04 ?(7.49 - 11.9, n=19)
-0%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
8%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Although the 5G version of the Galaxy Fold has a slightly smaller battery capacity than its 4G counterpart, the former has good battery life. However, it did not last as long between charges as our power consumption comparison table above would have suggested. While the Galaxy Fold averaged significantly lower values than all but the ZTE Axon 10 Pro, the iPhone 11 Pro Max, Mate 20 X and Galaxy S10 5G all achieved longer runtimes than their foldable competitor.

While we were unable to complete a battery test running solely on 5G, we can provide an extrapolated value. Our review unit sustained an HD stream on Netflix for over seven hours, which is surprisingly good. Better still, it did so outdoors on a sunny day, so it was streaming at maximum display brightness.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
28h 44min
WiFi Websurfing (Samsung Browser 10.1)
10h 00min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
17h 07min
Load (maximum brightness)
5h 16min
Samsung Galaxy Fold
4235 mAh
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max
3969 mAh
Huawei Mate 20 X
5000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy S10 5G
4500 mAh
ZTE Axon 10 Pro
4000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy Note10+
4300 mAh
OnePlus 7 Pro
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
41%
9%
8%
-1%
-8%
-5%
Reader / Idle
1724
2618
52%
1984
15%
2340
36%
1927
12%
1585
-8%
1745
1%
H.264
1027
1346
31%
986
-4%
1047
2%
1068
4%
934
-9%
802
-22%
WiFi v1.3
600
909
52%
786
31%
533
-11%
680
13%
532
-11%
768
28%
Load
316
408
29%
300
-5%
327
3%
217
-31%
305
-3%
236
-25%

Pros

+ innovative design with a foldable display
+ Wi-Fi 6
+ 5G
+ plenty of storage and RAM
+ fast SoC
+ good cameras
+ long battery life

Cons

- vulnerable display
- small exterior panel
- only single SIM
- no expandable memory

Verdict - Delicate and innovative

Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G (SM-F907B) smartphone review.
Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G (SM-F907B) smartphone review.

It is finally here, the first foldable smartphone to reach our offices and Europe. Undoubtedly, the Galaxy Fold is an innovative product, with its foldable display offering a small window into the future. Whether the design that Samsung has gone for is ideal remains a matter of taste, though. The Huawei Mate X looks great, but if its panel is as sensitive as the one in the Galaxy Fold, then we would question just how durable and practical it is.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the main display is one of the biggest shortcomings of the Galaxy Fold. The foldable display remains vulnerable despite being reinforced, so do not expect the Galaxy Fold to be rugged nor MIL-STD or IP-certified. Even pressing too hard or tapping with fingernails can cause deep impressions on the display, which could be an issue for children or those with artificial fingernails. Samsung does not necessarily cover damage caused in this way even with Care+, which is something worth keeping in mind before you buy the Galaxy Fold. We do not even want to talk about follow-up repairs after the first year, either.

Foldable, great accessories and many superlatives. The Samsung Galaxy Fold is a strong piece of technology, but perhaps it is only for those with a sensitive touch.

The software, which has so far only been adapted to this format, also dampens the enjoyment of using the Galaxy Fold. However, the Galaxy Fold is one of the first smartphones of its kind, so we can overlook its software-based shortcomings for the time being. Overall, the Galaxy Fold is a great and well-connected smartphone. So, if you have enough money to spare and you baby your smartphones, then the Samsung Galaxy Fold may be worth considering.

Samsung Galaxy Fold - 08/31/2022 v7
Daniel Schmidt

Chassis
79%
Keyboard
68 / 75 → 91%
Pointing Device
89%
Connectivity
67 / 70 → 95%
Weight
87%
Battery
89%
Display
90%
Games Performance
57 / 64 → 88%
Application Performance
78 / 86 → 90%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
82 / 90 → 91%
Camera
79%
Average
81%
86%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Samsung Galaxy Fold 5G Smartphone Review: A foldable handset with an air of confidence
Daniel Schmidt, 2019-10- 9 (Update: 2019-10- 9)