There is no doubt that the Fold 8 is a success. It is not about the brand Samsung or them being one of the first to this design. It is not about how many people bought it, nor where the majority of the sales are coming from. It is not about how others see you, nor about how many other people like what you like. When you spend $1600–$2000 for a phone, it better be about more than superficial things, at least for me. So, with two days left before I decide on that direction, I have made my decision before the deadline.
I had to decide between the Fold 8 and staying with the Fold 7, and I also had to choose between the Apple Duo and the Fold 7 or 8. None of these decisions were bad, whichever I made, as they all involved little sacrifices; if I picked one, I would lack something else, and the same applied to the other choices. Nothing truly had it all, whether it was the money, battery life, size, weight, reliability, or protection, so something was gained and something was lost.
Everything came down to one choice, the Fold 8; it had the base of everything I wanted mixed with everything I needed. Most people in the world will be going with the Duo, trust me. The Duo is about to become the most important addition to Folds in its history. It will be what sparks more developers to program for the screen size. It will bring more casual fans out to adapt to the foldable world than ever before. And yet, I still pick the Fold 8.
The camera is more than decent, as you can see above. I heard some complaints that it wasn’t good, but for me and what I use it for, it does more than I need, as the shots look rich and detailed even under cloud coverage. I don’t do many videos, so I’m not sure what those results are, but again, they are not needed. I have my Canon or my DJI for that. I mainly need a phone camera as a last-resort thing or a “the camera with me” type of thing, but I have no doubt that the video quality is good, too.
There is just something special about the Fold 8 for me. It looks so inviting, so fun, so perfectly symmetrical, and I don’t think I’m alone in this line of thought. I never see creases, unlike what the whole world tried to justify, which is totally weird. So, I focus on how it feels in my hands, even with a case. I focus on freedom to choose. It is a rare time like this in technology where new designs like this are options on both sides of the table. And while Apple is a newcomer to this, I don’t believe their efforts are any less amazing. In fact, I believe they are more polished for the people who love their OS, and that’s where the rubber meets the road for me. I don’t want iOS, and I left for the same reason years ago; I just don’t adapt well to the walled garden of Apple or the fix positions of the layouts.
I also love the ereader design both unfolded and folded. I truly think it’s s perfect. It’s one of my favorite features of the Fold 8, the ability to be used folded. It’s so much a delight and compact feel. Its the first time I feel comfortable reading on my phone. The perfect rectangle square like design is such a game changer. Even I didn’t see it being this big and making this much difference to me. And this is yet another reason I didn’t pick the iPhone Duo. Their D shape screen just doesn’t work for me. But I can see it working for others.
At the end of the day, everything from LDAC and aptX to sound options plays a huge role in why I can’t go back to Apple. It is why the Fold 8 is my device of choice; everything from battery life, design, shape, Samsung AI features, Samsung Pay, and the customization of Android are way too valuable for me to switch. To be fair, if I am honest with myself, these advantages have always existed, even the moment the Apple Duo was shown off. As impressive as it is, it was never a real option for me, no matter how surprised I was initially. But again, this is just me. I still believe the majority of the world will absolutely love and pick the Duo over everything else, even other iPhones. The whole world is about to go DUO, trust me. It’s going to be the biggest thing in tech for the remainder of year and or beyond. It’s just not my pick for my life.
