I had a ZFold 4 for a good long while before switching to a Pixel with GrapheneOS (OP is right, it’s a legal requirement when joining lemmy). I can share my experience.
I really loved it but I also had very specific use cases. It was great for reading long-form content on the go and much more comfortable browsing websites, mostly those where they don’t have / use mobile-first design like old forums. It was also great for sharing content in person, like sharing a spreadsheet or slideshow in person became so much easier. Some edge cases were nice to have, like taking a conference call you could split screen at the crease and prop it up for a more laptop-like experience. Ultimately it did away with the tablet use case between my laptop and phone.
Downsides were definitely price, it’s like an $1800 phone, probably more now. I kept it for probably 4 years and still use it occasionally so I feel I’m getting my moneys worth. Not sure how the durability is these days, used to have issues with screens cracking even though mine is going strong. They redesigned it from 5+ in a way that it folds fully flat now and should extend screen life.
It really boils down to “is the screen real estate of two phones worth paying the price of two phones?” It has all the flagship features you’d expect, so you’re really buying the form factor.
Thoven@lemdro.id 2 weeks ago
I love having a foldable. It makes reading, writing, and media consumption so much more enjoyable. But still fits in the pocket unlike a tablet. I don’t have any particular loyalty to Samsung, but it’s the best foldable I’ve found so far.
RampantParanoia2365@lemmy.world 2 weeks ago
Convenience for writing would be helpful. I do some of that.
Thoven@lemdro.id 2 weeks ago
I had it replaced once, perhaps 15 months after purchasing. The problem was not with the screen, but the screen protector was separating down the seam. Possibly due to my profession in the medical field, which occasionally sees me and my phone exposed to high intensity UV light. Apparently this shrinks the material. Modern phones aren’t something you can so easily work on yourself. I had it replaced by an authorized repair shop in my area. Apparently they had a recall on either the whole model or my production run, because they had a one time replacement deal for $250. This got me a new internal screen, battery, and possibly hinge?