I bought this for £999 back in December 2022 (£1,199 from Box, with £200 cashback from Samsung). I loved it at first -- as the original poster said, it feels like having a phone and tablet in one. I even sold my Galaxy Tab S8 Ultra as a result.
Positives:
- Great for content consumption, notably reading.
- Easy to hold, so I didn't feel like I needed a case for it.
- Foldables are still really rare, so people are really impressed when you take a photo of them on it and show them on the big screen.
However, over time I started to notice some annoyances -- the cameras aren't as good as on a flagship, the crease is slightly annoying, you need to clean the inside screen constantly. The chief issue though, is that after six months of use, my phone doesn't fold flat anymore, and the slight V-shape it makes has been driving me crazy. I tried using compressed air on the hinge as recommended online, but no luck. Yes, I could no doubt take it into Samsung for repair (I tried at the Kings Cross store at around 9am the other day, but it doesn't open till 11am annoyingly) but from what I've read, you'll be without a phone for about a week while they repair it. First world problem, to be sure, but that's a pretty big deal for me, as I'm sure it would be for many.
I bought the S23 Ultra the other day and while it's a more boring phone, I'd recommend it to 99 per cent of people over the Fold4. And if you do want a Fold, the Fold5 is due to be announced in two weeks, so a) there are likely to be even deeper discounts on this model and b) it might address some of these issues, and while they might not bring the phone down to £1,000, Samsung's pre-order offers are usually pretty substantial.
Positives:
- Great for content consumption, notably reading.
- Easy to hold, so I didn't feel like I needed a case for it.
- Foldables are still really rare, so people are really impressed when you take a photo of them on it and show them on the big screen.
However, over time I started to notice some annoyances -- the cameras aren't as good as on a flagship, the crease is slightly annoying, you need to clean the inside screen constantly. The chief issue though, is that after six months of use, my phone doesn't fold flat anymore, and the slight V-shape it makes has been driving me crazy. I tried using compressed air on the hinge as recommended online, but no luck. Yes, I could no doubt take it into Samsung for repair (I tried at the Kings Cross store at around 9am the other day, but it doesn't open till 11am annoyingly) but from what I've read, you'll be without a phone for about a week while they repair it. First world problem, to be sure, but that's a pretty big deal for me, as I'm sure it would be for many.
I bought the S23 Ultra the other day and while it's a more boring phone, I'd recommend it to 99 per cent of people over the Fold4. And if you do want a Fold, the Fold5 is due to be announced in two weeks, so a) there are likely to be even deeper discounts on this model and b) it might address some of these issues, and while they might not bring the phone down to £1,000, Samsung's pre-order offers are usually pretty substantial.
