Product Testing - The Final Chapter

[Piper123]

A few short weeks ago, the wonderful Community Team and @Lucy C in particular gave us a wonderful opportunity to Product Test devices and write up reviews. Thank you to the Community Team for all you have done to make this happen. 👍

So it is time for my final write up. For those who have been following my journey, it has been an interesting and at times exciting and challenging one, culminating in my last thread about whether the Fold 6 could replace a laptop (worth a read 🫠).

Mobile Connectivity is tonight's subject and there isn't really a lot to say than what you may expect......

A SIM port 

2 SIM capacity

Pin ejector provides access

All the usuals, WiFi 6, WiFi 4, 2g, 3g, 4g and lots of 5g with EE. All work pretty well. Signal strength is very similar to the S24 Ultra which itself is marginally better than the S23 Ultra.

5g speeds with EE are impressive. The fastest I have recorded here in England was around 400mb.

BUT when I took it to Rome, my oh my. Using the TIM Network I was able to achieve 5g speeds of over 760mb. Yes you read that right.

Battery has been very good. Despite being smaller than S24 Ultra, overall the performance has been similar, getting a full day with heavy use. 

So for networks, it is pretty much as you were. Good quality service, worked well and with little issue. 

So, this brings me to the final question which @UNKNOWNUSERNAME has asked me once or twice. 

Would I buy the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6?

Well, there isn't a straight cut answer to this question. If you are looking for a business device with wow factor, this is it. It will continue to turn heads and people will continue to ask questions and gawp over it.

If you are looking for a phone, this one is expensive and to be honest you may not get the true value from it. 

If you are looking for a handheld computer in the hand, especially one for heavy streaming then this is it. I got well over 12 hours non stop streaming on a full charge. 

There is no doubt (to quote Lucy in a previous thread elsewhere) this is a Premium Product leading the charge for Samsung. 

BUT - AND THIS IS A MASSIVE BUT

Samsung Customer Service and Samsung Warranty are a deal breaker. The slightest mark anywhere on the device and Samsung run a mile, regardless of whether the mark is relevant or not. There appears to be little to no support or warranty worth having for what is supposed to be a Premium Product, look at all the threads on here about these issues. 

This would ABSOLUTELY STOP ME from buying a Samsung Galaxy Fold 6.

The device is brilliant. 

The device is (still) unique. 

The device is well built. 

The device exudes quality wherever you look. 

The device is clearly PREMIUM. 

But Samsung Customer Service (or lack of it) and awful Warranty Support would stop me buying this device. 

So there you have it. The end of the Product Testing for the Fold 6. I hope you enjoyed the journey.👍🫠😮‍💨

[lminvti]

Good final part on z fold 6 testing, as I mentioned in previous part of yours it needs a bit more time the technology is there but still needs adjustments, completely agree on samsung waranty part on this it should be to tier samsung device with innovative technology but then once again replace whole screen and get it sorted it costs samsung extra £ that's why probably they pick up on everything they can and that's why I haven't got my z fold 6 for exactly same reason. My brother have it had problems with screen flickering after 2 weeks of use after unfolding the phone samsung said "we believe you caused damage yourself" since there was tiny scratch on the edge not even the screen part. Anyway good final episode. Good job 👌

[JAMES4578]

Certainly a great review and some detailed analysis,a premim Device but there are obviously  tring advantages coupled with some disincentives anf for everyone to decide where the balance lies.

[Piper123]

I will be very very sorry to send it back though. I'll add that

🤣 🤣

It is a device for "someone like me" but the big buts are too big for me to get over.

[smiley]

Thanks for your reviews. I actually did buy a fold 6 but with a short lived ownership of just 3 days... due to the phone being sold on the UK but being an EU variant... which concerned me. Mainly due to possible regional differences and especially whether warranty would be upheld if an issue occurred.

However my 3 days of use gave me the opportunity to test the phone and to satisfy my 'hunger' to try this device. I really enjoyed it whilst I had it.

I am still not writing off the chance of buying another fold6 ... especially if the next sales promotion suits.

One thing I would add... is that samsung care+ is around £9.50 a month... probably only a small price to pay for peace of mind with one of the fold series. This would cover instances where the warranty was excluded and would cover both angles. But I would 110% get insurance.

Finally, these forums and reddit forums will always show a spread of issues and usually people post when a problem has happened... but rarely post when everything is well.

Forums always give a negative bias to phone build quality and issues that may occur... but the percentages of failures are far lower than it seems. There are many thousands of users that have zero issues with build, screen, or any problems. Forums give a 'gloomy' outlook to problems and issues.

I guess this is certainly a phone for a careful owner... one that looks after and cares for their devices... you wouldn't advise a builder on a site or a manual tradesman to take one on...

The one other thing is that the phone is gorgeous when used without cases and covers...but it takes a bit away from the appeal as soon as protective cases are added to the super design.

These are just my tuppence worth of comments

Smiley

[BandOfBrothers]

Thank you for sharing your final thoughts on the Fold⁶ 👍

Yes we do see some posts here on the Samsung Community Forum in regards to negative experiences with Samsung Customer Support.

However it's not as common for a person to take time out to sign upto a forum just to provide a positive experience with Samsung Customer Support / Samsung Service Centre.

We don't always see in many instances the full story from a person when seeking Support for their Fold or Flip phone's.

I take into account that a Samsung Service Centre engineer has actually had hands on and inspected the phone first hand. 

We haven't had hands on and thus are reacting to a post ,and even with uploaded photo's of the phone it can still be difficult to see the phone.

I'm in no way dismissing the negative experiences some have had but there's always a balance to consider. 

Personally I would consider adding Samsung Care+ ,and or have the phone covered under another form of insurance such as i.e Home Contents Insurance or use one of the many reputable phone insurance providers. 

I'm in total agreement in regards to the fact that this is an unique phone, and exudes top tier workmanship and materials. 

When I owned my Samsung Fold³ I was blown away with all it's aspects.

Would I purchase another Fold phone  🤔  Personally Yes. 

A massive thank you to the Samsung Community Forum Section for providing these devices to chosen Members , and a special thank you to @Lucy C for being the person to set up and manage this.

[smiley]

Just to add to my earlier comments...

The biggest problem I have right now is the UK pricing.

Whilst I understand the production costs are higher, I do wonder why this fold phone has such an increase over ultras by so much.

I understand the differences between buying in the US and UK, regarding taxes and subsidies, but *****... they are virtually giving the fold6 away in the US with promotions and trade in deals. Whether subsidised or not by carriers, typically buyers for just a few hundred dollars can get a fold6 with a trade in of a 2 year old phone.

I would feel a little robbed by paying £1800 for a phone that someone across the pond can buy for $400 or so.

I am keen on the folding concept, and having the funds to buy is not really the issue, but it is a matter of principles.

I honestly like to see a promotion that brings my costs down closer towards the £1k price, which i think is probably a reasonable request. Although a bit more if I decide to keep hold my S23u... which i may well do as a backup phone.

I guess with S25 ultra on the horizon and talk of the z fold slim in Korea and Asia, it might also be worth waiting... the next fold concept might give some idea of what to expect in 2025.

Smiley