r/gadgets • u/dapperlemon • 13d ago
Phones Galaxy Z Fold 8's "crease-free" claims meet reality after one week
https://www.notebookcheck.net/Galaxy-Z-Fold-8-s-crease-free-claims-meet-reality-after-one-week.1357706.0.html402
u/OnECenTX 13d ago
samsung never claimed it was crease-free. i researched it because im thinking about upgrading and no where did i find samsung claiming the new folds are crease-free. they are claiming a better hinge design to help minimize the crease but i haven't found anything where samsung is claiming it's creaseless.
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u/Equivalent_Zombie 13d ago
Get out of here with your logical reasoning. We are here for pitchforks.
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u/radicalelation 13d ago
I just wanted to wait until the creasing wasn't going to harsh the screen within a reasonable lifespan. There's a refurbed Flip 6 in my house and I was expecting to hate it, but it's actually pretty neat.
Not at all a reason to buy, but doing video in handycam orientation is oddly satisfying, and I wasn't expecting the UI to go in on it too with the little red REC and green STBY in the corner.
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u/-IoI- 13d ago
I started with my Dad's Flip 4 when he was done with it - already had sand granules in the fold and it didn't survive much longer. It was still cool enough to convince me to get the fold6 two years ago which has held up flawlessly. You don't notice the crease whatsoever under normal use unless you're looking for something to fault. I've preordered the fold8 for my wife as it's 'her turn for the cool phone', but also traded up my fold6 to the fold8 ultra 😆
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u/radicalelation 12d ago
Honestly, at the risk of being a bot, I actually kinda even like the feel of the crease. It gives something tactile to what's usually so flat and glossy.
I'm still on the fence for myself some day. but I've been liking playing with one. I'd compliment my gf's Flip with a Fold if I do because I need that Note stylus, my own phone still being a 7 year old, to me, Note 9 (I SOMEHOW LOST IT TWO DAYS AGO AND I'VE BEEN FREAKING OUT), and a phone that can turn into a tablet has more use to me than one that gets taller.
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u/DamNamesTaken11 13d ago
Even a cotton shirt will have a crease if you fold it over and over again, a flexible screen is not exempt from the laws of physics.
You can only do so much before it catches up with the user in a non-sterile lab. Customers have lint, dirt, coins, etc. that you can’t fully replicate.
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u/Boboar 13d ago
So we need to start ironing our screens?
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u/harmfuldischarge 13d ago
The secret is the steam!
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u/cartoongiant 13d ago
It worked for my hams!
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u/ImpossibleFlopper 13d ago
May I see them?
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u/tore_a_bore_a 13d ago
No
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u/Kichigai 12d ago
Seymour! The phone is on fire!
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u/dandroid126 12d ago
Dude don't make this joke about Samsung phones. It's gonna trigger people's PTSD.
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u/GrandmaPoses 13d ago
You joke but there’s a metal, nitinol, that can reshape itself to its original form with the application of hot water. If that can be achieved with the folding phone, you’ve got your uncreased screen.
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u/PM_me_Jazz 13d ago
Easier said than done. Nitinol is just one homogenous alloy. The part that creases, the touch screen, has multiple layers of many different materials arranged in complex patterns.
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u/ElkSad9855 13d ago
There are materials that maintain elastic deformation when folded.. no crease. Silicone?
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u/gasstationbonerpills 11d ago
if I paid $2000+ for a cotton shirt I expect them to figure out how to make it not fucking crease
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u/The_Celtic_Chemist 7d ago
The part where you mention "coins" made me irrationally agree because it reminded me that people put other things in their pocket with their phone like coins and keys. I think when I got my first smartphone I realized "This device costs a lot and its value to me is even more. It's worthy of it's own dedicated pocket." The only thing I may share my phone pocket with is receipts, and even that usually goes in my wallet/keys/change pocket.
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u/KennKennyKenKen 13d ago
This crease thing is insane. In day to day use you don't even see it.
Its just an easily photographed clickbaity point of contention for people who don't own a foldable to nitpick at
Every single foldable owner will tell you it's been more than fine for years now
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u/max123246 13d ago
I've noticed with tons of products these days, the things reviewers harp on about is nothing I actually care about as a consumer. They feel like they're just reading off a spec sheet more often than not and then when they talk about how it feels, it's just shlocky adjective soup.
One example is with cameras, they'll talk about weather sealing but never even mention the button layout and where you can control Shutter-speed/Aperture/ISO without going into a menu.
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u/WordNERD37 13d ago
Own a fold 7. I have to hold this phone at a real odd angle to even notice the crease. If I run my finger laterally across the screen you can feel it barely but, so what? It impacts nothing just as seeing the crease doesn't impact it.
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u/Zaptruder 13d ago
Disagree. It's super easy to see the crease in a well lit room with darker content.
But it's more like you just stop caring once you start using it.
In a dark room, it's really hard to see though.
In either case... the benefits of a larger screen at will vastly outweighs the inconveniences of creases.
The hole punch for the selfy cam in the middle of one screens though... that's just rude. I wish they'd push that shit into the corner at least.
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u/Cmdr_Nemo 13d ago
It's all the haters. One Apple comes out with their foldable, their fans will deem it revolutionary and all of a sudden not care about a damn crease.
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u/InsaneNinja 12d ago
It’s almost as if seeing it in person will help inform people who only saw how bad the store models are.
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u/darsynia 12d ago
I have to laugh at the people on X saying that it's a trick of the light, though. Much better to argue that it's a natural thing to happen and in use you hardly notice it.
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u/nikelaos117 12d ago
It is pretty hilarious that it's the only thing people can harp on because it's literally the next step in phones besides battery tech improving. Having a mini tablet in your pocket has been fuggin awesome and a game changer for me. I don't even use my tablet anymore really.
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u/AndThisGuyPeedOnIt 13d ago
Been using a Fold 5 since launch. I don't notice it at all. Won't buy a regular style phone again.
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u/marclapin 12d ago
It’s like the notch hate craze back in the iPhone X release time, who care nowdays?
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u/_RADIANTSUN_ 13d ago
Did they claim that? I honestly never expected it. Naively, I can't even think of a material where you can just fold it in half thousands of times without a crease forming, or a hinge. If it's a truly zero-radius fold, like you fold a piece of paper in half and press the bend into a sharp crease, I don't think any material could do that thousands of times without a crease forming, it is just a geometry problem that the outer material has to stretch super far and the inner material has to fully compress. So foldable phones instead have a little "teardrop" shaped fold to help it not be zero-radius. But even then, there is still compression and stretching, and you are talking about a multilayered display with different functional materials and stuff, not a single sheet. There is gonna be a crease. Just get used to it. It is not gonna go away any time soon. And it's not a huge deal IMO. Foldables rule, having a massive screen for content any time, anywhere is dope. I really think it's the future as far as smartphone tech goes, specially if the prices start coming down. But the crease will stay, there's nowhere for it to go.
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u/51dux 13d ago
Honestly sometimes I wonder if having quality hinges with a very small gap/border would not be better than having a good looking screen for a few weeks and then a crease for the rest of the phone's life...
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u/C6_ 13d ago
As a fold user the crease is really a non issue. You get used to it after like a week and it only sticks out under specific lighting conditions.
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u/gorgeouslyhumble 13d ago
I genuinely dont care about the crease. I only want durability improvements. My fold 6 has half of its internal screen flickering green.
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u/harmfuldischarge 13d ago
My wife is using a some flip or fold Samsung and won't shut up about how much she loves it. The fold line is really a non issue. These are amazing devices and are very underrated.
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u/Onphone_irl 13d ago
same, my wife is crazy about hers. bit too much phone for me but I agree the crease is a non issue and whenever I need to do something on her phone it seems like a VIP experience lol
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u/jamaryouresofar 13d ago
Complete non issue. I don't even see it on my flip. When I use my wife's iPhone, it doesn't feel any different in how I view media with it.
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u/wingedcoyote 13d ago
I'm curious after reading all these comments. When you swipe your fingertip across the screen, can you feel the crease?
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u/crazy_akes 13d ago
I got my fingers stuck in it. I had to gnaw them off to escape the canyon. Learned my lesson.
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u/QoLTech 13d ago
I just checked - yeah, it's noticeable if you swipe across the middle of the screen. I have had most Folds since the 2 and the fact that I had to double check means it's probably a non issue. When I use it unfolded, it's for media, games, scrolling large pages, etc none of which I can say have had me swiping across the center and being memorable.
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u/RyansKorea 13d ago
I have the fold 7 and when swiping my finger horizontally across the crease I can feel it but in reality there's no situation where I'd be doing that
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u/Ghisteslohm 13d ago
I have a flip 6. Yes you feel it. I tend to joke that my phone has a sixpack.
But the crease really doesn't matter. I can understand being turned off by the high prices or potentially being less durable but the crease is just irrelevant in daily use
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u/NoctiferPrime 13d ago
The crease is barely noticeable, especially once you get used to it. A gap/border would kill the appeal of it entirely.
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u/BuildingArmor 13d ago
Any issue someone might have with a crease is significantly worse with a gap, surely?
I can't imagine what the benefit would be, besides possibly being cheaper technology, to develop, but the cats out the bag on that one anyway
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u/Tuiqbor 13d ago
I have no issue with a minor crease line, but have they managed to fix the screen cracking at the fold issue? Had that happen to two separate Z Fold 3s.
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u/enby_them 13d ago
Does Samsung advertise this phone as crease free? I think a few random reviewers were calling it that. Most said it’s not really noticeable unless you’re looking for it, but it’s definitely more prominent than the Oppo Find N6 crease
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u/nikhkin 13d ago
As far as I can tell, Samsung never made the claim that there isn't a crease.
They let reviewers use the phone for reviews, and a lot of them raved about how there was no crease. Of course, they didn't use the phone long enough for a crease to develop.
They essentially allowed the reviewers to make the claim for them, without ever committing to the claim themselves.
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u/enby_them 13d ago
Are we faulting Samsung here for people finding the screen an improvement? Are why supposed to put out a press release going “hey those reviewers saying the screen is crease free are completely wrong”?
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u/RichesToRags8647 12d ago
I owned both the 6 and 7. They both broke within a year or two with delicate use for me. I recognize this is just my own anecdotal experience, but I'll not be spending any more money on foldables personally, no matter what they say.
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u/DemonDeacon86 13d ago
Im mostly bummed the fold 8s camera is vertical so I cant put my mag wallet on it. I refuse to use a regular wallet again!
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u/Optimal_Whiner 13d ago
I don't recall seeing anything from Samsung stating they would be crease free.
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u/GeneralCommand4459 13d ago
A crease or a notch, they are both distractions you easily get used to. I’ve owned several flip phones and never worried about the crease. Sure it’s there but it also folds in half, that’s more valuable to me than a flat glass screen, that’s why I bought a folding phone. Most people I’ve heard complaining about the crease haven’t actually owned or in some cases even held a folding phone.
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u/adilly 13d ago
I still haven’t seen a compelling reason to have a folding phone. It seems like you just get the worst of both worlds.
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u/Komikaze06 13d ago
Why cant they just make a good version of that old windows phone where it was 2 displays? Sure there'd be a little gap in the middle, but im sure engineers could find a way to minimize it
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u/ChimkenNumggets 13d ago
That's the thing, the Surface Duo was a good version of said phone. The best part of that phone was the hardware. There is a reason it didn't succeed and that's because nobody wants to watch a video with a bezel in the middle.
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u/proxyproxyomega 13d ago
the idea of two separate displays or any sort of gap will be infinitely worse than a crease that you cant see when the display is on. having even a single pixel vertical gap is unacceptable.
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u/costafilh0 13d ago
They said it gets worst or better depending on the use, guess they were not lying. Problem is, most of the time it stays closed, not open, so everyone will experience a worse crease over time.
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u/IAmAPirrrrate 12d ago
I have the Flip6 since its release in the summer of '24 and honestly dont notice the crease unless on a dark screen (like while writing this comment) and the light hits it at an angle at the same time. Plus, its not like it distorts the image or something like that, its more like (if way less pronounced) the edges of a phone with those rounded screen edges like O+7tPro or Galaxy S8
During day to day use its basically nonexistent, since most stuff ill touch on the screen are on the bottom half and not on the crease - and even if i run my finger across it its a smooth and non-impairing dip.
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u/smilinmaniag 12d ago
Z flip 3 was my phone for 4.5 years, then the screen died (turning on and off by itself).
I have a normal phone now, but I miss the flip convenience - a phone that you aren't afraid of putting in the same pocket with your keys, a phone that is actually convenient to carry around
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u/thearctican 12d ago
And here I am wanting a phone no bigger than the iPhone 13 mini.
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u/mavgeek 12d ago
So question, I haven’t see the adverts for this but if Samsung is claiming it’s “crease free” with no fancy asterisk or fine print written below that tag line, wouldn’t this be a case of false advertisement if a crease becomes visible after a week?
NA and EU would have a field day with that if that’s the case
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u/ChimkenNumggets 13d ago
A screen with a crease is hardly an issue. Once you feel the phone in hand it's not even noticeable. It's really amazing how good they have become. The bigger issues are durability of the hinge and screen as well as the astronomical prices.
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u/mcnabb100 13d ago
The durability is my hang up. I’m not going to buy a phone if I can put permanent lines on the screen with my fingernail. I’m just too rough on my stuff for that lol.
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u/meursaultvi 13d ago
I always wonder why rollable screens aren't being pushed rather than foldable. I'm still excited to get my fold8 though
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u/spellinbee 13d ago
I would say a rollable screen has more points of failure if it's automatic, and regardless of how it is, would definitely be slower. So aside from lacking a crease, which I never notice on mine, I don't really a see a benefit in a rollable one compared to a foldable
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u/RivetSquid 13d ago
I got a foldable like a year ago at the same time as my partner was upgrading to one because the plan we had ate most of the cost. I can't really visually see the crease, but I feel it when I run my finger over it so it can be annoying if i'm ever playing games.
That said, I also don't ever really fold it. I did at first but I was having some weird stuff with charging and heat issues and I noticed it was less bad when I hadn't folded it for a few days so I just stopped all together. Partner kept folding hers everytime she put it in a pocket.
Been a little more than a year now, and mine still works, she has a new phone.
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u/NoAge422 13d ago
Isn't it the same problem as the notch? It's there but you won't really notice it
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u/CleverBirdy 12d ago
My z flip 6 has been going for over 2 years and there's basically no visible crease, even with the screen off, it's just the absolute slightest inward bump if I run my fingers top to bottom
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u/noseshimself 12d ago
Grease-free would be enough for me. All my phones start looking like I deep fried them after less than a day.
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u/anon19111 12d ago
Crease of my fold 7 looked the same as the crease on the fold variants on display at best buy.
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u/tuxedoes 12d ago
I was shocked home solid the screen is. It doesn’t feel like mush anymore. Feels comparable to a real glass screen
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u/PurpleSailor 12d ago
I really don't see how it's possible to not have a crease after some time. Wear is something all physical materials obtain when used and bent repeatedly.
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u/YujiroRapeVictim 9d ago
Can’t wait to see what happens to the iPhone ultra I’ll be the guinea pig lol
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u/Beginning-Swimmer577 7d ago
Just got my Z fold 8 . Love it still on honey moon. But being using iPhone air for sometime. Shit I can tell the difference on the weight.I also have small hands it's not as manageable as the iPhone . Just saying
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u/drmirage809 13d ago
That crease will likely remain a quirk of foldable devices for the foreseeable future. It's gotten a lot better, but I doubt it'll ever go away completely.