I downgraded from a Galaxy Z Fold 8 to a normal phone; I’m surprised by what I miss most

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For a month, I’ve been writing plenty of articles about my time with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8and I’ve been discovering more about the phone as I’ve used it for longer.

I’ve explored how useful it is for watching horizontal videomourned its lack of a Flex Mode, and spent time not folding the foldable phone. But that’s all over.

As a phone reviewer, no mobile lasts forever, and I’ve moved on to another “standard” smartphone to test. But after parking the Z Fold 8, I’m really surprised by what I miss most.

Plenty of contender features that aren’t the real sore point

It’s not the folding nature that I miss most

A folded Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8, from the top, showing the speaker grille.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that my most-missed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 trait is the fact that it folds. After all, it’s in the name, and that’s the core appeal for a device like this.

And it’s true that I enjoyed opening and closing a handset like this to make the most of the bigger display. But I’d grown used to using the outer screen as the “main” one, and only unfolding now and then. The main display was a treat, not a part of the experience.

There’s a lot more to like about the Z Fold 8 that I envy, having downgraded to a much cheaper phone. The Galaxy was fast for gaming, had some great photo optimization, and connected well to my other Galaxy gadgets.

However, those are part and parcel of a phone downgrade. And Samsung’s software can get cluttered, so I didn’t mind moving to a smartphone which used stock Google.

What I missed wasn’t any specific spec, or the ability of the phone to transform between a small and a large-screen handset. I missed what it could do in that wide-screen mode.

It’s all about the home screen I’d created

Folds make non-folds feel cluttered

Most Android home screens can fit a 4 x 5 grid of apps; sometimes you get less than that by default, but you can adjust it in the Settings menu. I like as much space as possible, especially when I’m sacrificing spots for space-eating widgets.

That’s the deal you’re used to in Androids, whether you have a large-screen mobile or a compact device. However, it’s not quite true of Folds.

A folding phone lets you have that grid on its outer display. When you open the device, you basically have two phones side-by-side, which means you can see two menu screens at once. In effect, you’re getting double the apps or widgets.

I got very used to this set-up. On my Galaxy Z Fold 8, I set up my most important apps on the first home screen, big space-consuming widgets on the second, work and communications apps on the third, and games and entertainment on the fourth.

So when the Z Fold 8 was open, I’d see important apps and reminder widgets all in one place. Swipe, and I’d see all my social media, texting, games, and streaming service apps together.

It transformed the device from a simple phone into a productivity whiz. Navigating was much easier, as it took less swiping or tapping to get to whatever function I wanted.

Equally important, widgets felt more useful. On a standard smartphone, you have to decide: do you sacrifice space for function? On a fold, they take up half as much of your total viewing room, so it’s much easier to decide to use them.

Now that I’ve “downgraded” to a standard smartphone, widgets feel more bloated in comparison. They take up a large proportion of my display, and I’ve decided to axe a few to make them feel less cluttered.

The important balance: form vs. function

I loved having loads of space for apps, widgets and shortcuts on my Galaxy Z Fold 8. But there are sacrifices you make. Not only is the Fold an incredibly expensive phone, but it changes your workflow.

You don’t get all the app space by default. You have to open the phone to get it, and it takes a while to get used to this way of working. For some people, swiping between menus will be more convenient than unfolding a device.

I don’t mind this process; I unfolded the thing enough to watch YouTube or play Slay the Spire. But many people have decided they’ll never buy a folding phoneand the duology of the phone is a big reason why.