I've been using Samsung's new $2,000 foldable phone for a day — here are 5 things that stood out to me the most

Compared to the original Galaxy Fold, there are several improvements when it comes to design.

Among the biggest is the significantly larger cover screen on the front of the device. The Galaxy Z Fold 2's front screen measures 6.2 inches, making it roughly the same size as the display on the Galaxy S20 (although the Z Fold 2's screen is noticeably narrower).

That's a major upgrade compared to the 4.6-inch cover display on the original Galaxy Fold, which felt too cramped and tiny to actually be useful.

I've actually been using the front screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 to quickly check Slack messages and send text messages — basic tasks that were difficult or impossible on the older Fold's tiny front screen.

The other aspect of the Galaxy Z Fold 2's design that stood out to me was how subtle the crease in the middle of the display seemed compared with last year's version.

When I reviewed the Galaxy Fold in April 2019, I wrote that the crease was noticeable when performing everyday tasks like reading a news article, checking social media, and sifting through my email inbox. The crease may seem apparent in the image above, and it's not completely invisible, but it's still much less intrusive in everyday use compared to last year's model.

That's important because the whole appeal of a foldable device like the Galaxy Z Fold is its larger, tablet-sized screen. A less noticeable crease makes the Galaxy Z Flip all the more useful in this mode when unfolded.

When I tried the Galaxy Z Flip earlier this year, one of my favorite things about it was its ability to stay propped open halfway, with the bottom half of the phone propping it up like a tripod.

Thankfully, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has inherited this feature. Launching the camera and opening the phone horizontally will prompt the device to display the camera viewfinder on the top half of the screen. The bottom half houses camera controls like the shutter button and the most recent photo from your camera roll.

If you've ever scrambled to prop your phone up on a nearby surface when trying to take a group photo with friends or family, I imagine you'll appreciate the Galaxy Z Fold's ability to keep its camera upright on its own.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2's stereo speakers are plenty loud and boisterous — a must for a large-screened device like this that was likely designed with entertainment in mind.

The phone's speakers sounded impressively crisp with the volume cranked all the way up, pumping out tunes that sounded much clearer and more powerful compared to the iPhone 11 Pro Max's. Apple's high-end iPhone sounded shallower in comparison, and wasn't quite as loud.

Samsung didn't need to rush out the original Galaxy Fold in 2019 to beat its rivals. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is still one of only a few foldable phones on the market, and it feels much more like a finished product that's ready for consumers, unlike the original Fold.

The debacle that occurred with Samsung's first foldable phone also means it's already learned from its mistakes and has been able to iterate at a time when other major players like Google and Apple have yet to announce plans to launch a foldable phone.

But at $2,000, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is likely going to be a tough sell for most people, especially coming at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has hammered the economy and put many people out of work.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is evidence that tech giants like Samsung are continuing to think about the evolution of the modern smartphone. It will be quite some time before foldable phones replace the sleek rectangles we carry around today — if they every do at all — but the Z Fold 2 is certainly another step in that direction.