This summer, I managed to destroy my Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra in water. Its water resistance had previously been compromised by an unauthorized service-center lens replacement, so what should have been an otherwise regular encounter with water turned out to be fatal.

Since then, I have been looking for a replacement while temporarily falling back to my aging Galaxy Note9, which is running Android 10.

I have been using Samsung phones for a long time, and this time I am seriously considering making my next phone a foldable. I am hoping that the increasingly popular passport-style format might let me claw back some of the dimensions phones have gained over the years; in recent years, a phone with a screen smaller than 6 inches has seemed almost impossible to find.

The newly released iPhone Duo makes that decision more interesting. As a long-time Samsung user, I am watching closely to see whether Samsung can copy some of its better ideas for the Galaxy Z Fold9: a proper laptop mode, speakers that provide stereo sound both folded and unfolded, S Pen support, MagSafe, and, given my track record of breaking phones, IP68 water and dust resistance: an upgrade over the IP48 rating that recent Galaxy Z Flip and Fold phones have been known for, even though Google has offered full IP68 dust and water resistance on its Pixel Pro Fold line since the Pixel 10 Pro Fold in 2025.

On top of that, I would love to see a telephoto lens like the one on the Z Fold8 Ultra. Despite enjoying taking photos with my DSLR, having a capable camera with me everywhere I go seems like a necessity these days, especially when I am with my kid.

Give me all of that, and I would be more than happy to make the Z Fold9 my first-ever Fold.