Cell phone manufacturers have spent more than a year trying to convince people that there is a reason to get a foldable cell phone. Sure, it's undeniably cool to open up a cell phone to reveal a larger display. And more screen real estate is always welcome. But paying $500 to $1,000 more than a top flagship just to fold a phone and make it a little smaller is not a premium many of us are prepared to carry (at least judging by sales). [But with the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung may have made its most compelling case yet for why we need a foldable phone. And it boils down to the same argument as to why we need smartphones in the first place. Samsung's argument is that the extended screen on the Galaxy Z Fold 2 enables its business in a way that a traditional phone cannot.

Is it a winning argument, and while initial reviews of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 are quite favorable, the phone's success will ultimately depend on how many people are willing to pay the astronomical asking price of $2,000. However, it is clear from the way Samsung has presented the Galaxy Z Fold 2 that it sees it as a productivity enhancer.

"Samsung has learned a lot from the first-generation device, and software is a fairly sophisticated area," says Geoff Blaber, vice president of Americas research at CCS Insight. Productivity should be one of the main benefits of the foldable form factor, and it's important to encourage the transition away from the tried-and-true form factor of 5" and larger touchscreens. To that end, productivity will inevitably be central to the positioning of the device."

When Samsung first previewed the Galaxy Z Fold 2 in August, it emphasized the design changes from the original Galaxy Fold. If last year's Fold made any impression, it was a design issue that delayed its launch while Samsung worked to improve the phone's durability.

By first talking up the Galaxy Z Fold 2's new and improved hinge and larger screen, Samsung was able to talk about how these features will help users do more at the phone's launch event. During this week's Galaxy Z Fold 2 live stream, Patrick Chomet, Samsung's head of customer experience, said, "The new form factor only makes sense if it brings out a new user experience."

To that end, Samsung has put considerable effort into showing users what the 7.6-inch built-in display can do. For example, running the Gmail app on the Galaxy Z Note 2's screen allows users to read messages on one side of the screen while viewing their inbox on the other. This is an experience familiar to tablet and laptop users, but one that has not been possible on previous smartphone displays. expected (although these apps would not be described as productivity boosters).

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has a larger outer screen, 6.2 inches, up from 4.6 inches on the original Fold. Like the original Fold, the new model has an "App Continuity" feature that allows users to start using an app on the cover screen and then open the Fold to resume interrupted work on the larger internal display. But when it's time to move on, the phone can be folded and the same app can be used on the external screen.

The original Fold allowed users to launch three apps simultaneously, and this continues in the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Paired app presets can now be set and app pairs can be activated with a simple tap. The improved multitasking capabilities in the Galaxy Z Fold 2 also mean that you can drag and drop content from one app window to another.

One of the most impressive things I saw at the Galaxy Z Fold 2 launch this week was a demo using Microsoft's Office app. In that demo, Powerpoint and Excel ran side-by-side on the Z Fold 2's display, allowing users to work in both apps simultaneously and move information from spreadsheets to presentations. According to Mikako Kitagawa, director and analyst at Gartner, this kind of work with Microsoft in the Office interface is what drives the Galaxy Z Fold 2 as a productivity tool.

Meanwhile, the Galaxy Z Fold 2's hinge has been improved to allow it to open at different angles. The foldable flip phone has a flex mode, which essentially splits the screen in half when the phone is opened at a 90-degree angle.

Flex mode was one of my favorite aspects of the Galaxy Z Flip when I reviewed it. One of its apps, Google Duo, uses flex mode to display video chats at the top of the 7.6-inch display. This allows both hands to be free, just as they are when using a laptop.

Emphasizing the productivity-enhancing aspects of the Galaxy Z Fold 2 helps address one of the remaining drawbacks of the foldable: its $1,999 cost. Considering that Samsung's Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, which emphasizes productivity, is $700 cheaper at $1,299, this is a high price to pay for a phone, and no one would confuse this with a bargain price. However, Samsung could argue that given what the Fold 2's screen can do, for $1,999 you are effectively getting a phone and a tablet.

And that would require Samsung to make a pretty compelling argument. Because the analysts I've spoken to are still struggling to identify a large audience for such a device.

"I imagine the potential users are techies who like gadgets and like to try new things," says Kitagawa. The market for foldable phones is new." But at this price point, the buyer base will be limited."

"Given the price point and form factor, this is still a very exclusive device," says Braver of CCS Insight."

"Tech enthusiasts who are prepared to spend $1,999 or more are a niche, but they are also important to the development and improvement process as the foldable attempts to move into the mass market.

When the Galaxy Z Fold 2 ships on September 18, it will bring no small number of questions. Durability will continue to be a concern, even after Samsung has assured us that it got the design right this time. For example, water resistance is not listed, which seems like an oversight for a phone that costs $2,000. Also, the majority of cell phone buyers will look at the Galaxy Z Fold 2's extended screen and decide that a sub-$1,000 smartphone with a traditional display will suffice.

Still, ever since the first Galaxy Fold was previewed in early 2019, I've looked at subsequent designs and thought, "Well, it's impressive, but why would anyone need such a device?" With the Galaxy Z Fold 2, Samsung finally has an answer. .