When was the last time you were as excited about a cell phone as you were about the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3?

Maybe it was when the HTC HD2 launched in 2009, a large Windows Mobile 6.5 device before Android was even a household name. Or maybe it was the Nokia Lumia 1020, a neon yellow Windows Phone released in 2013 with a huge 41MP camera on the back. Either way, it's been at least eight years since I've anticipated a cell phone with the imagination of a child.

And part of it has to do with the fading that comes with age. After college, I worked in a T-Mobile store and got to experience all the latest phones, and even with the quirky gimmicks LG throws into the mix, like the curved display on the LG Flex 2, every phone started to feel very much the same. It got worse as I entered the world of tech journalism and gained access to the latest hardware.

However, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3, announced this month, has changed the way smartphones work. The joy of the Z Fold 3 lies in its ability to extend the screen to a larger area for better viewing. This completely changes the interface between the user and the device.

For example, using an iPhone 12, even the larger iPhone 12 Pro Max, is a compromise compared to using a laptop or iPad. No matter how fast your thumbs are, multitasking requires you to constantly switch between apps or squat and read content in a truncated state. [But the Galaxy Z Fold 3 can instantly zoom in on the screen. And suddenly the game, which used to feel compact and cramped, has room to breathe. Comics, too, don't have to be constantly zoomed in and out. And while the aspect ratio is not perfect, video would also have more impact than on a larger square 7.6-inch display.

I never really felt the need to own an iPad or Samsung Galaxy S Tab because between the Surface Pro 2017 and the Samsung Galaxy S20 FE, I felt I had more than enough screen to accomplish my tasks. In reality, I spend far more time on my phone than on the Surface, and giving my phone more functional possibilities would make my life easier.

I am interested to see what the Galaxy Z Fold 3 will be like as a laptop replacement. When working at an event, would it be possible to bring the Z Fold 3 along with a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse and publish an article on a sub-8" display? Yes, it would be a more tiring experience compared to a full laptop, but I enjoy the possibilities that are emerging.

Because before, there was no possibility at all. The Galaxy Z Fold 3 changes all that.