I didn't read the paywalled article, but this phone looks exactly like the Pixel 9 Pro Fold I used to own.

And that is to say that it looks dated and ugly, particularly compared to Samsung's square phones.

Google's design comes with larger bezels, more weight and thickness, and a bigger crease.

The rounded corners are subjective I guess.

Reviews like this like to exaggerate certain things in order to get a punchy headline ("feels like the end of an era") and to create a matching narrative for the article. To keep readers engaged. Pretty typical for The Verge.

But as far as reviews go, this one is just as bad as most. They didn't do any standardized measurements of the battery life including comparisons with similar phones, or performance benchmarks, or charging speed measurements, or any camera measurements that go beyond vibes. They are just reporting what anyone who bought the phone could also tell you: subjective impressions and a few out-of-context sample photos.

Listen to each person who says he wants a small phone. Is he the kind of person who would even buy the smaller phone if it got released, rather than holding onto an old working phone? Is he also going to spend more money on apps, AirPods, etc, maybe a iPad too? Sometimes yeah, usually not. I'm in that group, I understand why Apple doesn't cater to me.

Also don't think anyone makes buying decisions based on these reviews. It's more entertainment than anything else.