Muniza AshrafThe much-awaited first Samsung Unpacked event of 2020 finally took place in San Francisco and the tech-giant proudly introduced its latest flagship devices that included the Galaxy S20 lineup and Galaxy Buds+, But, the main highlight of the event was Samsung’s second foldable device – called the Galaxy Z Flip.
Galaxy Z Flip – Flippin’ great or just not there yet?
Did Samsung finally managed to create a foldable device that doesn’t crease or break like their last side-ways flip device called the ‘Galaxy Fold’? Which started to show major hardware issues before even hitting the shelves. And we know how that story unfolded.
The answer to this cannot be provided just yet, but it is safe to say that the compact Z Flip did manage to ‘wow’ many – mainly because of its bendable, flexible yet sturdy glass screen – giving the phone a sleek feel and look. But has this eliminated the scratching horrors? I guess we have those ‘extreme test’ videos to rely on for this intel.
However, this wasn’t the only factor that made the viewers excited about the latest foldable technology in the market. The flagship specs included, Z Flip’s design over-all is also something to consider. And by the looks of it, Samsung managed to address all previous design faults. Of course, there might be a few reservations here and there, after a good use; but compared to Moto Razr, this is by far a great addition considering it is a premium phone and $100 cheaper from the good old Razr.
So let’s have a look at its design, first.
Design: A clamshell super-reflective smudge magnet
The upcoming smartphones of 2020 are great in their places, but they cannot beat the excitement of owning a small square device that unfolds into a sleek modern smartphone, giving more or less the same functionalities of some of the best flagship phones out there. Too much of a stretch? Let’s find out.
In terms of finishing, Galaxy Z Flip’s glass finish caught everyone’s attention including its amazing capability of retaining your fingerprints every time you touch or hold it. Although the mirror black version minimizes the smudges, but looks, well – boring.
Feast yer eyes!
Apart from this, the phone’s front-facing touch-sensitive screen is adorable but not that much on the convenience side, as it is best for lightweight functionality, only; like displaying information about time, date and notification alerts only. It does utilize the rear camera for quick selfies that can be launched on double-pressing the power button (that has a fingerprint sensor integrated), but being too small it can’t display much. On the bright side, you can scroll through the notifications and just let it grow on you.
‘Ultra Thin Glass’ or UTG Display
Alongside the front screen, there are two 12 MP cameras – a regular wide-angle, and an ultra-wide-angle, with a 10 MP selfie camera on the inside that is cut out in the top of the display.
The inner screen is definitely more reliable and durable not in terms of the screen real estate (which is a good 6.7-inches) but because Samsung chose flexible glass or ‘Ultra Thin Glass‘ instead of plastic that other foldable devices use, including Razr.
This glass screen has diminished the crease effect considerably but only in view and can be felt when using the phone. Nonetheless, the fact that this glass screen has provided a better and smoother experience overall, places this foldable device is good graces.
Sturdy Hinge with ‘Flex Mode’
Now let’s talk about that strong, smooth, and creak-less hinge. At one side, it doesn’t let the phone open that smoothly, but on the other hand, it gives you “flex mode”. This means it lets you set the phone at various angles including 90-degrees (like a laptop), splitting the screen into two 4-inch sections, and giving you the opportunity to multi-task; with an app running on one screen while you perform other tasks on the second screen.
Software development companies sure have their work cut out for them to create apps that utilize the split-screen functionality to the max.
Galaxy Z Flip can last for 200,000 folds. And unlike its predecessor, there are improvements in the folding mechanism, like ‘fiber shield’ to keep dust and debris out. Impressive!
Other Specs Include:
Z Flip is running on Qualcomm Snapdragon 885+ and Android 10. It has a RAM of 8 GB and internal storage of 256GB compared to a mere 128GB on Razr. Supports wireless charging with a battery of 3,300mAh. Cameras as mentioned above, are three in total – two at the rear packing 12-megapixels each and a 10-megapixel on the front-facing camera. Z Flip is also capable of shooting in 4K.
Apart from these, it comes with the usual USB-C port and a speaker at the bottom. And lastly, this impressive flip phone will be available in the US and Korea starting the 14th of Feb at the price of $1,380.
What’s your verdict?
What do you think, did Samsung made worthy improvements and learned from its past mistakes? Would you consider this as the first foldable device to date that is worth investing in and that too, at the price tag of 1,380 dollars? Let us know in the comment section below!
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