Samsung Galaxy Z Flip can be folded halfway for making video calls or taking selfies.
Foldable phones are the future. While that is a pretty bold statement to make, one of the top smartphone manufacturers believes in it. Samsung launched its first foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Fold last year, which had its fair share of hits and misses. But it did manage to achieve what it was here for - a revolution.
With the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, the company is targetting at an even larger audience. Even though the phone manufacturer admits that it is more of a fashion statement, it does not disappoint on the spec sheet.
I got to spend three days with the smartphone and during that time, I used it as my primary smartphone. Here are my thoughts on the basis of the short period of time I got to spend with the smartphone.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review: Specifications
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip features a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display with a resolution of 2636x1080 pixels. The cover display sports a 1.1-inch Super AMOLED panel. Under the hood, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ runs the show along with the Adreno 640 GPU. The handset packs in 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. All of this is backed by a 3,300mAh battery, which supports Samsung’s 15W fast charging.
On the optics front, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip sports a dual-camera setup at the back that consists of a 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens with f/2.2 aperture and 123-degree FOV and a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture. For selfies, the 10-megapixel camera sits on the punch hole upfront.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review: Design and Display
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a mixed bag of nostalgia and futuristic design. The Z Flip is something that reminds us of the phones from almost a decade ago. But the fact that it is a full-fledged smartphone when you need it and can be thrown in almost any pocket when you don’t, makes it exciting.
In the Black colour variant, the phone looks quite subtle. But if want to flaunt it as much as you can, you should go with Purple or the recently launched Gold colour variant. No matter what colour you pick, the phone is going to feel premium in your hands and it does have that flaunt factor.
The capacitive fingerprint reader is located on the side on top of the power button.
The foldable smartphone features the volume rocker and the power button/fingerprint reader on the right side. The fingerprint reader is fast, reliable and placed just right. On the left, the phone houses the nanoSIM slot. The USB Type-C port, speaker grille and the primary microphone are all placed on the bottom edge of the device.
On the outside, the phone does come with a tiny 1.1-inch display that can show the time, notifications and other needful information. When I received OTPs, the display showed it right on my face without needing to flip open the phone. The tiny display can also be used to control music. However, where it lacks behind is the interaction with the notifications.
In a pocket, it feels like a small wallet rather than a phone.
When the phone is flipped open, a large 6.7-inch tall display welcomes the user. The panel is bright and has punchy colours. While that is something we have come to expect from all Samsung phones, the talking point here is the crease. On first glance, the crease is quite noticeable but after a point, one forgets about it.
Upon flipping it open, you are welcomed by a tall 6.7-inch display.
However, while using the phone, you will always feel it coming between when scrolling through your Twitter or Instagram feed. It is also worth noting that the display feels quite different from the regular glass screen smartphones.
One cool feature that everyone would flaunt about, the Galaxy Z Flip is that it can hold itself halfway. In order to sprinkle some functionality on top, Samsung has added support for apps like Camera, Google Duo and more for the Flex Mode. It is also worth noting that the folding mechanism is on a stiffer side that brings a level of confidence.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review: Performance, Software and UI
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is essentially the Samsung Galaxy S10e under the hood. Even with one-year-old hardware, the Z Flip performs flawlessly. During my time with the device, I ran a couple of benchmarks via apps including AnTuTu, GeekBench, 3D Mark and PC Mark. The numbers are not that impressive considering the Snapdragon 865 is already out. However, regular usage did not show any signs of lag or stutter.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip benchmark results on AnTuTu, GeekBench and other apps.
I even played games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9 on the Galaxy Z Flip and the games ran smoothly even on high graphics settings. Apart from gaming, I did switch between multiple apps throughout my day and even tried editing a couple of photographs via Adobe Lightroom Mobile. All tasks performed were handled quite well by the device.
Galaxy Z Flip's cover display can show notifications, time and other handy information.
As for the software, the Galaxy Z Flip felt like any other Samsung phone. One UI 2.0 runs smooth and comes with a lot of pre-loaded features. As mentioned before, the most interesting feature found in the phone’s software has to be the Flex Mode. It allows the phone to sit like a laptop and conduct video calls or even take selfies.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review: Camera
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip already has a lot going for in the design department. And fails to stand out in the camera segment.
The black colour looks subtle
This does not mean that the cameras are bad by any means. It essentially carries the same camera setup as found on the last year’s Galaxy S10e, which was much appreciated by the users. Samsung just made it slightly better from the software front providing users with a great experience. However, if you are still looking for the best camera setup possible, you might want to lean on towards the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra.
Coming back to the Flip, the cameras perform great under good lighting situations. The smartphone managed to capture some impressive shots in both wide-angle and normal modes. The images were sharp and detailed. Also, the colours were pretty accurate.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review: Battery
Samsung branding is seen on the hinge.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a powerhouse in terms of the specifications but carries a small 3,300mAh battery. But, it still manages to last one full working day with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4G LTE turned on at all times.
During my time with the device, I unplugged the phone from the charger at around 9 AM. By 8 PM, the phone used to have at least 30 percent battery left.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review: Should you buy it?
Having used the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip for around three days, I cannot keep my final verdict forward just yet. In the time span, the one thing I enjoyed the most was flaunting it amongst my friends and colleagues. Not only them but even strangers came to me asking about the futuristic gadget I was holding in my hands. So, yes, if you are looking for a smartphone that can be used as a flaunt factor, then you should go ahead with this one.
As for the hardware and software front, the three days were not enough to thoroughly test out the device. On the basis of my personal experience I did not find the device to be too fragile and it has the potential to last. However, it will still need that extra bit of care and rest is just the true flagship experience.
