Samsung has recently come out with the Galaxy Z flip phone, improving on earlier flip phone attempts and avoiding mistakes from rival flip phone producers. Here are 5 outstanding features of the Z Flip:
1. The Fold
In a foldable device the fold itself can be the most difficult thing to get right, and the Z Flip does that.
It has a developed folding mechanism technology that has advanced from their previous flip phone. Part of this technology is Sweeper Technology that catches dust and debris with nylon fibers in between parts of the hinge, and keeps it from getting into moving parts.
The Flex Mode allows a free-stop folding system, so it can bend and stop at any angle under its 180-degree hinge.
You can prop the phone up and use it hands-free, and have hands-free video calling.
Unfolding the Z Flip wakes the device. The fingerprint scanner serves as the action button, and is conveniently placed, so that your finger is already on the fingerprint scanner when opening the device.
2. The Display
One of the unique things about the Z Flip is the Ultra Thin Glass technology. The technology that Samsung uses takes the superior resilience of glass over plastic and puts it into the display, though it has been described as feeling like plastic.
Even though the Z Flip has a folding display, it still holds up to Samsung’s high display standards, with a clear, high-resolution display.
The Z Flip is compact, yet it opens up to a 6.7-inch display. The display is tall, but if you want to watch videos in horizontal orientation, you have an option of zooming in to maximize the available display space.
The outside display is a bit too small to make it good to send a quick reply to a quick message.
3. Software
The Z Flip is on One UI 2.1 and Android 10 software. Samsung partnered with Google and has Duo, Google’s video call app.
The Z Flip is like a laptop, because in Flex mode Duo displays the other caller on the top half of the screen, with the controls at the bottom. The video calls are in wide-angle FHD, at 1080p.
4. Capability
When run through GeekBench 5, which is a standard benchmarking app that tests the CPU, GPU, storage and RAM speeds that mimic the kind of use the phone would get in real life, it scored a 744 on a single-core and 2,459 on multi-core, which compares to the Galaxy S10 family.
5. Accessories
When you get your Z Flip, it comes with a pair of USB Type-C AKG headphones, with silicone ear tips, a USB Type-C to USB Type-A charging cable, a 16-watt charger, clear case, and a SIM ejector.
There are also warnings that it is not water or dust resistant, contains magnets and that you shouldn’t press too hard on the screen.
The Z Flip costs much more than conventional smartphones, so consumers must decide if the foldability and other features are worth it.
