Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip was formally unveiled alongside the Samsung Galaxy S20 lineup at the Galaxy Unpacked event, February 14, 2020. The Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung’s second foldable device comes with new features, a new compact design and costs less than its predecessor, the Galaxy Fold.
Unlike the Samsung Galaxy Fold, the first foldable android from Samsung, the Galaxy Z Flip is smaller and cheaper. And rather than employing the fold out to tablet-sized display design, the Galaxy Z Flip features a standard smartphone display that folds in half, which makes it a compact device.
In this review, we’ll be discussing on the design, display, performance, battery life, camera, and specifications, to let you know if the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip lives up to its hype as the best foldable smartphone out right now, and also know if it’s better to upgrade to its predecessor the Galaxy Fold. Keep reading to find out.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z design sports a bendable screen that folds from the middle when closed and stretches from top to bottom with a similar sort of design from the new Moto Razr.
The Galaxy Z Flip might be mistaken for a regular smartphone when unfolded, due to its candy bar-like design making it distinct from the mini-tablet-like design of the Galaxy Fold. The Galaxy Z Flip is also taller and thinner than most current devices, apart from that there’s not much to differentiate it from a regular smartphone.
The device becomes half as tall, but much thicker when folded, and a 1.1-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen display that shows you relevant information such as date, time, and notifications.
Display
The Galaxy Z Flip comes with a 6.7-inch Full HD+ Infinity Flex display with Samsung’s Dynamic AMOLED panel. The screen has a resolution of 1080 by 2636 at 425 PPI, with a punch-hole camera cutout at the top of the screen for the selfie camera.
The Z Flip display is crisp and fine but not as gorgeous as the Galaxy S20 phones. The display also has a 21.9:9 aspect ratio which can make the device feel extremely tall in the hand at times. With some apps not being able to scale up to the display height, leaving some parts of the screen just black
There’s also a tiny 1.1-inch AMOLED screen called the ‘Cover Display’ on the phone’s back, which shows incoming call notifications, time and battery life when the phone is folded.
Camera
The cameras on the Galaxy Z Flip are lightyears away from the flagship Galaxy S20 models but to be honest they are not the worst on a foldable smartphone. The main cameras feature a 12MP f/2.2 Ultra-Wide camera coupled with a 12MP f/1.8 wide-angle shooter.
The 12MP wide-angle shooter features optical image stabilization (OIS) and features ‘Single Take Mode’, a novelty from the S20 lineup, which allows you to choose the best shots taken from multiple pictures and videos. The other 12MP camera has a 123-degree wide field of view and is best for taking panorama shots.
Both sensors capture incredible images, and as usual with Samsung’s aggressive image processing means the pictures taken are more vibrant and saturated than real-life images. You don’t get an 8K video on the Z Flip, but the cameras do a great job at recording videos. On the selfie side, the 10MP camera is impressive but struggles in low light conditions.
Performance and Specifications
The Galaxy Z Flip comes with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855+ only, sadly no Exynos version. The chipset is coupled with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage. The Snapdragon 855+ was featured on Samsung released flagships in 2019.
Unlike the Moto Razr the Galaxy Z Flip is capable of handling the most demanding games, can run most graphical apps smoothly and is quite fast. The only issue is, the chipset does not support 5G and the device only comes in one storage offering with no expandable memory card slot.
Specs
| Main Display | 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex 2,636 x 1,080 resolution, 21.9:9 aspect ratio 425 PPI |
| Secondary Display | 1.1-inch Super AMOLED, 300 x 112 resolution 303 PPI |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 Plus |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Internal Storage | 256G, No microSD card slot |
| Main Camera | Wide-angle: 12MP dual-pixel sensor, f/1.8 aperture, Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS, 1.4μm, Ultra-wide: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.2 aperture, 1.12μm. |
| Front Camera | 10MP dual-pixel sensor, f/2.4 aperture, 1.22μm |
| Software | Android 10, Samsung One UI 2.0 |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Bluetooth 5.0, ANT+, USB Type-C, NFC |
| Battery | 3,300mAh, Quick-charge up to 15W, Qi wireless charging |
Software and Features
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip comes preloaded with the One UI 2.0, on top of Android 10 providing for a nicely polished, Samsung feature-packed experience.
Another included feature is the Flex mode that allows you to reconfigure certain apps as you fold your phone. For instance, when calling your family via Duo video call, setting the Z Flip onto a table, with the screen bent partway, will shift your face onto the screen’s top half making the phone convenient to use.
And while the phone is also in this position, you can also snap some photos, too. The top screen faces you and captures the pictures, while the camera controls lay flat on the bottom half of the screen.
Battery
There are two batteries inside the Z Flip that offers a 3,300mAh battery capacity, which is still quite low for a phone at that price coming out in 2020, even the smallest of the new Galaxy S20 phones has a 4,000mAh battery.
In real-world use, the Z Flip lasts a solid five to six hours of screen-on time, which is a notable improvement over the Razr with 2,510mAh battery capacity.
Comparison to the Competition
The only contender of the Galaxy Z Flip right now is the Moto Razr. Although you might want to consider the Galaxy Fold if you’re into its small Android tablet vibe, but its high exorbitant price might make you reconsider the Z Flip.
While the Galaxy Z Flip has better features and performance than the Motorola’s $1,500 Razr, I see no reason why anyone would pick the Razr over the Galaxy Z Flip, unless you are a die-hard Razr fan.
| Pros | Cons |
| Flip phone concept is practical and fun | The phone is more fragile than other foldables |
| Good camera quality | External screen is too small compared to others |
| Least expensive foldable out there | Flex Mode is pretty limited |
| Great all-around performance |
Verdict
The new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a much better upgrade to the tablet-style foldable of the Galaxy Fold. Its design is definitely going to turn heads, so will its price. The Galaxy Z Flip with its durable thin glass, excellent cameras, fast processors and average battery capacity is significantly better than other foldables in the market currently.
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