When Samsung released the Galaxy Fold last fall, it felt more like a trial run than the beginning of a trend. There was no doubt that more foldable phones would follow — including from Samsung itself — but no one looking to buy a new daily driver was going to take a risk on a phone that reviewers slammed months earlier over a standard flagship they knew would work. But now that Samsung has proven it can make foldable phones, and competitors have begun to release their own foldables, the company is back with a device that might actually have legs.
At its Galaxy Unpacked 2020 event on Tuesday, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip. Unlike the Fold, the Z Flip is a full-sized phone when it is unfolded, but incredibly compact when folded up. If you’ve seen the new foldable Motorola Razr, you already have a pretty good idea of what the Galaxy Z Flip looks like.
Much like the Galaxy S and Note, the Galaxy Z Flip features a full-screen 6.7-inch OLED display, complete with the same hole-punch selfie camera that can be found on the Galaxy S20. What you won’t find on the Galaxy S20 is the Infinity Flex Display that has been installed on the Z Flip. Samsung says that this flexible screen delivers “incredible color quality and reduced blue light,” as well as minimal bezels around the edges and no notch.
In addition to the main display, there is also a 1.1-inch Super AMOLED cover display on the front of the phone where users can check notifications and take selfies without unfolding the Z Flip. Thankfully, you won’t have to depend on it too often, as Samsung says the Z Flip’s hinge will survive up to 200,000 folds.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVxyXzaCI34
Samsung is also marketing the Z Flip as a phone for influencers, explaining that the phone can be unfolded to free stop angles and placed on a flat surface to activate Flex Mode. In Flex Mode, the user’s experience is optimized for hands-free selfies and vlogging, as the top screen will show you what the camera is seeing while the bottom screen will feature all of the necessary controls for shooting and editing the video.
Of course, the selfie camera isn’t the only camera on the Z Flip. Samsung has also included a dual-camera system on the back of the phone with a 12-megapixel ultra-wide camera and a 12-megapixel wide-angle camera. It’s not quite as impressive as the quad cameras of the S20, but serviceable for a foldable phone. Other specifications include a 64-bit octa-core processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and wireless charging.
With a 3,300 mAh dual battery, Samsung says that the Galaxy Z Flip will last all day, which will be vital for a phone that someone might decide to use instead of non-foldable flagship. The Galaxy Z Flip will come in Mirror Purple and Mirror Black colorways, as well as Mirror Gold in select countries.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip will be available on February 14th for $1,380.
