Josh Hendrickson
Samsung’s Unpacked event is underway, and the company just announced the Galaxy Z Flip. After the disastrous launch of the company’s first foldable phone, the Galaxy Fold, the company has a lot to prove with the second entry. The new Z Flip serves as a sibling phone to the Fold, and it changes up the form factory entirely. The Galaxy Fold folds from tablet to smartphone; the Z Flip folds from smartphone to flip phone.
It’s not just the form factor that changed with the Z Flip; this time around, Samsung is using a glass screen. The Galaxy Fold features a plastic screen that dents and scratches easily. The Z Flip features an “Ultra Thin Glass” display with a built-in crease. The company says the new screen is more durable due to the change in materials.
Part of that is evident in some of the Z Flip’s new tricks. Rather than just open or close, you can leave the phone in a half-opened state. With that position, the bottom half of the phone acts like a stand you can set on a flat surface like your kitchen counter. When you do that, some apps will automatically resize themselves to use just the upper screen. Samsung says you can choose an “infinite” number of positions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVxyXzaCI34
The OLED display is 6.7 inches and sports a wide 22:9 screen. Unlike the original Fold, you won’t get a workable smartphone screen when you fold the Z Flip shut. Instead, much like an old flip phone, a small screen displays basic information like the time and number of notifications.
The Z Flip’s other specs fall more in line with a flagship phone. You’ll get a 64-bit Octa-Core Processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of internal storage. The phone boasts a dual 12-megapixel camera setup. One camera serves as a primary wide lens, and the other is an ultra-wide-angle lens. Unfortunately, you’ll have to do without a third telephoto lens. The Z Flip features a hole punch 10 MP camera for the front side, a first for foldable phones.
While you do get wireless charging (both the ability to charge the phone and to use the phone to charge other devices), there’s no 5G here. That’s probably not a large loss considering the rarity of 5G service.
Finally, Samsung confirmed the price of the Z Flip. At $1,380, coming in at less than the similar Motorola Razr and clocks at over $500 less than the Galaxy Fold. That’s more than your average flagship, but this is cutting edge technology.
The phone will be available in limited quantities in Mirror Purple and Mirror Black.
