Samsung Galaxy Z Flip review: Fusion of retro and future
In 2019, Samsung launched the company's ambitious new mobile phone Galaxy Fold with a truly flexible display, setting a new benchmark in the industry.
Fast forward 2020, the South Korean technology major has come up with another amazing retro-looking folding phone Galaxy Z Flip. Thanks to extended COVID-19 lockdown, I spent a lot of spare time with it, and here are my thoughts about Samsung's new phone.
Design, durability and display:
As the name suggests, the new Galaxy Z Flip flaunts a clamshell design language. It was a rage in the 2000s and continues to evoke the same sentiment with nostalgia today. It may come off as a relic model in terms of exterior outlook, but everything else in the Samsung's phone is modern and class defining in the premium phone segment.
The Galaxy Z Flip flaunts premium metal casing with a 1.1-inch Super AMOLED-based cover display (300 x 112p). It is tiny, but comes handy to screen phone callers, and also to view instant notifications such as SMS, emails in small bits with sender information. At other times, you can see time and weather details without having to flip open the phone.
Another unique aspect of the small display is that it also opens into a viewfinder for the camera beside it if the user decides to take a selfie without unfurling the phone. I recommend you just open the phone take the selfie the normal way, as the cover-screen too small to accommodate a full face.
When unfurled, the Galaxy Z Flip has a 6.7-inch Full HD+ (2636 x 1080p) Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex Display with a 21.9:9 aspect ratio and a punch-hole camera.
Samsung claims the device is incorporated with new-age ultra-thin glass, just 30 microns, that's as small as thinnest human hair. This is said to be a first for a commercial foldable phone.
However, given the glass' vulnerable attribute of cracking under too much pressure, Samsung has equipped an additional layer of the protective plastic cover and you can feel it while moving the fingers on the screen. Also, like the Galaxy Fold, the company has incorporated thin black plastic strips around the bezels and at the center in a T-shape to prevent dust slip under the screen and inside the phone.
And yes, it does come with a crease in the middle, but we will forget about its existence within a few days of usage.
Another interesting thing about the new Galaxy Z Flip is that the hinge has a special brush with minute bristles underneath to keep the dust and particulate matter entering inside the phone and cause damage to the screen or the internal components.
This was a major concern in the first generation Galaxy Fold, and now, Samsung has done a good job with the Galaxy Z Flip. I have come to understand that the South Korean company has tested the device for flipping open and close, for more than 200,000 times to check its flexibility and durability of the hinge and the bendable screen. Having used teh phone for more than two weeks, it has not shown any issues as such.
Also, Samsung has gone a step further by incorporating an industry-first ridge-shaped dual-CAM mechanism for the Galaxy Z Flip's hideaway hinge, which allows the user to bend the Galaxy Z Flip in different angles. The company calls it the flex mode (more on this later).
As far as the display quality is concerned, it is bright and sharp to view contents on the phone. But, I felt a bit odd while watching videos with landscape mode on the Galaxy Z Flip with a 21.9:9 aspect ratio. The phone's length and breadth are a bit disproportionate compared to the normal flat-screen mobiles. But again, like the crease in the middle, the odd feeling fades away after a few days of usage.
Performance:
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip houses a powerful 7nm class 2.95GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ octa-core. Compared to the latest 865 series, it's only old by a few months. The 855+ chipset in the phone is blazingly fast and I had no issues, be it while launching applications or switching between various apps or while playing power-hogging graphics-rich games.
It worked flawlessly all through the testing period and scored impressive 444 and 2,286 points on single-core and multi-core tests, respectively on the Geekbench performance app.
And on 3DMark-- The Gamer's Benchmark, it got respectable 4,607 and 4,006 points on Sling Shot Extreme-OpenGL ES 3.1 and Sling Shot Extreme- Vulkan tests, respectively.
It runs Android 10-based One UI 2.0. The interface looks clean and offers easy access to key features with minimal browsing. You can also find a short cut bar on the right-side bezel, where power and volume rockers are placed. There, users can add their favourite apps or key function shortcuts.
Like other flagship Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Flip also supports Microsoft's 'Your Phone Companion-Link to Windows' app, With this, Galaxy Z Flip user can do cross-device Copy and Paste on a Windows-powered PC. This value-added feature certainly helps in improving work productivity.
The touch-sensitive power button with the fingerprint sensor is super fast and worked all the time. As far as the face recognition system is concerned, it was able to recognise my face all the time in sunlight and controlled light indoors, but it some times, particularly during low-light and in the night, it fails three out of 10 times. It's a welcome improvement compared to other Samsung phones and also rival brands in the premium price segment.
Another notable security aspect of the Galaxy Z Flip is that it comes with a fully encrypted Secure Folder.
You can find it in the Settings >> Biometrics and security >> Secure Folder. You just have to sign in to the Samsung account and once done, you can store apps, docs, files, images in the Secure Folder and even if you lose the device, criminals will not be able to locate and retrieve any information.
In terms of battery life, the Galaxy Z Flip houses a 3,300mah battery and it lasts a whole day under normal usage. But, if you are on only mobile data mode and binge on TV series on multi-media apps, it will drain faster. This is not a deal-breaker, as other phones too exhibit the same behaviour under such conditions.
During the testing period, Samsung's phone took a little over 1.5 hours to fully charge from zero to 100-percent. It can be noted that the Galaxy Z Flip also supports wireless charging as well.
Camera:
Here too, Samsung doesn't disappoint with the photography hardware. It has incorporated feature-rich dual-camera-- 12MP ultra-wide camera (with f/2.2, pixel size: 1.12μm, Field of View: 123-degree)+ 12MP wide-angle camera (super speed dual pixel AF, OIS, f/1.8, pixel size: 1.4μm, FOV: 78-degree) with OIS for Rear Wide-angle Camera (Optical Image Stabilization), up to 8x digital zoom, HDR10+ recording and tracking AF.
It takes decent pictures and yes like other flagship Samsung phones, the Galaxy Z Flip too makes the colour of the subject particularly the flowers come out warmer than natural. But, I won't complain, as the pictures look lively and most people I showed the samples, too loved them. They are worthy to be posted on social media platforms.
Even the night mode images too are as good as some of the rival premium phones in the market. The pictures retain the night-effect and yet, the camera was able to capture details in the dark, which most often get missed out in the normal photo mode.
It also boasts fancy AR Doodle, which allows users to bring out creativity and add colours and filters to transform a dull photo shoot into a fun activity.
Inside, it houses a 10MP front-facing camera with F2.4, 1.22μm pixel size, and 80-degree field of view.
As I mentioned earlier about the Flex mode, it is a welcome value-added feature and particularly helpful while video chatting. It came in handy for me during the Google Meet session with my colleagues in the midst of the lockdown. I just sat on the chair with Galaxy Z Flip on the table with 90-degree flex mode. With wireless earphones, I sat through the session hands-free.
After the meeting, one of my senior colleagues called me and noted the impressive quality of the video recording of the front camera.
Interestingly, my wife too made good use of the Galaxy Z Flip's compact design and Flex mode to put makeup and bindi on her fore head.
Final thoughts
In 2019, Samsung's Galaxy Fold set the ball rolling for the commercial foldable phones in the industry. In my opinion, it had the best practical design for a phone with a flexible display. It bent inwards, protecting the fragile screen from daily wear and tear. Even accidental drops wouldn't have harmed it much.
Also, after the initial design flaw, Samsung incorporated a polycarbonate strip around the bezels, closed all minute spaces to stop dust creeping inside.
Must read | Samsung Galaxy Fold Review: Novel mobile innovation
While other phones with an outward folding design, are vulnerable to all dangers. A key or a pen in the pocket can scratch the display and even a drop from small height can damage the device and leave you a deep cut in the pocket. And some, which were shown off in several global trade fair events in 2019, still remain as concept devices even to this day.
Having learned valuable lessons from the Galaxy Fold, Samsung has done a marvelous job with Galaxy Z Flip. It represents a fusion of retro and modern mobile design technology.
As far as the performance is concerned, it a true premium phone with lag-free user experience, top-notch camera, and long-lasting battery.
Is it worth buying Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip?
Unlike the Galaxy Fold, I am more confident to recommend the Galaxy Z Flip. Yes, It costs a little over a lakh, but considering the sophisticated display tech, improved protective design, and powerful internal hardware, the new Samsung phone is worth the price-tag.
However, it is imperative for the consumer to take extra care of the Galaxy Z Flip such as using a screen guard, put shell cover (comes in the box) as everyone would do to any expensive premium phone.
Pros
The compact design language and flex mode
Powerful processor and memory configuration
Decent camera hardware
Long-lasting battery
Cons
The speed of the charging is a bit slow, but it's not a deal-breaker, as it delivers a full day's battery life. You can put it to the charging point and retire to bed at night.
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