What's good
- Novel design
- Convenient size
- Good performance
- Stable, durable hinge
- Wireless charging
What's bad
- Expensive
- So-so battery life
- Camera quality
- Screens scratch easily
- No headphone jack
It seems that every veteran phone company is on a mission to make a folding smartphone in 2020. Several models have hit the market but they’ve been a bit hit or miss in terms of quality and performance. Will Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip change this trend?
Design
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has the novelty folding screen and pocket-friendly sizing of a flip phone with the full power of a modern smartphone. Reviewers said the hinge seems to hold up well to the abuse of folding and unfolding repeatedly.
Display
The display has a solid design concept and seems to have perfected what many reviewers felt were disappointments with more recent attempts at a flip-style smartphone. The seam for the screen is barely noticeable when unfolded and the outside has a small screen for displaying incoming calls and notifications.
There aren’t any detectable bumps or odd warping on the screen. It can handle the stress of being folded and remains responsive without any issues. The outside has a smaller display that shows the time, date, notifications, and incoming calls though reviewers said that unless the contact’s name was short it often did not fit on the screen.
The Guardian said, “The notification panel on the outside is enough to show me there’s something important waiting or the time, but I wish it was slightly longer so scrolling text was easier to read.”
Performance
Reviewers advised that the phone performs great. However, because of the folding design there are a lot fewer features on the device. Still, the feature set was okay and didn’t impact their enjoyment in any significant ways.
Software & Storage
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip ships with a modified version Android 10. The management of split screen multitasking was a favorite among reviewers. The phone offers 256GB of storage space, so you don’t need to worry about running out of room for your apps and games anytime soon either.
Cameras
Camera quality disappointed reviewers. They felt that it simply lacked for the price paid for the phone. It did an okay job taking pictures with decent detail, but it cannot keep up with the latest top-tier phone releases. It just won't capture details, texture, and lighting nuances the way other similarly priced phones might.
Battery Life
Battery life was also only so-so, lasting about 8 hours on a full charge. You will need to carry your USB-C cable if you’re a heavy phone user and even casual users will want to plug it in every night.
Audio
While no reviewers mentioned anything about the speakers on the phone, they had a lot to say about the absent headphone jack. This is because many experienced issues using their Bluetooth earbuds with the phone. Songs would often stutter as if the connection between the phone and the earbuds wasn’t strong enough.
Specs at a Glance
- Glass and plastic chassis
- Folding 6.7-inch super AMOLED display
- Octa-core 2.95 GHz Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 processor
- 8GB of RAM
- Android 10
- 256GB of storage
- 12MP front-facing lens/ 12MP rear-facing lens
- 3300mAh battery
Bottom Line
Whether or not folding phones will ever become mainstream and overtake flat smartphones is unknown. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has improved what was lacking with its predecessor the Samsung Galaxy Fold. Despite this, reviewers are torn on whether that’s enough to make the grade. To many, it seems more like a novelty at this time.
Android Police says, “It's a folding vision from the future, loaded with flaws and bent like a scythe in preparation of the Flat Phone Reaping. Even if you don't buy the Z Flip (and you shouldn't), your current phone's days are numbered.”
The Verge states, “Samsung’s brand-new Galaxy Z Flip is the third folding screen phone that I’ve reviewed. It happens to also be the best folding screen phone I’ve reviewed — but don’t let that fool you. As with the Galaxy Fold and the Motorola Razr, the Z Flip is more of an expensive experiment than a real product anybody should buy.”
Tom’s Guide remarks, “The Galaxy Z Flip is the best foldable phone we’ve seen so far, topping the Galaxy Fold and Motorola Razr. But at a still-high [price], it’s hard to recommend this phone over more traditional flagships like the iPhone 11 Pro and Galaxy S20 Plus.”
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Philip Michaels, Tom's GuideThe Galaxy Z Flip was the best foldable phone, at least until the Galaxy Z Fold 2 came along. As clever as the design of the Flip is, at a still-high $1,380, it’s hard to recommend this phone over more traditional flagships like the iPhone 11 Pro and Galaxy S20 Plus.
- Hitech CenturyIf you aim to make a decisive fashion statement while seeking one of the most compact phones that money can buy, the Galaxy Z Flip is your best bet with its ultra-compact clamshell design that unfurls into a massive 6.7-inch phone with respectable hardware and cameras. It’s not cheap but if you aim...
- David McCourt, AndroidPITSure, you can get better hardware, a better display, faster charging, longer battery life, a better camera, and all the rest of it, for the same money. But the Galaxy Z Flip has something that none of those alternatives can offer. That's why you'd buy this. If you want a clamshell phone with smartph...
- Basil Kronfli, StuffWhile the Flip doesn’t pack the utility of a phone that turns into a tablet, like the Galaxy Fold, when it comes to wow-factor, the Z Flip still has it in spades. Is it worth the hefty asking price? Definitely not if you want maximum bang for buck; but if you can afford it and crave a compact clamsh...
- Aiman Maulana, Pokde.NetIt isn’t the perfect device as the cover display could be improved, the raised bezels take a bit of time to get used to, it’s hard to find a protective case, and it is pricey, retailing for RM5,888. However, if you can look past that, this is more than enough for a daily driver. But more than anythi...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip user manual here.
Samsung backs up the Galaxy Z Flip with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Galaxy Z Flip has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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