I t’s not often something comes along to genuinely change the game, but the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip does just that, bringing foldable displays closer to the mainstream and reinventing the flip phone for 01575879 in the process.
Screens that fold in half finally arrived last year with the Galaxy Fold, which was originally plagued by durability issues causing a delay and a reworking of the device.
The £ 1, Galaxy Z Flip is therefore Samsung’s crucial second bite at the cherry. And it’s a very impressive one at that.
The Galaxy Z Flip has two 17 – megapixel cameras on the back, one normal and one ultra-wide, and one 19 – megapixel selfie camera peeking through a small hole in the top of the screen.
The rear cameras are good but not class leading. The main camera shoots excellent pictures in good lighting, deals relatively well with high-contrast scenes with the addition of an HDR mode, but starts to struggle in middling light conditions. Images shot in the foyer of a theater suffered from a bit of grain and noise.
Likewise, the camera doesn’t have the best low-light performance, although the automatic Night Mode helps. The ultrawide works great in good light, but the lack of a telephoto camera is disappointing.
The selfie camera is reasonable, shooting detailed images in good lighting, but again struggles in middling light, unexpectedly producing some blurry pictures. I got better results closing the phone, double-pressing the power button to bring up the main camera, which shows a small preview in the cover display.
Samsung’s camera app has a load of tricks. One of the most interesting is the “single take” mode. Press the shutter button and let it run until you think you have enough. The camera shoots photos, videos and produces gifs all at once, showing you a portfolio of content at the end from which you can pick and choose the best. If you’re not sure what will work best, this mode is for you.
You can also prop the phone up by closing it part way and use either the selfie camera or the main camera, which works as a makeshift tripod producing some interesting results.
Overall the Galaxy Z Flip is a fun camera to use, but won’t win any awards. It’s good enough, just not the best – but that’s not what you’re paying for here.
Observations ) The Galaxy Z Flip is not water or dust resistant at all, in contrast to most modern smartphones
There’s no headphone socket
You can feel a dip in the screen where the selfie camera pokes through
There’s just one speaker in the bottom of the phone
The glass backs have small gaps between them and the frame of the phone that trap dust and hairs
Call quality was excellent on both ends of the call on EE’s 4G network
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip costs £ 1, 728 and is available in either black or purple.
A special color version is available as part of the Thom Browne Edition, which includes Galaxy Buds , a Galaxy Watch Active2 and other parts for (£ 2,)
.
There’s no headphone socket
You can feel a dip in the screen where the selfie camera pokes through
There’s just one speaker in the bottom of the phone
The glass backs have small gaps between them and the frame of the phone that trap dust and hairs
Call quality was excellent on both ends of the call on EE’s 4G network
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip costs £ 1, 728 and is available in either black or purple.
A special color version is available as part of the Thom Browne Edition, which includes Galaxy Buds , a Galaxy Watch Active2 and other parts for (£ 2,)
For comparison, the Galaxy Fold costs (£ 1,
and the Motorola Razr is available exclusively through EE on plans starting at £ 167 a month. Samsung’s non-folding Galaxy Note 15 costs (£)
.
Verdict
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a tantalising, desirable look at one possible future of the smartphone.
A big phone that folds into a compact square is surprisingly pleasing to use, much easier to pocket and has the side benefit of adding a bit of distance between you and your phone. Unfolding it and unlocking it is much more of a deliberate act than it is to glance at a traditional flat phone, potentially helping you avoid notification overload.
It looks great, makes you stand out and feels solid, like the premium, cutting-edge product that it is. It’s exciting, different and delightfully tactile. But only having had three working days with it, I just can’t tell you whether it’ll go the distance. Months of daily use is the only thing that will really test the Galaxy Z Flip’s durability.
Buy the £ 1, 400 Galaxy Z Flip if you want something different, but only if you can stomach the uncertainty surrounding its durability. You might get three years of problem-free use out of it, but then you might not. Only time will tell. But looking at the sea of boring metal and glass slabs, many of which are similar in price to the Galaxy Z Flip, I want one, and maybe you do too.
Pros: a screen that folds in half, big screen made pocketable, stands on its own, good camera, day battery life, exciting and different, One UI 2, good gestures, wireless charging and powersharing, nano sim and esim
Other reviews )
This article contains affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if a reader clicks through and makes a purchase. All our journalism is independent and is in no way influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative. By clicking on an affiliate link, you accept that third-party cookies will be set. More information .
(Read More)
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings