Samsung Galaxy Z Flip hands-on review

Introduction

The Galaxy Z Flip didn't come entirely out of the blue, but few of us expected to actually see it at the Unpacked experience zone. Better still, the foldable handset is already up for pre-order and clear sales kick-off dates, just like we do for the Galaxy S20 family. We know the pricing, as well, and to nobody's surprise, Samsung's first vertical folding gem demands a pretty penny - ( US - $1,380, Europe - €1,480, UK - £1,300).

It's expensive and there is a novelty premium included, but even outside that, you are still getting plenty of phone for your money in conventional smartphone terms. Definitely a lot more than the Motorola Razr 2019 in this sense. A comparison that will definitely be coming-up time and time again in the near future. But internals aside, above all else, the Z Flip really stands out as a polished product. Frankly, that has to be the biggest surprise in our book.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

• Body: Unfolded: 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm, Folded: 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm, 183 g; aluminum frame, glass body; Mirror Black, Mirror Purple, Mirror Gold color options.
• Screen: Main: 6.7" Foldable Dynamic AMOLED, 1080 x 2636px resolution; 21.9:9 aspect ratio; 425ppi, HDR10+ support, Samsung Ultra Thin Glass surface; Cover display: 1.1", Super AMOLED, 112 x 300 pixels (Corning Gorilla Glass 6)
• Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ (7nm): Octa-core (1x2.95 GHz Kryo 485 & 3x2.41 GHz Kryo 485 & 4x1.78 GHz Kryo 485); Adreno 640
• Memory: 8GB RAM, 256GB built-in UFS 3.0 storage.
• OS/Software: Android 10, One UI 2.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 12MP, 1/2.55", 1.4µm sensor, f/1.8 aperture, 27mm equiv. focal length, dual pixel PDAF, OIS. Ultra-wide: 12MP, f/2.2, 12mm (123° FoV), fixed focus.
• Front camera: 10MP, f/2.4, 25mm, 1.22µm, PDAF; 2160p@30fps video recording.
• Battery: 3,300mAh, 15W fast charging.
• Misc: Side-mounted power button/fingerprint reader combo; NFC; Dual-band Wi-Fi ac; Bluetooth 5.0; ANT+; single bottom-firing loudspeaker.

The Korean giant has clearly managed to turn the Galaxy Fold, the whole first-gen display durability fiasco and aftermath into an amazing accelerated course in making foldable displays work. An entirely new linear hinge mechanism, complete with impressively intricate internals and little details, like a protective layer of brushes to keep particles out. An actual bending glass surface finish on the Z Flip's display, as opposed to a straight-out soft plastic. Clever control placement and use of the new form factor.

These are just some of the highlights of the Z Flip, that we can't wait to share our initial thoughts on. Of course, there are plenty of concerns and potential pitfalls to discuss as well. So, follow along as we bring a few main points up on the following pages.