Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip is the best foldable phone you shouldn’t buy

It’s a big phone that folds up into a neat square, but it’s not worth US$1,400

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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review

Chris Chang

Published: 5:00am, 2 May 2020Updated: 1:06pm, 15 Jun 2020

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

Samsung is back with a new foldable phone: The Galaxy Z Flip. And unlike the Galaxy Fold, Samsung’s first foldable that we reviewed nearly six months ago, the Z Flip isn’t a foldable tablet. Instead, this smaller phone folds down like the new Motorola Razr.

The Galaxy Z Flip becomes more compact when it’s folded.

After getting to use this phone for a while, I can say that this is Samsung’s best foldable phone. But it’s still not worth the money.

FOLDING THE Z FLIP

Folding and unfolding the Galaxy Z Flip is very easy. The clamshell design that feels familiar and comfortable if you’ve been around long enough to use the flip phones of the pre-iPhone era. While Motorola did beat Samsung to the punch with the vertical fold, it’s still a nice design.

But there is one disappointing thing that makes the Z Flip very different from classic flip phones: It’s hard to flip open with one hand.

It’s possible to fold with one hand, but it’s not easy.

Closing the phone one-handed isn’t a problem. When folding this US$1,400 device open, though, you’ll think twice without having two hands on it. This is a bit disappointing since, let’s face it, flicking open a flip phone with one hand has always looked cooler than with two.

The hinge on the Z Flip is stiffer than the hinge on the Galaxy Fold.

Samsung says the Z Flip uses a redesigned hinge compared with the Galaxy Fold. The company says the new hinge has nylon "brushes" inside to help keep out dust and debris. Nothing has gotten into the hinge of my review unit, but it’s tough to say how well it will hold up over time.

There’s a noticeable gap between the Z Flip's two halves when it's folded.

While you can’t open it one-handed, at least the hinge feels very sturdy. It’s different from what I experienced on the Galaxy Fold. It also allows me to fold the Z Flip halfway like a little laptop or adjust it to specific angles. I can even set it down on a table for video calls.

The sturdy hinge lets the phone stay open at any angle.

FOLDABLE GLASS DISPLAY

Unlike the Galaxy Fold’s plastic screen, the 6.7-inch foldable display on the Z Flip is made out of Samsung’s “Ultra Thin Glass.” It really is foldable glass, although it’s covered with a protective plastic layer. But it still feels nicer than what Samsung had on the Galaxy Fold.

The glass display makes the Z Flip feel like a standard smartphone.

This is still a phone you’ll want to handle carefully, though. After just a few days of usage, I found some scratches on the display. The plastic layer does what it’s supposed to do by protecting the glass, but it’s still easier to scratch than the Corning Gorilla Glass found on most smartphones.

The Z Flip feels comfortable in the hand.

Then there’s the crease. When it comes to foldable smartphones, it’s unavoidable. The crease is there. I can feel it on the screen and it really only “disappeared” when positioned in front of my face.

But I honestly don’t mind the crease too much. Most of my scrolling is done from the bottom of the screen, so I rarely feel it. But this is a personal preference and could be a deal-breaker for some.

The rest of the display is great. It uses an AMOLED display with punchy colours and deep blacks. The very narrow 21.9:9 aspect ratio takes time to get used to, but it’s not an issue once you do. Any film using the 2.39:1 aspect ratio should fill up this screen pretty well. And this tall display also lets you see more content at once when scrolling through news feeds.

One pitfall, though, is that some apps that don't scale to fit the screen properly. Instagram, for instance, displays its Stories with big black bars along the top and bottom.