Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Full reviw

Introduction

The Galaxy Z Flip is that the new flagship model from Samsung. The manufacturer has learned tons from its predecessor Galaxy Fold and is now improving the Z Flip in some areas. That starts with the folding itself. additionally to a folding mechanism that they assert is more stable, the direction of the folding itself changes: rather than opening the telephone sort of a book, it now opens sort of a shell and is more like folding phones from before 20 years. As a user, you've got the sensation of employing a smartphone far more than with the previous model.

Like the fold, the Galaxy Z Flip is claimed to survive 200,000 folds without damage. We test whether this is often true within the endurance test: we only bought a Z Flip for this purpose, which we then unfolded and refolded during a folding robot made up of Lego technology and designed by the test center. The robot remains performing at the time of the test, you'll read an update here.

Galaxy Z Flip: This smartphone fits in every pocket

When unfolded, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is in no way inferior in size to current top smartphones because of its 6.7-inch display. But once you close it, you'll see a true advantage of the device: It fits in almost any pocket, handbag, butt pack and the other quite bag that you simply carry with you on the go. The Z Flip are often almost completely gripped with only one hand. In terms of portability, this is often a serious advantage for

the Samsung foldable compared to other smartphones of an equivalent display size. To summarize the values: when closed, the telephone is nearly 1.7 cm thick as a thumb, but fits on the palm of your hand with only 7.4 x 8.8 cm. When unfolded, on the opposite hand, it reaches a proud 7.4 x 16.7 cm, but is then only 0.81 cm thin.

In contrast to the previous year, the folding mechanism can now even be infinitely adjusted. The fold could only be opened or closed, with the flip the 2 screens also can be folded 90 degrees to the littlest laptop within the world. Samsung also offers some additional tweaks for this usage mode. Among other things, pictures are often viewed within the gallery on the upper half the screen, while you'll swipe, zoom and choose actions with the lower half.

Samsung continues to use two displays

Similar to the previous model Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip again uses two displays: one for the surface and a way larger one inside. However, despite the touchscreen function, the outer display is not any longer intended to use the Android interface, but functions as a standby display. It shows information like the time, the present battery level and notifications received. due to its size of just 0.96 inches and therefore the resolution of 200 x 112 pixels, it cannot hold any longer .

However, it becomes interesting once you unfold the smartphone and therefore the 6.7-inch OLED screen shines. You immediately notice: The foldable is surprisingly easy to grip with one hand despite the massive display, which is thanks to the very elongated form factor. With a 22: 9 ratio it's so narrow that even movies (typically in 21: 9 format) are shown on the display on the side with black borders. Speaking of edges: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is thinner than the Motorola Razr, for instance . However, the display-surface ratio of slightly below 81 percent doesn't compared thereto of other, similarly expensive smartphones.

The Full HD Plus resolution (2,636 x 1,080 pixels) is sufficient for everyday use and, when downscaled, ensures a pixel density of 452 ppi. the utmost brightness of the panel is additionally convincing. Up to 353.4 cd / m² are often calibrated manually. However, if the ambient light becomes demandingly bright, it becomes around 925 cd / m², which is way quite double. This ensures that screen contents are often read under most lighting conditions. Combined with over 150 percent coverage of the sRGB color space, a full DCI-P3 color space and an almost perfect white point, the display is basically fun. the sole thing you've got to urge wont to as a user is that the noticeable and visual fold within the middle of the screen.


Now plastic? The bendable display glass of the Galaxy Z Flip

Samsung is especially pleased with its new foldable Galaxy Z Flip on the supposedly built-in display glass. consistent with their own statement, users of the Galaxy Z Flip would break the principles of physics and fold real glass without breaking it. When operating on the touchscreen, however, the astonishingly similar feeling strikes us that we all know from using the Samsung Galaxy Fold. As a reminder: the predecessor still used a plastic display to enable folding.

We assumed that the "glass display" is only marketing. Unfortunately we couldn't disassemble our test devices to see that. during a video, the YouTuber "JerryRigEverything" takes apart the telephone one by one, trying to find the glass that Samsung promises. The result: Underneath a really thick plastic layer, which we already know from the Galaxy Fold, there's actually a wafer-thin glass pane, which breaks immediately after being exposed. Samsung has not lied, but you'd expect something different.

Processor out of date, but still good at performance

While Samsung uses either a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor or its own Exynos chips for its Galaxy S flagships, the manufacturer sells the Galaxy Z Flip worldwide with a Snapdragon CPU. The built-in Snapdragon 855 Plus isn't the newest that Qualcomm has got to offer, but there's no criticism of the performance: the octa core with its fastest processing core achieves up to 2.96 gigahertz. this is often extremely fast, only devices just like the current iPhones deliver more graphics performance.

The CPU is supported by a generous eight gigabytes of RAM, which together results in smooth operation. Our lavishly constructed test PDF fully loads the Z Flip in around 3.6 seconds and therefore the device also achieves high benchmark values in PCMark for Android: The result's just over 10,000 points, which suggests that it's quite competitive with other devices within the top price range.

The battery cannot be folded, but is divided into two

While today's technology allows screen panels to be folded, thus far this has not been the case with battery cells. The alternative: install two individual batteries in each half the device. The Z Flip still doesn't have a capacity of quite 3,300 mAh. Actually, it's amazing that the built-in high-performance hardware still manages a runtime of 9:25 hours. As a user, you'll escape with it in lifestyle , not least due to the tiny information display. Incoming notifications and other information are visible without having to provide the massive main display with energy.

Despite the sobering 15 watt maximum power of the included power supply, the Z Flip charges quickly and was fully charged again after just over two hours. After half an hour of charging, 43 percent of the battery is already charged again. Enough for a couple of more hours of operation before the battery dies again. Incidentally, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip also supports wireless charging. The corresponding charging pad is found within the lower half the foldable.

When the main camera also becomes the front camera

The South Korean manufacturer has probably not put any specialise in the topic of cameras when developing its latest foldable. The Galaxy Z Flip comes with a dual camera on the rear of the upper half the smartphone, consisting of a main lens (12 megapixels, f / 1.8 aperture) and an ultra-wide-angle lens. With the Z Flip, you've got to try to to without a zoom lens , with one among the foremost important features for Samsung within the S20 Ultra. After all, the most lens is optically stabilized. Recently, Samsung also installed a front camera within the flip phone, which may be found during a display hole at the highest of the screen.

You can do without these with selfies, however, because the one-inch info display also can show the preview image for the asking . When closed, the facility button has got to be pressed twice in succession, then the camera starts and accesses the 2 main lenses. The preview is shown on the display right next to the camera, albeit a touch poorly because the screen diagonal doesn't allow an outsized viewing area. the pictures are then triggered using the quantity buttons.

A popular camera feature from the S20 also made it into the flip

You should definitely use the selfie function of the most camera, because the image results are far better than those of the front camera. the standard of the front camera is in fact still fully usable for video telephony or on social networks, but the auto focus from the most camera is missing. That alone makes it very difficult to require an honest picture. additionally , the twin main camera has higher quality lenses.

The images of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip are excellent under optimal lighting conditions, for instance in bright daylight. the photographs are characterized by bright colors and lots of details. When it gets dark, however, the results quickly lose quality: shot results are much worse, a tripod helps only marginally. After all: The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is its own tripod. If you bend the highest half the display, the telephone are often placed on a flat surface and still shoots an image with the most camera, which continues to seem forward.

The Galaxy Z Flip shoots videos with a resolution of up to 4K at 60 frames per second. additionally to varied zoom features from the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra, which is about an equivalent price, there's also no possibility to shoot 8K videos. We didn't miss this feature painfully within the test, however, because the complete resolution of the video material can only be viewed on the few 8K devices already offered, mostly Samsung TVs. One feature that has made it from the S20 to the Z Flip, however, is that the "single take" mode. With its help, one pressure on the shutter is enough, which then captures subjects for up to fifteen seconds. Afterwards, a man-made intelligence goes wild and shows the simplest leads to combination with various filters and / or video effects,

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Good equipment, but not enough for the price

Many aspects of the equipment of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip coincide with those of other current flagship smartphones. Current Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC are on board, also as a USB-C port (3.1). Unsurprisingly, a headphone jack is missing. The supplied wired headphones can only be connected via the USB-C port. Around 228 gigabytes of the built-in 256 gigabyte internal memory are still available after the setup, but it can't be expanded. Furthermore, the device supports all common LTE bands in Germany, also as all WLAN bands except WLAN-ax. 5G is additionally on board, which puts the Z Flip before the highest S20 devices. In terms of software, the newest Android 10 with Samsung's own OneUI 2.1 interface is employed .

Compared to the fold (introductory price: 2,100 euros), the Z Flip is sort of cheap, but buyers still need to spend a substantial amount at around 1,500 euros. Samsung has saved a couple of more extras despite the premium price. additionally to the mono loudspeaker, which is simply about the typical quality, the Z Flip is merely partially capable of dual SIM. If you would like to access two separate contracts on your foldable in parallel, you've got to be satisfied with an eSIM and a physical SIM card. The foldable screen and therefore the folding mechanism itself bring some small criticisms with it: The fingerprint sensor isn't within the display, but is found , almost like Sony smartphones, as a simultaneous power button within the frame of the device. additionally , the Z Flip comes without IP certification and is therefore not protected against the ingress of dust and water. Over time, dust and other dirt could get into the folding mechanism and damage it, especially in trouser pockets. Not only there, the metal display frame might be better: On the one hand, the models of the S series are far more elegant, on the opposite hand, unsightly pocket dust could collect here.

If you're trying to find a protective covering , you've got to use the offers from Samsung yourself at the time of the test report, because the Z Flip requires a special protective covering made from two parts and with adhesive strips. After all, such a tough plastic cover is included within the scope of delivery. However, screen protectors are a no-go, since the already sensitive folding screen can then cause serious damage.