Samsung Galaxy Z Flip makes internal geek lose mind - review

If you look at it from the specification, processor or camera, let it go. This is not equipment for you. And if you're looking for a thoroughly modern smartphone that raises great emotions, you won't find a better offer. I invite you to review Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.

Testing the Samsung Galaxy Flip, I couldn't escape the comparison to the Samsung Galaxy Fold, with whom I spent over two weeks last year. Fold had a lot of disadvantages, but above all it had a huge advantage: when unfolded it became a tablet. The big screen caused the iPad to stand up during testing. In the evenings I loved reading texts and watching YouTube on Folda.

Therefore, at first after the premiere of the Galaxy Z Flip - contrary to popular admiration - I had the impression that this idea does not make sense. I was wondering where the added value is here. Since a typical smartphone fits in my pocket, why buy a foldable one? Why exactly do you need to reduce the size? The more that it is followed by a much higher price and much lower strength?

After two weeks with Samsung Galaxy Z Flip I know one thing. Here common sense loses with the inner geek.

I still don't quite understand why a foldable smartphone should be better than a normal one. I am not able to accept the fact that the screen can be scratched with a fingernail. That for PLN 6,000 I get components last year. The Galaxy Z Flip concept cannot stand the clash with logical arguments. At this stage, the purchase of such a smartphone has no reasonable justification.

This is not about reason, however, because the Galaxy Z Flip is the equipment that produces the biggest wow effect in years. The equipment has something that makes it impossible not to like it. You want to take it immediately and start playing with it. A metal, pink sandwich makes the heart beat the brain.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip (at the time of the plague).

I have to admit that the Galaxy Z Flip tests took place in a completely different mode than usual. Coronavirus even affects how we use test devices. Inevitably, the smartphone stayed where I was, mainly at home. Within Wi-Fi range, no train travel, no car navigation.

All this meant that I did not feel the battery capacity (3300 mAh) was quite low, which would normally irritate me. Especially that the smartphone screen is huge.

The screen of Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a rollercoaster of pros and cons.

The Dynamic AMOLED panel has a 6.7-inch diameter (Full HD +), but has almost the same height as the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra screen having a 6.9-inch diameter. The difference between smartphones is the proportions, which unfortunately affects the disadvantage of the Galaxy Z Flip. In his case, we're talking about a 21.9: 9 ratio. It's even more than in Sony Xperia widescreen smartphones with a 21: 9 screen.

It doesn't work well every day because using a smartphone is accompanied by the impression that there is not enough content on the screen. The text line holds fewer words. Pictures in the text take up too small screen space because they are adapted to the short side. Something just doesn't work here. Of course, you can get used to it, but every time I picked up a regular smartphone, I felt that I was back to normal.

The display quality itself is great, however, as it is with Samsung. Perfect black, perfectly saturated colors and HDR10 + make - as usual - a big impression. In this respect, the Z Flip panel is completely in line with traditional Samsung smartphones.

However, it gives way to endurance. Although in my case I managed to avoid scratches (probably due to forced stay at home), it is known that the screen will not stand the test of time badly. Scratches are only a matter of time, which proved, among others author of the JerryRigEverything channel. Glass was somehow used to make the screen, but you can't talk about a glass surface. Although the screen is hard and feels normal, it can be scratched with a fingernail. And remember that (for now) there is no film protecting the folding screen.

A few words are also due to bending in the middle. As with the Galaxy Fold, also in the Galaxy Z Flipie it is less invasive than you might think. Looking straight ahead, the bend is not visible, but unfortunately this time it is strongly felt under your finger every time you scroll something on the screen. And we rewind constantly. In this respect, the horizontal bend falls worse than the vertical one, such as in the Galaxy Flip.

Fun fact: when unfolded, the smartphone can display the Always On screen. This is probably the least useful function of this device.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flipa can be discovered for weeks.

When you buy a typical new smartphone, after two days you know all its features. Because what else can you come up with in such a mature device category? A new gesture to handle? The new Always On? Screen function It's all small things.

In this respect, the Galaxy Z Flip is completely different. The design of the smartphone makes it possible to discover something new for a long time. Unlike Fold, the Galaxy Z Flip hinge can be set at (almost) any angle. This gives you some interesting possibilities.

It turns out that a tripod or a stick are no longer needed to take a selfie. You can bend the smartphone in half and put it on any flat surface, then take a selfie seeing the preview on the screen. In this mode, the camera application displays the frame preview only at the top of the smartphone.

In turn, after folding, we see a tiny screen. By default, we see the time, date and battery level on it. There is also a colorful dot informing about new notifications. If we move the screen sideways, we can see the last notifications in the form of application icons. You can see their preview, but there are only three icons on the screen.

When we unfold the smartphone, the application usually opens with complete information. To view the content, of course, you need to unlock the device, which can be done through a face scan (not a secure solution) or fingerprint. The fingerprint reader is located on the side edge, as in the Galaxy S10e, and is perfectly perfectly fast, precise and convenient.

The small external screen can also be used for selfie photos taken with the main set of lenses. With a gesture we can switch between ordinary and ultra wide lens, and the volume button we take a photo. The discomfort of using such a small preview is compensated by the much higher quality of selfie photos. And a much wider angle of view in the ultra wide angle lens.

And if we're at the cameras, the Galaxy Z Flip won't disappoint anyone.

Sure, there are no 108 megapixels and 100x zoom, but we have a basic set of lenses known from last year's Galaxy S10e (although they are not exactly the same cameras as in the S10e). We have a great main lens and ultra wide angle.

In terms of parameters, the whole thing looks as follows:

• main camera: 12 megapixels, f / 1.8, matrix 1 / 2.55 ", optical stabilization, pixel size 1.4 µm;
• wide-angle camera: 12 megapixels, f / 2.2, pixel size 1.12 µm;
• selfie camera: 10 MP, f / 2.4, pixel size 1.22 µm.

Such a set is enough. It's good that Samsung didn't follow the path marked by Galaxy Fold, where we had six cameras. Such multiplication of beings is not really necessary. The more that the photos from Galaxy Z Flipa difficult to fault anything.

Technical Specifications? Don't bother with it.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is a really fast smartphone. Of course, you can complain about last year's components, but if someone does it, rather Galaxy Z Flip is not for him.

We have a Snapdragon 855+ processor, 8 GB Ram and 256 GB of memory. We have all the necessary connectivity standards, including NFC and Bluetooth 5.0. We have a USB-C connector with fast charging. Of course we don't have a headphone connector. The battery will be charged wirelessly, and we have wireless reverse charge. The whole works under the control of Android 10 with One UI 2.

All this means that the smartphone is enough for several years of work. Certainly you will replace this device faster due to scratches on the screen and an extremely shiny housing than due to lack of power.

Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra or Galaxy Z Flip? I wouldn't think for a moment.

If I wanted to buy a new, top smartphone from Samsung's portfolio and I would not have any resistance to laying out the amount of 6,000 PLN, I would face the choice of Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. I would choose the other one without hesitation.

In favor of the immature Z Flip works maturity (or maybe tissue) of the entire smartphone market. If you already have Galaxy S10 +, do you really feel the need to change to S20 +? Will buying a new smartphone really change anything?

In my case, no, because the numbers in themselves have never interested me. So what if the PCs have more gigahertz than my MacBook, since this inconspicuous laptop gives me a better work culture when editing movies in Final Cut? So what if PlayStation 4 has more teraflops, if it's currently dusting, and I'm having fun on the weakest console on the market, the Nintendo Switch?

And finally: what about the fact that every point of the Galaxy S20 Ultra specification is better than the Galaxy Z Flip, since the latter gives a real joy of communing with the new technology?

The foldable design is a great breath of freshness in the ossified smartphone market. Galaxy Z Flip is gadget equipment, distinctive, eye-catching, giving a sense of communing with something groundbreaking and really modern. If you can afford to lay out approx. PLN for a smartphone, I recommend buying without hesitation.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip makes internal geek lose mind - review