Lisa Eadicicco/Business Insider
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
- Samsung's $1,380 Galaxy Z Flip is the company's latest foldable phone.
- As its name implies, it has a bendable screen and hinge that allows the phone to snap shut just like an old-school flip phone.
- The phone's hinge and flexible screen enable you to prop it up on a table or flat surface, making it easy to watch videos hands-free or use it as second miniature display throughout the workday.
- But there aren't many apps available to take advantage of the Z Flip's unconventional design, and it's still noticeably pricier than other standard smartphones despite being cheaper than other foldables.
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Despite last year's mishap with the Galaxy Fold, Samsung isn't giving up on foldable phones yet.
The company launched the Galaxy Z Flip on Friday, a $1,380 phone with a foldable screen that snaps shut like an old-school flip phone. When opened, the Galaxy Z Flip has a lot in common with many standard smartphones. It has a 6.7-inch screen similar to the Galaxy S20 Plus, for example, and two 12-megapixel main cameras: one with a wide-angle lens and another with an ultra-wide-angle lens.
But thanks to its flexible glass display and hinge, it's able to snap shut just like a flip phone - hence the name Z Flip.
Before spending some time with the Z Flip, I was apprehensive about the advantages that foldable flip phones like the Z Flip and its closest competitor, the $1,500 recently-launched Motorola Razr, would bring to the way I use my phone. But after spending roughly an entire work day using the Flip, I'm starting to see the potential in having a phone that bends in half. For example, being able to keep the phone open with its screen propped up on my desk throughout the day made it much more useful as a second screen at the office.
But it's not perfect, of course. Most apps aren't optimized to take advantage of the Flip's unconventional design. And although its hinge is useful, it would be much more helpful if the phone's top half could be set at a variety of angles.
Here's a closer look at what it's been like to spend some time using the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.