By: Andrew Tropeano
Something tells me we’re going to be talking about folding (also known as flip) phones a lot this year. Whereas up until now there hasn’t been much success in this arena, 2020 is off to a good start with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
We’ve previously reported on the many debacles companies are having with their folding phones – from the Motorola Razr to Samsung’s previous effort with the Galaxy Fold. Just last week, we got a glimpse at the new Z Flip thanks to a well-timed leak.
Now, we’ve got more than a leak to go off of with Samsung officially unveiling the smartphone at Galaxy Unpacked 2020 on Tuesday.
What makes the Galaxy Z Flip stand out above its competitors and predecessor, is the attention to quality over foldability. In fact, one of the chief complaints with the Galaxy Fold was the screen itself.
Instead of figuring out a way to implement a glass screen, which is pretty much the industry standard for most smartphones, the South Korean company opted for a flexible, yet fragile, OLED screen. To say this choice was uninspired and unpopular would be an understatement.
Righting that wrong, the Z Flip sports the first foldable glass screen to date. The seemingly durable screen works much like your current smartphone, albeit with the ability to bend.
The folks over at The Verge got a hands-on comparison with the Motorola Razr, giving us perhaps the best insight into what the Z Flip is capable of.
The company also released the Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra. This series is the newest line of flagship phones that have made Samsung such a hot commodity in the smartphone sphere. Not much to report here other than these phones are an impressive upgrade with faster processing power and upgraded cameras.
While the Z Flip is seemingly the first folding phone to get it right, it’s still hard to justify the purchase for anyone who’s not rolling in the dough. You can buy one for no less than $1,300 and that’s the cheapest model. At least it’s cheaper than the Fold by several hundred dollars. So, it’s got that going for it.
