May
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip PRICE IN KENYA
Samsung wowed everyone last year when it introduced the Galaxy Fold. Sure, it took a few months to figure out the kinks after the first batch of units saw some fatal manufacturing defects. Once figured out, though, the Galaxy Fold turned out to be one of those milestone devices that would change the industry forever.
The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s second-generation folding device, and the company’s first-generation Galaxy Z product. In both cases, the Galaxy Z Flip is a unique device – combining the nostalgic form factor from almost two decades ago with the brilliance of Samsung’s second-generation Hideaway Hinge and flexible display technology.
The AMOLED screen has a punch hole cut-out for the 10MP selfie camera and the dual 12MP cameras look promising. The Z Flip also keeps some of the flagship Galaxy’s charging features like wireless charging and Power Share (reverse wireless charging). The 3,300 mAh battery seems a bit small, though.
The Galaxy Z Flip sees a couple of improvements in the hinge, as well as a new protective material in front of the display which Samsung calls “UTG” or Ultra Thin Glass. This glass is protected by the same polymer material as the Galaxy Fold so it’s still not as scratch resistant as your typical Gorilla Glass handset.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Specs:
- Body: Hideaway Hinge; aluminum frames; Gorilla Glass 6; mirror finish; 183g
- Dimensions: Closed: 87.4 x 73.7 x 15.4-18.33 mm; Open: 167.9 x 73.6 x 6.9-7.2 mm
- Screen: 6.7-Inch Infinity Flex Adaptive AMOLED display with Ultra Thin Glass layered under polymer-based protective surface; FHD+ (1080 x 2636 px), 21.5:9 aspect ratio
- Cover Display: 1.1-inch (112 x 300 px) Super AMOLED
- Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ Octa-core (1×2.95 GHz Kryo 485 & 3×2.41 GHz Kryo 485 & 4×1.78 GHz Kryo 485); Adreno 640 GPU
- Memory: 8GB RAM + 256GB UFS 3.0 internal storage (non-expandable)
- OS: Android 10; Samsung One UI 2.1
- Battery: 3,300 mAh, 15W Adaptive Fast Charge; Fast Wireless Charging; Wireless Powershare 9W
- Cameras: Primary: 12MP (f/1.8, 27mm (wide), 1.4µm, Dual Pixel PDAF, OIS); Ultrawide: f/2.2, 12mm, 1.12µm; LED Flash
- Selfie camera: 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide), 1.22µm; PDAF
- Connectivity: Bluetooth 5.0; Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac; USB-C
The Galaxy Fold’s specs aren’t groundbreaking, but they are certainly not midrange by any means. It’s running the 2019 Snapdragon 855+ with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage – so it’s basically a flagship Samsung Galaxy phone on the inside.
Samsung went with a dual-camera setup on the Z Flip – there’s no telephoto camera, but there’s at least an ultra-wide. The selfie camera is a 10MP unit, though its aperture isn’t as bright as we’ve seen on other Galaxy Flagships.
In any case, we’re here to let you know if the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is worth it. Does this brand-new form factor offer enough bang for your buck?
Unboxing
The Galaxy Z Flip’s box features a dual-layered logo shaped like a “Z”. Our Mirror Purple model showed a purple “Z” and after cutting the seals, we can slide the sleeve off the actual box. Now you can lift the lid off the box and see the Z Flip.
The first thing you’ll notice is the list of warnings on the protective film on the Z Flip. It warns not to use sharp objects near the screen, not to press too hard with your finger or fingernail, and to not attach any screen protectors to the display. It also warns that the phone is not water-resistant and that the strong magnets on the Z Flip may cause damage to credit cards or medical devices.
We almost missed it, but there’s a flat box hiding in the top half of the box with documentation, a SIM eject tool, and a protective plastic case for the Z Flip. It doesn’t seem like it will actually protect the phone from damage in the event of a drop, but it should be fine to keep the outside safe from scratches.
Underneath the phone is a 15W Adaptive Fast Charge adapter, USB-C to USB-A cable, a content transfer adapter with a full-size USB-A port, and a pair of AKG headphones with USB-C connector.
Now let’s look at the design of the Z Flip.
Design
The only real reason to consider the Galaxy Z Flip is for its design. Samsung’s Hideaway Hinge makes it possible for the handset to fold to a compact footprint. The hinge is a redesigned update from the Galaxy Fold with improved folding action and brushes that prevent dust and debris from entering through either end of the Hideaway Hinge.
The updated hinge is stiffer to allow the ‘lid’ of the Z Flip to be angled in any position between the opened and closed modes. Samsung’s “Flex Mode”-enabled apps can take advantage of this – more on that in the UI section. The hinge won’t stay put in every possible angle, you have to either open or close it about 40-degrees before the hinge will stiffen up, otherwise it will snap open or closed.
Like the Galaxy Fold, the Hideaway Hinge is protected by a hard casing, which acts similarly to how a book’s cover and pages are held together and protected by its spine. These letters are recessed and filled with adhesive and shiny film for an added holographic effect against the light.
The hinge bumper is completely hidden when the phone is opened (hence, the “Hideaway” part of its name). The two halves are protected by Gorilla Glass 6 and both halves are framed in aluminum in a spectacularly glossy finish.
We got a Mirror Purple model with dazzling purple appearance with blue tinges and reflections. The finish on the frame is like an attractive blue-tinted silver, which really compliments the blue reflections in the purple glass.
Some might prefer the Mirror Black model, but for a phone this flashy, the Purple will likely be the more popular one. There’s also a Mirror Gold one but it is not yet available in Western markets. We wish Samsung would have made this in an elegant silver finish or even a pearl white. We anticipate Samsung is holding out on other colors for future release or for a successor to the Z Flip.
On the back of the upper half of the screen is the dual-camera setup with LED flash, across from the 1.1-inch Super AMOLED external display.
On the upper left side of the frame is a nanoSIM card slot, but there’s no microSD card slot so 256GB is the only configuration available.
The upper right side houses the volume rocker (made of aluminum) and a flat power key that doubles as the fingerprint scanner.
There’s a microphone at the top of the phone, and the bottom has the USB-C port, the main in-call mic, and a small loudspeaker port. Like Samsung’s flagships nowadays, Samsung’s ditched the 3.5mm headphone jack.
Let’s get to the headline feature of the Z Flip – the inside of the phone. The perimeter of the phone is protected by a plastic border, much like the Galaxy Fold. The border is raised and serves to keep large debris out of the screen when its closed. It also keeps the edges of the polymer-based screen protector out of sight, so you won’t be inclined to remove it.
There are two raised corners on the lower half of the phone that keep the two halves from rubbing together. At the center of the upper plastic border is a slit for the ear-piece.
The “T” shaped plastic nubs protect the hinge from debris – should debris make it past this, the brushes would prevent it from entering the Hideaway Hinge.
The overall design of the Galaxy Z Flip is elegant, tasteful, and well-executed. Although its touch surface isn’t as durable as Samsung makes it seem with its ‘This phone folds and is glass’ marketing, the hinge actions are smooth and sturdy. We can hear the slight rustling of the bristles that keep dust at both the start and end of the hinge’s movement, but it isn’t any cause for concern.
The phone’s design is curvy and attractive, if you’re someone who feels at home with the Galaxy Note’s boxier design elements, it’s a slight contrast to the Z Flip’s curvier lines and more rounded corners – even more so with the bulging hinge housing that’s visible with the phone closed.
We’ll get to that crease in the next section where we talk about the beautiful display on the inside of the phone. Now let’s flip (pun intended) over to the next page and check out the screen and talk about battery life.
