Flip phones are back with a vengeance – last year’s tablet-sized folders are giving way to vertical folders. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will be unveiled at the Unpacked event in February and it will be the first phone with Ultra Thin Glass (UTG).
That may not sound like much, but the much increased scratch resistance of UTG compared to the plastic screen cover of the Galaxy Fold, Mate X and even the upcoming Motorola Razr can make the Z Flip the first practical folder. In early 2019 we were thinking that an inward folding design would be enough to protect the screen, but reality proved disappointing – even fingernails could scratch the plastic.
A scratched-up screen is a difficult thing to swallow on something that is expected to cost €1,400. To be fair, that may be just €50 more than the Galaxy S20 Ultra, but it’s still a lot of money. However, besides its unique screen, the Galaxy Z Flip will use older hardware.
The current rumors claim it will have a Snapdragon 855+ chipset, two 12MP cameras, side-mounted capacitive fingerprint reader and 3,300mAh battery with 15W charging. Nothing impressive even by last year’s standards and yet these specs are enough to make it the king of the vertical folders.
Renders by Giuseppe Spinelli via LetsGoDigital
The Motorola Razr 2019 is powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset, an even smaller 2,510mAh battery and a single 16MP camera. This phone is already on pre-order on British carrier EE for £100 a month on contract. The SIM-free price is $1,500 in the US and is expected to be as high as £1,400 in the UK and €1,600 in mainland Europe. For comparison, the Galaxy Fold, which launched at $1,980 last year.
Note that neither the Samsung nor the Motorola will have 5G connectivity – if you want two revolutionary technologies in one, you’ll have to look back at the Galaxy Fold 5G or Mate X.
We’re not going to ask you to pick between the Z Flip and the Razr, right now that seems like a very one-sided battle. But even though the Samsung is superior on paper, its value-for-money rating is “early adopter”. There will be no 108MP cameras, 5x telephotos, 45W charging, 5G connectivity and cutting edge chipset.
Still, Samsung sold 400,000 Galaxy Folds last year, despite all its flaws and long delays. And as we discussed, UTG might be a game-changer. Plus, there’s the added appeal of a compact premium phone. So, will you buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip and why? If not, why not? And do keep in mind that we’re yet to see the official specs and price for the phone, this is just to gauge interest.
Will you buy a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip?
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