On February 11th, Samsung will introduce its next foldable phone. Unlike the
Galaxy Fold, the
Galaxy Z Flip opens and closes around the horizontal axis and is a flip phone similar to the
Motorola razr. If you are old enough to have owned the original Razr, you surely recall the satisfying sound that the phone made when it was flipped close after a call was finished. And if the conversation was a heated one, what could be more satisfying than physically ending the call with a hard flip accompanied by that noise made when the two sides of the phone came together.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip could be released on February 14th
The Galaxy Z Flip is expected to feature a 6.7-inch Infinity Flex display using Samsung’s “ultra-thin glass.” with a punch-hole selfie camera in the center of the screen. On the outside of the clamshell sits a 1.06-inch always-on AMOLED display that will show notifications, the weather, the time and the date. Under the hood will be Qualcomm’s overclocked Snapdragon 855+ Mobile Platform which isn’t the 2020 flagship chip (that being the Snapdragon 865, of course), but this is a shrewd move by the manufacturer to keep pricing down.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip makes that satisfying sound when you shut the phone
The Galaxy Z Flip will be equipped with 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage and will sport a dual-camera setup consisting of a 12MP primary and a 12MP ultra-wide. There is no room for the technology used for “Space Zoom” inside this phone. Keeping the lights on will be a 3300mAh capacity battery that is paired with a 15W fast charger out of the box. Yes, the Galaxy Z Flip will support
wireless charging (at 9W) and it does come with the Power Share reverse wireless charging feature. This means that if your Galaxy Buds need a charge or some poor schlub has talked you into sharing some of your phone’s battery life with his/her handset, the back of the Galaxy Z Flip can be used as a wireless charging pad. Just keep in mind that the power you share will reduce the amount of battery life remaining on your phone.
While Motorola installed Android 9 Pie on the razr, the Galaxy Z Flip not only has Android 10 pre-loaded, it also will feature the latest version of the manufacturer’s interface, One UI 2.1. This places most of the actionable elements on the bottom of the display so that your finger won’t have to engage in calisthenics to tap a button.
Originally, we heard that the Galaxy Z Flip was going to be priced as low as $800 compared to the $1500 razr. But the latest buzz around the water cooler has the Galaxy Z Flip priced at 1,400 EUR which will probably translate into a $1,400 price tag for the unit in the U.S. Also, despite earlier rumors, it now appears that the flipper will not be an AT&T exclusive and will be found on the shelves at all four major U.S. carriers. After the February 11th unveiling, pre-orders should begin that very same day with a potential release date marked for February 14th, Valentine’s Day. If you’re looking for a gift for that special someone in your life, you might be better off saving money and buying them a box of chocolates. Seriously though, can you imagine the surprise on the face of your significant other when you present them with a Galaxy Z Flip as a gift?
