Ryan Whitwam/Android Authority
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 may not have the multitasking prowess of the Z-fold 4, but it still has that special something. It’s sleek and stylish, with all the features you’d expect from a modern smartphone, although some devices offer better value and don’t bend over backwards. In my experience, the distinctive clamshell form factor made it the ideal amount of smartphone to take on vacation.
I make a conscious effort to reduce my screen time when I find an opportunity to escape. My job is to stare at screens almost constantly, bouncing between Phone(s)computers, then to other Phone (s. But going on vacation doesn’t mean I stop being a big nerd. If I’m being honest with myself, I don’t want to completely disconnect like some people do. Instead, I rely on the Z Flip 4 to help me relax.
Your average smartphone home screen is just a click away from all of mankind’s accumulated knowledge – it’s easy to get sucked into something insignificant.
Your average smartphone home screen is just a click away from all of mankind’s accumulated knowledge – it’s easy to get sucked into something insignificant. We’ve all been there: you just wanted to check a notification, but then you realize you’ve scrolled down Reddit or Instagram for 20 minutes. I’m not one to decry this as a problematic collapse in human attention span, but I don’t want to get stuck in an endless scroll of doom when I should be spending time away from it all.
As a foldable cover, this phone has a large foldable screen inside, but the outside has a tiny 1.9 inch OLED cover screen. The latter provides just enough information for me to be online without being sucked in. I can check the time, catch up on recent notifications, and get basic data like the weather or my step count. And then it’s back in the pocket with my flip phone still closed. It helped me find the right balance in my downtime.
I also enjoy the selfie experience on the Flip 4. I’m not a prolific selfie taker, but I’ve been known to take them when I’m traveling with friends or family. The Flip 4’s small external display lets you take those photos with the main camera’s top sensor. It’s only 12MP, but the wider aperture and larger pixels produce better photos than the selfie camera on this phone (or almost any other).
The Flip 4 easily fits in one hand, allowing me to frame my shot with the viewfinder and take multiple shots without losing my grip.
Arguably the Z Fold 4 multitasking powerhouse can produce even better selfie results with its larger external display and 50MP main shooter, but this phone is huge and hard to hold when taking screen selfies. cover. The Flip 4, however, is an absolute delight. It easily fits in one hand, allowing me to frame my shot with the viewfinder and take multiple shots without losing my grip. I can even forego pressing any button by raising my palm or saying “cheese” to capture. Although the latter is disabled by default in the camera settings. Again, this whole experience happens without even opening the phone once.
The camera is fantastic for selfies, but you miss out on some more advanced features for general photography. The 50 or 108MP sensors of other flagship Android phones will take better images, and the Flip has no optical zoom. I can see this being a problem for people who want to take a lot of photos when traveling, but I found the 12MP shooter to be solidly “good enough” thanks to the processing improvements Samsung has made in recent time. years.
Ryan Whitwam/Android Authority
Admittedly, part of the appeal for me is intangible. I’m one of those who believe foldables are the future, and I love the Z Flip 4 as a thing. It doesn’t take up much space, whether I threw it in a bag or it’s wandering around in my pocket. There are a ton of interesting cases for that too. Samsung’s offerings include built-in rings and straps for easier grip, and some wacky third-party options add things like Cover Display flaps and card slots. It is, after all, the size and shape of a wallet.
When I have a few minutes to kill after getting tired of touching grass, I can open the Z Flip 4, and it’s just as capable as any traditional flat smartphone.
For me, the Z Flip 4 is the king of limiting distractions, but you might remember Verizon made a similar pitch for the Palm Phone few years ago. The idea was to carry something smaller and less capable instead of your “real” phone to limit your usage. It didn’t catch on, which didn’t shock anyone outside of Verizon’s marketing department. A flip phone like the Z Flip 4 is the right way to do it. Just because I like its ability to do just enough on the external display doesn’t mean it can’t do more. When I have a few minutes to kill after getting tired of touching grass, I can open the Z Flip 4, and it’s just as capable as any traditional flat smartphone.
Ryan Whitwam/Android Authority
Samsung has kept the same Flip form factor for the past two generations. The bodies are only slightly different and they have the same small 1.9-inch screen on the outside. There have been rumors of a larger external display, but I’m not sure I would support such a change. As it stands, you can run an app on the external display with Samsung’s Good Lock customization suite, but the screen real estate is limited enough that most apps aren’t worth it. to be used. Honestly, that’s how I like it. If it’s possible to scroll fate on the cover screen, I probably will, and it might make my vacation a lot less relaxing.