Probably everyone has heard the version that most of the leaks about new smartphones are provoked by the manufacturers themselves. Allegedly, in this way, they simultaneously keep the fans in suspense and increase the brand awareness in the thematic media, preventing the formation of an information vacuum. After all, there is nothing worse when they don't talk about you at all. But leaks and rumors are one thing, and it is completely another thing to completely drain all the information about the new product before the presentation, which is quite actively used by the Chinese, and for some time now, the Koreans.
Galaxy Flip Z is Samsung's new foldable smartphone
At the Academy Awards in Los Angeles tonight, Samsung unveiled its second foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Flip Z. This is the same vertical form factor device we've seen in spy photos in the past few weeks and taken for the second generation Galaxy Fold. However, as it turned out, the novelty has nothing to do with the original line of folding smartphones of the company, representing a completely independent model in a new line of conditionally available devices with a folding design.
Galaxy Flip Z – differences from Galaxy Fold
Despite the fact that this was not a presentation, but just a demonstration of a promotional video in between the awards, it allowed us to make a very clear impression of the device, confirming most of the rumors and leaks. First, the Galaxy Flip Z really folds out according to the principle of the original clamshells from the mid-2000s, forming not a tablet, as is the case with the Galaxy Fold, but a very elongated smartphone. Secondly, the model will really cost less than its predecessor, because the savings on the device are visible to the naked eye.
In particular, the fact that Samsung was trying to reduce the cost of the Galaxy Flip Z as much as possible is indicated by a super-compact display with a diagonal of no more than an inch, which will do only for accepting or rejecting a call, and a dual (!) Camera module. Obviously, the Koreans could equip the smartphone with four or at least three cameras by analogy with the branded state employees of the Galaxy A line, but they did not bother, since this would require a significant change in the internal layout of the device, and this would result in additional costs.
However, there can be no complaints about the company. After all, the technology behind the foldable display simply cannot be cheap, which means that in order to achieve a low retail price, the manufacturer has to make some compromises. Well, and since an external display is by and large very few people need, and a dual camera, provided that good optics are set up correctly, will suffice even for the most demanding photographer, I suggest that the savings on Galaxy Flip Z components are absolutely justified. Moreover, in this case it does not make the device worse at all.
Galaxy Flip Z specifications
There is no official information on the technical equipment of the smartphone, but thanks to Chinese insiders, we have it too. It is known that the Galaxy Flip Z will be based on last year's Snapdragon 855+ processor, also indicating savings, 8 GB of RAM, which is far from a record by the standards of 2020, and 256 GB of internal storage. Nothing is said about the possibility of expanding the standard memory with MicroSD cards, but knowing about Samsung's loyalty to external drives, we can assume that their support will be announced in the same way. But the 3300 mAh battery, given the rather large main display, whose diagonal is 6.7 inches, looks frankly weak. Worse in this regard is only the Motorola Razr, whose battery has a capacity of 2700 mAh.
According to rumors, the retail price of new items in the US will be about $ 1,500. This is a rather large amount, but there are still no cheaper folding smartphones on the market, and Motorola Razr looks much less attractive due to its frankly average characteristics against the background of Flip Z. It's another matter that you shouldn't expect a high demand for a new product, because the problem of low reliability, obviously, hasn't gone away. Therefore, personally, I would not buy a new product, preferring the Galaxy Fold to it, because due to the large dimensions of the latter, you will most likely be opening it with two hands, while in the case of the Galaxy Flip Z, you will probably use your thumb when slipping between the flaps of the display. As a result, this will almost certainly lead to damage to its coating and premature failure.