Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Unboxing and First Impressions

Samsung is bringing the Galaxy Z Flip to the Philippines for PHP 79,990! Is it worth it? Let's unbox the new foldable phone.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Samsung has just unveiled its latest foldable phone, the Z Flip. It features a massive 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with a resolution of 2636 x 1080 at 425 ppi inner display with Samsung's ultra-thin foldable glass. This makes the Z Flip the first-ever glass foldable phone in the world. A secondary 1.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 300 x 112 resolution is at the back beside the rear-facing cameras.

Inside is the 7nm Snapdragon 855 Plus octa-core processor, Adreno 640, 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS storage.

The highlight feature is that it folds horizontally which allows for a small compact form factor that can unfold into a tall aspect ratio phone.

Is it worth it? Let's find out.

Unboxing/Accessories

Inside the retail box

Inside is the Z Flip, protective case, USB Type-A to Type-C adapter, SIM card tray, SIM ejector tool, 15W Adaptive fast charger, USB Type-A to Type C cable, Type-C to in-ear monitors, extra silicone tips and documentation.

It comes with a double box. The outer box has a Z in the middle while the slide-out inner box contains the phone and its inclusions.

Build Quality/Design

Infinity Flex display with ultra-thin glass

In front is the aforementioned 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex display with a small punch hole for the front-facing cameras. Around the display are raised protective bezels so that when folded, the glass does not rub against each other.

Better durability than older-gen folds, more premium materials!

Samsung said that it is made out of an ultra-thin glass with better durability and responsiveness versus their older-gen foldable solutions.

However, while it has better build than the company's previous folds, you may have to give up water and dust resistance and a larger battery.

Rear side, unfolded

The back is made mostly of glass and metal. At the top left most is the dual-rear facing camera while to the topmost right is the 1.1-inch Super AMOLED secondary display.

The secondary display

The secondary display can display time, date, day and the battery level. You can swipe to the side to preview notifications aswell.

When folded, the hinge is revealed

When folded, the hinge is revealed. Samsung says that it is now sealed and with tiny material that helps prevent particles from getting into the device. The Samsung logo is on the hinge and is hidden when the phone is unfolded.

Top and bottom side

On top are the antenna lines and the microphone port while at the bottom are more antenna lines, USB Type-C port, microphone port, and speaker grill.

Left side

On the left are more antenna lines and the SIM card tray with only a single SIM slot. The phone supports e-SIM.

Right side

On the right side are more antenna lines, metal volume rocker and the side-mounted fingerprint sensor that doubles as the power button.

Overall, the Z-Flip feels more solid and less delicate than the original fold.

It weighs only  183 grams in a form factor of 167.9 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm when unfolded and 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm when folded.

It is a bit thicker when folded compared to the Galaxy Fold, but it feels more compact overall.

Initial findings

First folding glass display phone in the world

1. The highlight feature of the Z Flip is the folding capability that wouldn't be possible without the large 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity-Flex display with ultra-thin glass.

This is the first foldable phone in the world with a glass display. The ultra-thin glass is noticeably sturdier, more premium and more responsive than the plastic display on the original Galaxy Fold.

AnTuTu and GeekBench scores

2. Inside is the 7nm 2.95GHz Snapdragon 855 Plus octa-core processor, Adreno 640, 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS storage. It is powered by a 3300mAh battery that charges with Samsung's Adaptive fast charger via USB Type-C.

2019's most powerful processor makes the Galaxy Z Flip one of the few foldable phones with flagship specs. Though if you want the most powerful right now, you are better of looking at the S20 series. It is expected to be even better than the original Snapdragon 855 in overall performance.

Surprisingly, the Galaxy Z Flip was able to score 461,277 in AnTuTu while maintaining good thermals. In GeekBench, the Z flip scored 463 in the single core tests and scored 2297 in multi-core tests.

One UI 2.1

3. For the software, it is running on One UI 2.1 based on Android 10. It is the latest version of One UI with the latest improvements in one-handed use and visual tweaks. It also features the new Focus Mode and the new Kids Home mode that you can quickly access on the quick toggles menu.

Rear-facing dual-cameras

4. At the back of the phone are the 12MP f/1.8 main camera with Dual Pixel AF and OIS, and 12MP f/2.2 123-degree ultra-wide-angle camera with LED flash while in front is the 10MP f/2.4 front-facing camera.

Main camera app UI

It comes with the new OneUI 2.0 camera app that features camera modes like Photo, Video, Live Focus, Live Focus Video, Panorama, Food, Night Mode, Super Slo-mo, Slow Motion, Hyperlapse, Pro Photo and Pro Video modes.

Only the main 12MP f/1.8 camera has OIS.

Note: Stay tuned for our camera samples!

5. There's a fingerprint scanner on the power button and the face unlock is fast and accurate. It has WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 4G LTE, GPS, A-GPS, and a single SIM slot.

It supports NFC, OTG, and charges via USB Type-C. There is no microSD card slot nor is there a 3.5mm headphone jack.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Specs

Display: 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED Infinity Flex screen w/ FHD+ 2636 x 1080 resolution at 425 ppi, 1.1-inch Super AMOLED screen w/ 300 x 112 resolution at 303 ppi
CPU: 2.95GHz 7nm Snapdragon 855 Plus octa-core processor
GPU: Adreno 640
RAM: 8GB
ROM: 256GB
Rear Camera: 12MP f/1.8 w/ Dual Pixel AF, OIS + 12MP f/2.2 123-degree ultra-wide-angle + LED flash
Selfie Camera: 10MP f/2.4 
Battery: 3,300mAh w/ Adaptive Fast Charging, wireless charging, reverse wireless charging
OS: Android 10.0 w/ One UI 2.1
Connectivity: WiFi 6, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, OTG, NFC, dual-band GPS, dual SIM (eSIM + nano SIM)
Sensors: Accelerometer, light, orientation, proximity, gyroscope, sound, magnetic, pressure Others: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor, USB-C,
Colors: mirror purple, mirror black, mirror gold
Dimensions: 167.9 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm (unfolded), 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm (folded)
Weight: 183 g
Price: PHP 79,990

As of the moment

The Z Flip can partially fold and hold its position

Team GIZGUIDE is excited about this phone because of the unique experience a Clamshell foldable (horizontal folding) phone offers.

You have access to a tall display that can fit in small form factors.

It may not have the Snapdragon 865 internally, but 2019's best chipset, the Snapdragon 855 Plus is more than enough to breeze through most tasks and apps you throw at it.

IF you are looking for the best performing phone with the better cameras, you may want to look at the Galaxy S20 series.

BUT, if you are looking for a unique experience wherein you can fold your phone while having near bleeding-edge specs, then you may want to check the Galaxy Z Flip out.

We still have a ton to test so watch out for our review.

This is exciting! Let's wait and see.

Stay tuned for the price reveal and the full review soon!