MARCH 2020 PCWorld 17But if you’re wondering
whether to rush to drop
$1,380 on it (it started
shipping on Valentine’s Day,
February 14), here are six
features and facts you need
to know first:
- THE HINGE HAS
VA S TLY
IMPROVED
After last year’s Galaxy Fold
debacle, Samsung had to
work on the hinge for the Galaxy Z Flip. It
remains to be seen whether Samsung’s claims
are believable, but this new model sports a
Hideaway Hinge that uses a fibrous shield to
protect the phone from the dust, dirt, and
debris that brought down the first round of
Galaxy Folds. Samsung says the Flip can be
folded and unfolded more than 200,
times, which is a thinly veiled shot at the
Motorola razr and its own folding issues. - YOU CAN TAKE SELFIES
WITHOUT OPENING IT
The outside of the Galaxy Z Flip has an
extremely small, 1.1-inch Cover Display. That’s
good for checking the time and date or
getting a glance at incoming texts, calls, and
other notifications, but it’s also hiding another
trick: You can use the tiny screen to take a
full-sized selfie with the rear camera. It’s not
entirely clear how that would work—whether
it’s voice-controlled or accessible via a
hardware shortcut—but you won’t need to
open your Flip to snap a quick selfie.- THE SCREEN IS MADE
OF GLASS
The Infinity Flex screen on last year’s Galaxy
Fold felt weird. That’s because it’s not made
of glass. Rather, it was bonded with thin layers
of innovative materials crafted into a polymer
that felt just like plastic. Compared to the
glass of the Galaxy S10, it wasn’t great, so
Samsung went to work. You can see the
results of its efforts in the Galaxy Z Flip’s Ultra
Thin Glass display. That’s right: It’s actually
made of glass, so it should feel just like a
smartphone when you run your fingers over it. - YOU CAN USE IT AS A
MINI LAPTOP
The Galaxy Z Flip’s design is a major departure
The Galaxy Z Flip opens up to a tall 6.7-inch OLED display.