18 PCWorld MARCH 2020NEWS SAMSUNG GALAXY Z FLIP
from the Galaxy Fold. It’s not just that it flips
open rather than folds, it’s also that you can use
it without fully opening it. It’s called Flex mode,
and Samsung describes it as having a viewing
area and an interaction area, kind of like a very
tiny laptop. When opened halfway, certain
apps (camera, YouTube, Duo, Gallery, etc.)
will split into two parts, with images at the top
and controls at the bottom, whether that is a
keyboard, trackpad, or buttons. It’s a neat
trick that transforms the Flip’s somewhat
cumbersome 6.7-inch screen into something
much more usable. And even when you need
to open it all the way, Multi Active Window lets
you stack apps, so multitasking is just as easy
as it is on your PC.- YOU GET A YOUTUBE
PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTION
FOR FREE
Google played a surprisingly big role during
Unpacked this year, unveiling deep Duo
integration that lets you video chat as easily
on your S20 as you do on the Pixel. But the
coolest announcement was the free YouTube
Premium subscription you get with your
Galaxy Flip purchase. Unless the subscription
is open-ended, the benefit seems to be tied
to the Flip itself, because Samsung didn’t put
a cap on the offer. But even if you need to use
the Flip to enjoy the subscription, that’s still
a great deal for a service that normally costs
$12 a month.- IT DOESN’T HAVE 5G
Samsung talked a lot about 5G during
Unpacked, so it’s surprising that the new
Galaxy Z Flip doesn’t support it. There are
any number of reasons why—heat, cost,
battery—but if you’re hoping for blazing
download speed on your Flip, you’ll have
to wait ‘til the Flip 2.
The screen on the Galaxy Z Flip is made of glass, not plastic.