A Samsung Galaxy Z Flip Review
When my husband first showed me a video of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, my eyes went wide in surprise. I was immediately captivated. I had to know more about this phone. I began to watch unboxing videos and reviews on it, anything to see the phone again. The phone itself looked innovative and like something I had never seen before, except for maybe those old Nokia flip phones. This was something better though.
I decided to do more extensive research. I went to BestBuy with my husband later that month to see the phone for myself. Upon entering the store, I saw that the phone in desire was locked down so I couldn’t flip it open and close it like the clamshell was designed for. I figured it was for security purposes, and to not mess up the phone. Although Samsung says it can be flipped open and closed 200,000 times.
I was spellbound. This phone was cutting edge, new, and something I had never thought possible. Yes ladies and gentlemen it is a smart phone that also functions as a flip phone. However, when I saw the price tag, I nearly fainted. It cost $1500. That was way more than I could ever afford. I decided to possibly do installments. I talked to a worker at BestBuy and they said that even if I had a GoPhone plan, I could do the installments granted my credit was good. I went into the purchase thinking I would only be paying $20 a month give or take. However, when a different worker finally found my account, he told me to my dismay that GoPhone plans cannot have installments, as there is no contract with them. I hung my head and left the store, defeated.
It took me a while to finally go to BestBuy’s website and see how much it would cost for one that was open box. I looked, and saw that an open box was only $600. I was still hesitant at first though, and waited until March 25th to finally make the purchase. It took a lot of convincing from my husband, but I finally decided to buy the phone of my dreams. It ended up costing about $300 more though because I had waited so long. It was still cheaper than the initial $1500, but it was still an expensive purchase.
The purchase said the phone would require a signature from someone 18 and older when the delivery came on Thursday, because it was a high volume item. I went around my household telling my roommates I was expecting an expensive item coming in the mail and that if someone could sign for it if I was still at work, then that would be perfect. However, when that Thursday finally arrived, it came when I was home, and they didn’t ask for a signature. It was strange, but maybe it had to do with COVID?
I was handed the package from my roommate, and my roommate’s friend said, “Open it! Open it!” I had told them that it was this really cool smart flip phone and now she was curious. I went ahead and opened it, and was surprised at how new the phone looked. I was expecting an open box phone to look a bit more worn. However, this was not the case, it looked immaculate, and brand new. I opened up the phone’s clamshell hinge, and gasped. It folded out into a smart phone. I could literally not tell the difference between this phone that had just been folded up, and my roommate’s phone that was a standard iPhone. I looked and examined the phone, but the crease in the middle where the phone folded up was non-existent when the phone was in use. I charged the phone, and in the meanwhile had it transfer all my files from my old phone to this new one.
There are so many neat features about this phone, but the one that sticks out in my mind the most is the little display notification cover screen on the front of the phone. If you press the power button twice it will open up a little camera. I was in awe and my friends all were amazed. You can take a picture this way with the phone closed by pressing either the volume up or down button while in this mode. I took many pictures this way. This phone is revolutionary, and something that I hope all phones become in the future. My favorite thing about this phone is the convenience. It can fit in any of my pant pockets perfectly, while still functioning as a big smart phone. Its height is 6.59” but closed its height is 3.44". The problem with my old phone is that it was beginning to ruin my pant pockets because it was so big. With this phone, I can literally just put it in my pocket and go about my day. I had to wear a belt with a holder for my phone, because otherwise it wouldn’t fit in my pockets. I love that feature. It makes the phone 100% worth buying.
One downside to the phone, however, is that it is a tad bit slippery and it isn’t water resistant. Now while that may deter some people from buying this phone I highly recommend buying a case off of Amazon. I bought a clear plastic cheap case off Amazon and put stickers of my favorite anime, Fairy Tail on it, and it works better than if it didn’t have a case. With the case the slippery issue is no longer a problem. It fits well in my hands without any occasional slips. I was afraid of it falling out of my hands without the case but with the case it has no issues.
I recently bought this phone grip strip at Walmart for the phone. It’s essentially like a phone stand or a popsocket. While the phone can sit up vertically, it’s hard to watch videos. I went ahead and bought this stand for $2.50 not sure what to expect but it has a lot of neat features! For example, it has a function where you press into the grip strip and it clicks into a position. This is where watching videos works well. You can adjust the length of it so it can be positioned horizontally, making watching videos a cinch. This phone grip strip also says that it can be charged wirelessly without having any issues. This actually is true! I was surprised because the grip strip looks a little clunky. However, it charges with this grip strip perfectly. It isn’t like the popsockets that have trouble charging. One last thing that it claims to do is function in an air vent like a car vent mount. I can say with confidence that this is one of the best car vent mounts I’ve ever had. Every car vent mount I’ve tried in the past has at some point failed. While on my twenty-minute drive home, the phone held in place the entire time. I was thoroughly impressed. This phone grip strip is amazing.
I highly recommend buying this phone to anyone who loves smart phones but maybe wants a little bit of diversity to their phone, and to anyone who suffers from having pockets that are too small. I give the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip a 9/10 because without a case it is too slippery and it could fall loose from your hand, causing an accident.
