The Hinge Inside: A Deep Dive into the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip's Design and Features

As I lift the lid on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, I'm immediately struck by the hinge inside. It appears to be well-designed, with fibers that will help keep out dust and debris. This is a significant improvement over the review unit I had earlier, which was plagued by issues with dust getting under the screen and causing bulges. The designers have clearly taken steps to address this problem, and it's great to see a focus on durability.

One of the most notable design elements of the Galaxy Z Flip is its bezel. It appears to be made of plastic, and has a similar thickness to the foldable section of the phone. This suggests that Samsung has learned from the issues with the original Galaxy Fold and has incorporated some key improvements into the design. The bezel also features "tee caps" on either side, which are designed to prevent dust and debris from getting under the screen and causing problems.

As I run my finger along the edge of the phone, I'm pleased to find that it feels sealed. There's a subtle click of the mechanisms when you press down on the bezel, indicating that the phone is securely closed. This is reassuring, given the concerns around durability that are always present with new and innovative designs.

While the Galaxy Z Flip is designed to be used in its folded state, there are still plenty of features available when it's closed. The tiny oblong screen next to the cameras lights up and provides access to settings, alerts, and other information. This is a clever way to provide functionality without sacrificing too much space or visibility. The touch-sensitive interface allows for easy scrolling through menus and selecting options.

One area where the Galaxy Z Flip really shines is in its usability. Despite its unique design, it feels surprisingly comfortable to hold and use. It's tall and narrow, making it easy to fit into both front and back pockets without feeling too bulky or unwieldy. The phone itself is similar in width to the iPhone 11 Pro and the Motorola RAZR, which suggests that Samsung has struck a great balance between form and function.

However, there are still some concerns about durability and wear and tear. As with any new technology, it's hard to predict exactly how well the Galaxy Z Flip will hold up over time. The phone is not waterproof or water-resistant, which means that it could be vulnerable to damage from accidental exposure to liquids. And while the screen appears to be made of glass, which should provide some protection against scratches and drops, we still can't know for sure until we put the phone through rigorous testing.

In terms of availability and pricing, the Galaxy Z Flip is set to launch on February 14th, with a price tag of $1,300. While this may seem steep compared to other foldable phones like the Motorola RAZR, which costs $1500, it's worth noting that the Galaxy Fold was priced at $2,000 when it launched last year. The Z Flip is clearly targeting a different market segment than the more premium Galaxy Fold, and its lower price point makes it an attractive option for those who want to experience the thrill of a foldable phone without breaking the bank.

With its unique design, impressive features, and competitive pricing, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has the potential to be a game-changer in the world of smartphones. Whether or not it will ultimately live up to expectations remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: this is a phone that's worth keeping an eye on.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enthis is the Samsung Galaxy Z flip this is the first phone in the entire world to have a foldable glass screen it is completely groundbreaking it's beautiful it's really exciting device and it could be even toppled the Motorola RAZR I'm going to take you through this entire thing so first of all the screen it's got six point seven inches of dynamic AMOLED display here and the screen itself feels really smooth I'm tapping on it and it doesn't feel like glass this is ultra ultra thin I'm bending it and opening it and unlike with the Motorola RAZR I don't hear any sounds it doesn't sound crunchy the hinge feels solid and sturdy and what's really unique about this other than this foldable glass which is just an amazing technological feat because glass usually doesn't Bend without breaking what is so unique is that this phone stays up by itself at about ninety degree angles a little bit lower let's see how low we can go so that means that I can put it on a tabletop and I can watch something with it and for example look at YouTube on the top and comments on the bottom it does feel like there are magnets at the edges as we've seen on other foldable devices like the Galaxy fold and the Motorola RAZR that kind of help it snap shut and it gives it that really satisfying sound like when you're ending a call and when we go the other way 90 degrees is definitely the hinge is holding pretty steady and I can fold it back pretty far without it completely opening so that is extremely impressive for this device I know one of the things that you're probably wondering about is what is the crease like and the truth is that every foldable phone that I've ever used has one it's just much less pronounced honest vertically flipping phone like the Z flip and like the Motorola RAZR but I can still see it at certain angles and when the screen is is lighter when it's darker you can't tell as much when the light reflects off of it I can see when it's there and I can feel it but really I'm so impressed because it just feels like a tiny little bump it feels like a little gap between the two sides and I feel the same way about the air gap as well it's there but it looks much more like the redesign to galaxy fold so you can probably spend like a credit card in here or business cards but it's not huge so it lays fairly flat I can still see light when I peek through it I think that's just kind of the way of it now Samsung is calling the hinge inside at a hideaway hinge and apparently there are fibers in here that will help keep out dust and other debris that was a big problem with the review unit that journalists spot for the galaxy Pole that's something that we're just gonna have to test but immediately looking at it I can see that the bezel which does appear to be plastic has about the same thickness as the fold and I also see that it's got these sort of I call them tee caps on the side and the redesigned galaxy poles got those as well because there were some issues with stuffing getting underneath the screen and causing bulges so these tee caps are there to kind of prevent things from getting underneath and working their way in when I've got my fingernail around the edge I don't really feel a good way in there so it feels pretty sealed so phone like the Galaxy Z flip is meant to be used when it's open but there are also things that you can do when it's closed for example this area lights up here next to the cameras and this is a really tiny oblong shaped screen it's actually a touch sensitive so I can scroll through it and see things like the settings I can tap to get a little bit more and there's a little ticker at the bottom as well you'll also see your alerts here the time Wi-Fi connection I think that this is going to be really useful if you're monitoring if emails or phone calls are coming in and then you'll either be able to expand to learn more through the ticker or that's when you'll go ahead you'll open up the phone and then you'll start interacting with it in the hand the galaxy Z flip actually feels pretty good I can definitely use it one-handed it's tall it's narrow but I don't feel like I'm gonna drop it maybe just like a little bit wide but not really compared to other phones it's just as wide as the iPhone 11 Pro and it's also about as wide as the Motorola RAZR so I'm not going to show you but I can fit it into my back pocket and I can get it in my front pocket pretty easily as well so I don't have any concerns that this is going to be easy to carry around one concern you might be having is is this phone actually going to last what is the wear and tear going to be like cNN has done full tests using a machine called the full butt but the real test is what it's like in real life not necessarily what it's like exposed on a machine that is continually folding it open and closed Samsung has said that it will last for 200-thousand folds without breaking and it just sort of depends on how many times a day you're gonna open it your phone or not I have opened and closed it a couple dozen times already and I know that's no indication of long-term use but it feels pretty good it feels sturdy and in control and smooth and like I said before I'm not hearing any weird noises I don't see any weird bumps I think that you're still gonna have to really baby this thing as you do with other devices you know this is not a waterproof or water-resistant device and the screen well glass and while perhaps hopefully sturdier than plastic display of we still don't know how it's gonna withstand drops and scratches because it is ultra-thin this is a brand new material we're gonna have to test it we're gonna have a lot of fun testing it torturing it so stay tuned for those the Galaxy fold was a $2,000 phone the Motorola RAZR is a $1500 phone but the galaxy Z flip is cheaper than both of those by a quite a bit it's going to cost you one thousand three hundred and eighty dollars when it goes on sale February 14th yes that's Valentine's Day if you want to buy yourself a little Valentine's Day present will come in three colors including this purple a black and gold in select countries this is a really exciting time for foldable phones because now we've got two designs we've got the galaxy's eat slip and we brought the Motorola RAZR how did the shoe compare we're gonna have to test them side by side of course so we have reviewed the razor this is our first time with the galaxy Z flip but I think that even just given the list of specs on paper and what I'm seeing in my hand so far I think with the price I think with the availability coming out really soon this Friday in fact so it will compete with the razor I think that's the fact that the Z flip stands up on its own and has the world's first foldable glass could put the razor in a lot of trouble this could be a very impressive phone I'm really liking what I'm seeing so far and I really really can't wait to test it outthis is the Samsung Galaxy Z flip this is the first phone in the entire world to have a foldable glass screen it is completely groundbreaking it's beautiful it's really exciting device and it could be even toppled the Motorola RAZR I'm going to take you through this entire thing so first of all the screen it's got six point seven inches of dynamic AMOLED display here and the screen itself feels really smooth I'm tapping on it and it doesn't feel like glass this is ultra ultra thin I'm bending it and opening it and unlike with the Motorola RAZR I don't hear any sounds it doesn't sound crunchy the hinge feels solid and sturdy and what's really unique about this other than this foldable glass which is just an amazing technological feat because glass usually doesn't Bend without breaking what is so unique is that this phone stays up by itself at about ninety degree angles a little bit lower let's see how low we can go so that means that I can put it on a tabletop and I can watch something with it and for example look at YouTube on the top and comments on the bottom it does feel like there are magnets at the edges as we've seen on other foldable devices like the Galaxy fold and the Motorola RAZR that kind of help it snap shut and it gives it that really satisfying sound like when you're ending a call and when we go the other way 90 degrees is definitely the hinge is holding pretty steady and I can fold it back pretty far without it completely opening so that is extremely impressive for this device I know one of the things that you're probably wondering about is what is the crease like and the truth is that every foldable phone that I've ever used has one it's just much less pronounced honest vertically flipping phone like the Z flip and like the Motorola RAZR but I can still see it at certain angles and when the screen is is lighter when it's darker you can't tell as much when the light reflects off of it I can see when it's there and I can feel it but really I'm so impressed because it just feels like a tiny little bump it feels like a little gap between the two sides and I feel the same way about the air gap as well it's there but it looks much more like the redesign to galaxy fold so you can probably spend like a credit card in here or business cards but it's not huge so it lays fairly flat I can still see light when I peek through it I think that's just kind of the way of it now Samsung is calling the hinge inside at a hideaway hinge and apparently there are fibers in here that will help keep out dust and other debris that was a big problem with the review unit that journalists spot for the galaxy Pole that's something that we're just gonna have to test but immediately looking at it I can see that the bezel which does appear to be plastic has about the same thickness as the fold and I also see that it's got these sort of I call them tee caps on the side and the redesigned galaxy poles got those as well because there were some issues with stuffing getting underneath the screen and causing bulges so these tee caps are there to kind of prevent things from getting underneath and working their way in when I've got my fingernail around the edge I don't really feel a good way in there so it feels pretty sealed so phone like the Galaxy Z flip is meant to be used when it's open but there are also things that you can do when it's closed for example this area lights up here next to the cameras and this is a really tiny oblong shaped screen it's actually a touch sensitive so I can scroll through it and see things like the settings I can tap to get a little bit more and there's a little ticker at the bottom as well you'll also see your alerts here the time Wi-Fi connection I think that this is going to be really useful if you're monitoring if emails or phone calls are coming in and then you'll either be able to expand to learn more through the ticker or that's when you'll go ahead you'll open up the phone and then you'll start interacting with it in the hand the galaxy Z flip actually feels pretty good I can definitely use it one-handed it's tall it's narrow but I don't feel like I'm gonna drop it maybe just like a little bit wide but not really compared to other phones it's just as wide as the iPhone 11 Pro and it's also about as wide as the Motorola RAZR so I'm not going to show you but I can fit it into my back pocket and I can get it in my front pocket pretty easily as well so I don't have any concerns that this is going to be easy to carry around one concern you might be having is is this phone actually going to last what is the wear and tear going to be like cNN has done full tests using a machine called the full butt but the real test is what it's like in real life not necessarily what it's like exposed on a machine that is continually folding it open and closed Samsung has said that it will last for 200-thousand folds without breaking and it just sort of depends on how many times a day you're gonna open it your phone or not I have opened and closed it a couple dozen times already and I know that's no indication of long-term use but it feels pretty good it feels sturdy and in control and smooth and like I said before I'm not hearing any weird noises I don't see any weird bumps I think that you're still gonna have to really baby this thing as you do with other devices you know this is not a waterproof or water-resistant device and the screen well glass and while perhaps hopefully sturdier than plastic display of we still don't know how it's gonna withstand drops and scratches because it is ultra-thin this is a brand new material we're gonna have to test it we're gonna have a lot of fun testing it torturing it so stay tuned for those the Galaxy fold was a $2,000 phone the Motorola RAZR is a $1500 phone but the galaxy Z flip is cheaper than both of those by a quite a bit it's going to cost you one thousand three hundred and eighty dollars when it goes on sale February 14th yes that's Valentine's Day if you want to buy yourself a little Valentine's Day present will come in three colors including this purple a black and gold in select countries this is a really exciting time for foldable phones because now we've got two designs we've got the galaxy's eat slip and we brought the Motorola RAZR how did the shoe compare we're gonna have to test them side by side of course so we have reviewed the razor this is our first time with the galaxy Z flip but I think that even just given the list of specs on paper and what I'm seeing in my hand so far I think with the price I think with the availability coming out really soon this Friday in fact so it will compete with the razor I think that's the fact that the Z flip stands up on its own and has the world's first foldable glass could put the razor in a lot of trouble this could be a very impressive phone I'm really liking what I'm seeing so far and I really really can't wait to test it out\n"