Flipping and folding

After fanboying for flip phones throughout the oughts — followed by several years of worshipping at the Jobs altar — I had almost forgotten my flip love affair when the Samsung Galaxy Flip 3 came into my life in 2021. I had used an older Samsung for a few weeks prior — while awaiting stock for an upgrade — and, after trying out the third-generation flip, I pretty much stayed in that lane.   

Its size was convenient for mobility, the camera was good, navigation was seamless, and the flip thing was a bit of a party trick for a while. But, in time (about a year or so), the left side of the visible fold on the screen started showing signs of strain. My sister tried the Flip 4, which presented with similar mid-term glitches — all of which, I gather, have been ironed out in the fifth generation I got my hands on. All the questions I have had while falling in love with the flip have been answered: the front screen is bigger and there is a lot more you can do without opening the phone. The camera is even better and the foldable screen is more durable, with improved flex hinge technology ensuring a flat(ter) fold, making it even more compact than the previous generations.

On the day I received the Flip 5, it was, surprisingly, accompanied by a Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 a colleague had just finished putting through its paces. I am grateful for this bit of serendipity, because the Fold 5 may have just stolen the flip’s show. On the face of it, before it sits snugly in your hand, narrower than you had imagined, it seems bulky, with shades of a once famous foldable Scandinavian yuppie ornament brutally stigmatised in certain circles. This is not what the Fold is, and I love it. The main appeal is having two devices in one — part phone that fits perfectly in the hand of a famous phone dropper and part tablet for surfing the web, watching video, doom scrolling and, a major plus for writers, two-handed qwerty typing or writing notes or doodling a next-gen idea with the compatible S-Pen. When it’s closed it looks sleek and professional and, when you open it up, its personality comes alive on the 7.6’ display.

Both models are also infinitely better for the use of more recycled materials than ever, including recycled glass, aluminium, plastic, and paper. If I were to choose, which would be tragic, I would have to fold during the week and flip it on the weekend.   

For more on the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5 and Samsung Galaxy Fold 5 go here…