We’re going to be comparing it to Samsung’s first-generation foldable, the Samsung Galaxy Fold. So initially, We think it’s important to understand that yes, these two are very different devices. The Samsung Galaxy Fold is more of a tablet device that you fold into the size of a smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is more of a smartphone size device that you fold into half. But nevertheless, this is the second generation foldable from Samsung. And it’s going to be interesting to see what improvements and what changes Samsung has adopted and which one of these foldable is a better option for you.
Key Specification
| Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold | |
| Chipset | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855+ | Qualcomm SM8150 Snapdragon 855 |
| Display Size | 6.7 inches | 7.3 inches |
| Memory | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Storage | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Camera | 12 + 12 MP | 12 + 12 + 16 MP |
| Fingerprint Sensor Position | Side-mounted | Side-mounted |
Design
| Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold | |
| Dimensions | Folded – 87.4 x 73.6 x 17.3 mm Unfolded – 167.3 x 73.6 x 7.2 mm | Folded – 160.9 x 62.9 x 15.5 mm Unfolded – 160.9 x 117.9 x 6.9 mm |
| Weight | 183 grams | 263 grams |
| Screen Resolution | 1080 x 2636 pixels | 1536 x 2152 pixels |
| Color | Mirror Black, Mirror Purple, Mirror Gold, Thom Browne Edition | Space Silver, Cosmos Black, Martian Green, Astro Blue |
| Display Type | Dynamic AMOLED | Dynamic AMOLED |
| Build Material | Plastic front, glass back (Gorilla Glass 6), aluminum frame | Glass front (folded), plastic front (unfolded), glass back, aluminium frame |
In terms of the overall look and design, they do look like they’re from the same family, of course, Samsung has adopted the metal frame with the glass panels. But We’d say the biggest physical change in terms of the materials is with the foldable displays, Samsung has somehow managed to fold glass. But the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip actually has an ultra-thin glass display which folds. Now this should make it a lot more durable compared to the plastic display of the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
On top of that Samsung has also improved the hinge mechanism. So although it looks pretty similar in the way that the Samsung Galaxy Fold does, it actually has layers of fibers in the gap, which prevent from dust getting in. So it’ll be interesting to see how this improved hinge on the Z Flip lasts over time. But generally speaking, the Z Flip is more of a durable device compared to the Samsung Galaxy Fold because it is the second generation product.
Performance
| Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold | |
| Processor | Octa-core (1×2.95 GHz) | Octa-core (1×2.84 GHz) |
| GPU | Adreno 640 | Adreno 640 |
| RAM | 8 GB | 12 GB |
| Internal storage | 256 GB | 512 GB |
| Storage expansion | No | No |
| OS | Android 10, One UI 2.5 | Android 9.0 (Pie) |
Now let’s talk a little bit about the Performance. So here’s where the Z Flip does get a bit of an advantage and that’s because we’ve got the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ chipsets as opposed to the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855, or the Exynos 9820, depending on your region when it comes to the fold.
However, the Samsung Galaxy Fold does have more RAM, so you’ve got 12 gigabytes of RAM. The Samsung Galaxy Fold also has double the storage. So you’ve got 512 gigabytes of storage versus the 256 gigabytes that you get on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. And neither of these has a micro SD card, so you can’t expand storage. However, both of these do have UFS 3.0 storage, which is going to be very, very fast.
Camera
| Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold | |
| Rear | 12 MP, f/1.8, 27mm (wide) 12 MP, f/2.2, 123Ëš (ultrawide) | 12 MP, f/1.5-2.4, 27mm (wide) 12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto) 16 MP, f/2.2, 12mm (ultrawide) |
| Front | 10 MP, f/2.4, 26mm (wide) | 10 MP, f/2.2, 26mm (wide) 8 MP, f/1.9, 24mm (wide) |
| Video recording | 4K@30fps | 4K@30/60fps, 1080p@30fps, gyro-EIS |
Now let’s talk a little bit about the cameras. the Samsung Galaxy Fold actually has six cameras, so we’ve got a 12-megapixel primary camera. It has a variable aperture, switches between F1.5 and F2.4 depending on the light in, you’ve got an ultra-wide camera at 16 megapixels. And then you’ve got a telephoto camera which is going to give you two times optical zoom. Now the Z Flip has to rear-facing cameras, you’ve got a primary 12-megapixel camera as well. This has a fixed aperture at F1.8. And then we have an ultra-wide camera, now this is that 12 megapixels, but it actually has larger pixel sizes, so this means it should perform better in lower light situations.
And then for the front-facing cameras, the Samsung Galaxy Fold actually has three front-facing cameras in total. You’ve got one on the cover display, so this is mainly if you want to quickly take a selfie and you don’t want to open up the fold, so this is 10 megapixels, the inside one having a 10-megapixel camera but it’s also accompanied by a depth camera which does a really good job when it comes to live focus portrait mode, having that additional depth of information is definitely quite useful. Now the Z Flip has a single front-facing 10-megapixel camera and that is in the punchout. You can do 4K up to 60 frames a second on both the Fold as well as the Z Flip.
Multimedia
| Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold | |
| Headphone jack | No | No |
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes with stereo speakers |
| FM Radio | Yes | No |
Now speaking of audio, neither of these have a 3.5mm jack, the Samsung Galaxy Fold does have dual stereo speakers, and they sound really good that’s a big plus here on Samsung Galaxy Fold. On the Z Flip, you only have a single bottom-firing speaker. But the advantage for speakers definitely goes to the Samsung Galaxy Fold.
Battery Life
| Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold | |
| Capacity | 3300 mAh | 4380 mAh |
| Type | Li-ion | Li-ion |
| Quick Charging | Fast charging 15W | Fast charging 15W |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| User Replaceable | No | No |
Now looking at the batteries, the Samsung Galaxy Fold actually has a pretty large battery, you get a slightly smaller battery if you go for the 5G variant. The Z Flip actually has a respectable 3,300 mAh battery considering its folding form factor. Now both devices also support fast charging at 15 watts. You’ve got wireless charging as well as wireless power share, so this is reverse wireless charging.
Connectivity
|  | Galaxy Z Flip | Galaxy Fold |
| SIM | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM |
| Bluetooth | 5.0, A2DP, LE | 5.0, A2DP, LE, aptX HD |
| Wifi | Â Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot | Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/6, dual-band, Wi-Fi Direct, hotspot |
| GPS | Yes with A-GPS, Glonass | Yes with A-GPS, Glonass |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer | Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer |
Which is better!
Well, remember that these are two very different devices. The Z Flip is more of an improved device for sure. And it comes with the glass screen, the improved hinge, the improved specifications. It’s a much more compact form factor. But it is a smartphone that folds in half. Smartphones already fit in your pocket, even if they are 6.9 inches, they comfortably fit in most pockets. Whereas something like the fold is very different. It gives you a much more immersive experience because of the more screen real estate.
