Last updated: November 16th, 2020 at 17:34 UTC+02:00

Galaxy Z Fold 2 vs Galaxy Z Flip: Which foldable has the best camera?

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 and Galaxy Z Flip are both foldable devices, but the audiences they target are radically different. The Galaxy Z Flip is more of a fashion statement, and it’s especially great for women who want a compact phone that can fit in their jeans or purse. The Z Fold 2, meanwhile, is for people looking for a phone that can turn into a tablet in the blink of an eye, giving them large screen estate to enjoy everything from gaming to YouTube videos and also get more work done.

The spec sheets of the two phones are also pretty different. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 has better specs in many ways, and it features an extra camera compared to the Galaxy Z Flip. But is the photography experience on the Z Fold 2 superior to the Z Flip’s in real life because of that one additional camera? Which of the two phones should you pick if a great camera is one of your priorities?

The answer is…

… pretty simple. If you want a versatile camera setup, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 should be your choice. That’s because in addition to a 12MP main and 12MP ultra-wide lens, it has a 2x zoom/telephoto camera and the Z Flip doesn’t. 2x zoom is nothing compared to the crazy 50x-100x zoom you get on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra or Galaxy S20 Ultra, but it’s better than having no optical zoom capabilities at all.

If you can make do without a zoom camera, the Z Fold 2 and Z Flip are pretty much evenly matched. The main and ultra-wide cameras on the back of the two devices offer similar photo quality in all lighting conditions, and that goes for the selfie camera as well. Furthermore, you get the same shooting modes and functionality in the camera app, including Single Take mode, a dedicated Night mode, 4k 60 fps video recording, and more.

Both the Z Fold 2 and Z Flip also support Flex Mode, which lets you turn the phone into a tripod by opening the foldable display halfway and even use the rear cameras for selfies by using the cover display on the outside as a preview screen. However, using the cover display as a preview screen is another area where the Z Fold 2 takes the lead, and that’s because it has a considerably larger cover display. The Z Flip’s cover display is tiny and makes it a lot harder to frame yourself accurately before taking a shot.

That said, cover display preview is not a make-or-break feature. So, in a nutshell, your decision should rest on your need for a telephoto camera. If that’s not a requirement, then you can’t go wrong with either the Galaxy Z Fold 2 or the Galaxy Z Flip. Both offer an excellent shooting experience in general and neither will give you any cause for complaint.