I've been a fan of the Galaxy Z Flip since day one. Going hands-on with it for the first time at Samsung's event in February last year was an experience I'm not going to forget. The Galaxy Z Flip completely exceeded my expectations.
As you can probably tell, I'm quite excited for Samsung's next clamshell foldable smartphone. It's probably going to launch as the Galaxy Z Flip 2. Samsung is definitely going to make some improvements but there are some features that I feel will be a dealbreaker for me.
Galaxy Z Flip 2 has big shoes to fill
The Galaxy Z Flip elevated Samsung's stature due to its many technological advancements. It was the first foldable smartphone with an Ultra Thin Glass display. Samsung also engineered a more durable hinge for the device. It shipped the phone with the latest flagship processor at the time. The Galaxy Z Flip came as close as it could to being the perfect foldable smartphone.
It had a domino effect on Samsung's foldable lineup. The Galaxy Z Flip increased the market's confidence in Samsung's ability to make durable foldables. No wonder the Galaxy Z Fold 2 got a more enthusiastic reception compared to the original Galaxy Fold.
It's already been a year since the first clamshell foldable was released by Samsung. The company has shaken up its release schedule this year. Rumor has it that we may not get the Galaxy Z Flip 2 until the second half of this year. When it does arrive, I hope it has these features, otherwise I won't consider buying it.
Adaptive refresh rate
Samsung can provide a high refresh rate with a foldable display. Case in point: the 120Hz panel on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. It's high time, though, that its foldables get adaptive refresh rates as well like the established Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lineups. This will also result in an improvement in the battery life so that's an added benefit.
There's really no need in bumping up the resolution beyond FHD+ that we already get on the Galaxy Z Flip. As we've seen on the Galaxy S21 and S21+, even if the device maxes out at FHD+ with higher refresh rates, there's really nothing for users to complain about as far as the resolution is concerned.
Larger cover display
As we pointed out in our Galaxy Z Flip review, its 1.1-inch cover display wasn't of much use. Sure, it can provide previews for some notifications but the ticker tends to cut off abruptly. The cover display can even be used as a viewfinder for selfies but the tiny size remains a major limitation.
It's not possible to send quick replies or react to notifications using the small cover display. This is something that needs to change. A larger cover display will definitely be more useful. Samsung could even give us the ability to interact with notifications and shoot messages. This would eliminate the need to flip the device open every single time.
Early rumors have claimed that the Galaxy Z Flip 2 is going to feature a 3-inch cover display. That's going to be a major improvement over its predecessor. The more tasks it lets us perform without having to unfold the device, the better it's going to be.
Better cameras
Samsung did have to make certain compromises to achieve the $1,380 price tag of the Galaxy Z Flip. Unfortunately, that meant the camera setup wasn't as great as it could have been. The dual camera setup on the Galaxy Z Flip was fine but nothing special. A telephoto (zoom) camera was also missing.
That's why better cameras are on my wishlist of features that I want to see on the Galaxy Z Flip 2. Granted, the very form factor of the device leads to some constraints, but that's no excuse to treat the cameras as an afterthought.
The telephoto camera should be a part of the next clamshell's setup. It boggles the mind that a device that costs as much as the Galaxy Z Flip does misses out on this very useful piece of hardware.
Bigger battery and faster charging
The combined 3,300mAh capacity of the Galaxy Z Flip was enough to just about get a day's use but you'd be wishing for a bigger battery after heavy use. Running out of juice was always a concern when roaming networks using the camera a bit too much.
The Galaxy Z Flip 2 can certainly do with a bigger battery, particularly if there's not going to be a separate 5G variant. The 15W fast charging supported by its predecessor isn't enough, either. Samsung needs to bump it up to 25W. Seeing as how it's not going beyond this threshold in 2021 even for devices like the Galaxy S21, it's a fair expectation.
New software experiences
Flex Mode on the Galaxy Z Flip was a revelation. The rigidity of its hinge enables it to support itself. So you can basically use the phone like a tripod to take pictures and record video from a distance. It's a very cool feature that lets you achieve angles for the camera that would otherwise be impossible.
Samsung already does a great job of creating new software experiences for foldable devices. Multi-Active Window for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 is another great example. It should have something up its sleeve for the new clamshell that further sparks our imagination as to what this form factor can help us achieve.
What these new experiences can be is anybody's guess right now. They could be related to the cameras or simply be an extension of the Flex Mode. It may create something that makes the rumored 3-inch cover display highly useful. I have my fingers crossed on Samsung thinking out of the box on this.
What's on your wishlist?
Many of you may also be excited about Samsung's next clamshell foldable smartphone. What features and additions would you like to see on the Galaxy Z Flip 2? Which ones are absolute dealbreakers for you? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
