The Z Flip is certainly the most appealing foldable around, but until the price drops it will remain a niche product

Not the Galaxy Fold; Dual form factor; Performs like a Samsung flagship

Screen durability remains to be seen; 5G upgrade costs more

The easiest foldable to recommend thanks to excellent design, despite its sky-high price and 2019 internals.

Great design; Nippy performance; Novelty factor

Front screen too small; Main screen is fragile; Mono speaker

The company’s new phone is a solution in need of a problem...

If you aim to make a decisive fashion statement while seeking one of the most compact phones that money can buy, the Galaxy Z Flip is your best bet with its ultra-compact clamshell design that unfurls into a massive 6.7-inch phone with respectable hardware and cameras.

This is an ongoing Samsung Galaxy Z Flip review where I share thoughts and impressions as I use the phone as my daily driver. Here are my thoughts so far after using the Galaxy Z Flip for 5 days.

Outstanding; futuristic design and cool look; Compact when closed; fits in small pockets; Generous 256GB on-board storage

Super expensive for what it is; Screen can be easily scratched or permanently damaged by a fingernail; No water resistance; Having to flip it open for practically anything gets annoying quickly

When it comes to real-world recommendations, the Galaxy Z Flip is our top foldable pick. Unlike the Huawei Mate Xs or Motorola RAZR, its screen isn’t exposed or sliding, so is less prone to damage. Meanwhile, the durable Gorilla Glass clamshell protection on the outside is as hardy as we need it to be. While the Flip doesn’t pack the utility of a phone that turns into a tablet, like the Galaxy Fold, when it comes to wow-factor, the Z Flip still has it in spades. Is it worth the hefty asking price? Definitely not if you want maximum bang for buck; but if you can afford it and crave a compact clamshell that unfurls into a full-screen smartphone, it’s the only phone worth considering right now.

Great design; Nippy performance; Novelty factor;

Front screen too small; Main screen is fragile; Mono speaker;

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is the flip-phone-style foldable smartphone with a 6.7-inch display that collapses in half. Its novelty will turn heads, but so will its extraordinarily high price. It now comes in 4G LTE or 5G, each with durable thin glass that makes it feel more durable than the Moto Razr foldable.

Neat folding concept; Cool splitscreen UI; Durable flip design;

Incredibly expensive; Cover Display is tiny; First-gen limitations

Update, July 22: Samsung announced the Galaxy Z Flip 5G will be released Aug. 7 for $1,450. Original story follows.

Samsung does almost everything right with its new foldable flip phone, proving that this experimental design has a right to exist.

Sits open for selfies and video calls; Foldable glass screen; Camera quality; Ultraportable;

Expensive; Overly small outer display; Susceptible to damage;

The Galaxy Z Flip is the first foldable phone that I really think you should buy - if you can afford it. It's not perfect - the camera, battery, and fingerprint sensor all have their flaws - but Samsung has nailed the form factor, making the Z Flip a joy to use.