OK, I’m finally fully set up on the Flip 5. I set up from new, didn’t do a transfer from my Pixel 7 Pro as just thought I’d start fresh.
First impressions are good! I already prefer this over the RAZR Ultra that I had a few months back.
Build quality is really top notch, but it does feel very much like the Flip 3 that I had when that first came out.
The start of the show is very obviously the cover screen. And I understand why!
It’s brilliant. It’s like a separate device all on its own and it just makes perfect sense. Sure, you can do the same actions that you can do when flipped open on the cover screen, but there’s something so satisfying about the way that it’s implemented on the Flip.
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What I am finding so handy is that all of the things you can do on the cover display are the handy things I do every day. Setting timers, checking the weather, setting alarms for home / office days, music controls (which look amazing by the way), and quickly scrolling through notifications - it’s all so well done.
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The music controls are the highlight, though. Play something and flip the phone shut and you get a ‘Dynamic Island’ style ‘pill’ that appears in the little extended cut out of the Cover Display. Tap it and it takes you to the song you’re playing with album artwork and the ability to pause, skip, go back etc. So handy.
The same thing with setting a timer. Set one (either via the cover display, or when the phone is open) and you will get the same pill with the remaining time ticking down. Tapping it will take you to the timer screen.
Brilliantly done, so handy and I am a massive fan.
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Other things I like:
Colour. I went with cream, purely because the rails are chrome, which I liked the most out of the available options. I loved the mint one, but didn’t want minty coloured chrome on the sides.
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Customisation. I mean, the level of customisation on this phone is ridiculous, even without Good Lock, which I haven’t installed yet. The Cover Display alone has plenty of options to choose from, and you can even have your own photo displayed (I have my dog!). You can choose the background colour, clock style, what app you want to be able to quick launch, the font, what shapes you want - very cool.
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Camera. So far seems good! Only take a few snaps but pretty happy with them. I am critical of Samsung cameras, but it’s aimed more at their flagships as my expectation is always (obviously) high when you’re paying that much money for an ‘Ultra’. My expectations were muted with the Flip 5 as there’s been little change year on year, but it does a solid job. Much better than the RAZR.
Things I don’t like:
It’s a Samsung. Lol. Why are there SO many duplicate apps. There’s just absolutely no need at all. Thankfully, I can get rid but it’s painful I even have to do that.
There have been too many instances where I have been asked to opt in to marketing from Samsung’s own apps which I have had to decline each time. It’s like every time you open a Samsung app it does it. Feels cheap.
I keep swiping back over the crease from the hinge which is uncomfortable. Not a big issue as I need to just do it lower on the screen, but it must just be how I swipe on my Pixel. I‘ll get used to that, though.
It’s narrow. Typing is challenging at the min, making a LOT of mistakes. Again, another one to just get accustomed to.
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Haptics. They’re disappointing. Why can’t people get this right?! I’ve been spoiled with the recent Pixels as they are spot on IMO so anything else feels like a step back. They’re not terrible, though.
That’s it for now! I will carry on posting thoughts over the weekend. I am not sure I will keep it, but I want to give it a shot. When I bought the RAZR I knew within an hour or 2 I would be returning it, whereas with this I like it a lot more and could see myself living with it. I guess I need to just test the camera a bit more and see how I get on.