The Galaxy Z Flip’s hinge will make video calls effortless (report)

(Image credit: Tom's Guide)

Foldables are a fresh form factor for smartphones, but all the devices we’ve seen so far have one major mechanical factor in common. Whether they have the screen around the outside or inside of the fold, you can only use the device either fully closed or fully open. But according to a new rumor, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip might be usable in a third mode.

Coming from a tweet posted by Max Weinbach (via 9to5Google), the Z Flip will allegedly be able to open to either the full 180 degrees or can be fixed at 90 degrees, letting the base act as a stand for video calls while moving the display output to the top vertical section and controls and options to the bottom horizontal section, as you can see in the GIF below.

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The GIF comes from a One UI presentation Samsung gave to developers back in October (pictured in the image at the top of this page), when it first teased it was making a second foldable phone that was quite different from its 2019 Galaxy Fold. We didn’t know for sure if this handy looking feature was going to make it onto the production phone, but this alleged leak is supporting the idea that it will.

Plus, an earlier tweet by Weinbach says you can end calls on the Z Flip by closing the phone up. Given that’s how it used to work on old flip phones, it was fair to assume Samsung would bring back this feature, and we’re glad that this has been confirmed by a reliable leaker.

With the Motorola Razr now confirmed for a launch early next month as well, it’s going to be a very foldable February. To catch up on all the latest leaks and news before then, check out our Galaxy Z Flip rumors page which is regularly updated with all the information we can find on Samsung’s new flexible smartphone.

Richard Priday
Assistant Phones Editor

Richard is based in London, covering news, reviews and how-tos for phones, tablets, gaming, and whatever else people need advice on. Following on from his MA in Magazine Journalism at the University of Sheffield, he's also written for WIRED U.K., The Register and Creative Bloq. When not at work, he's likely thinking about how to brew the perfect cup of specialty coffee.