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These are my 4 favorite aspects of using flip phones

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Man holding Samsung Galaxy Z Fold with S Pen with Samsung Notes app

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The foldable phone has completely changed the way I perceive and use smartphones on a daily basis. While I can think of many advantages, thanks to everything my Galaxy Z Fold 5 has to offer, these are the ones that top the list.



1 Excellent for reading, writing and typing

Bertel King/MakeUseOf

If there’s one single aspect that makes owning a folding style book so worthwhile, it’s this. The larger internal book-shaped screen is perfect for reading e-books. It beats carrying a Kindle because it fits so nicely in your pocket.

It’s not just books; I also enjoy reading comics and magazines on my Galaxy Z Fold 5. While I’m occasionally tempted by other attractive phones like the Pixel 9 or Razr+ (2024), having to give up the ability to read my digital library keeps me going. rear.

Another reason I love using a foldable phone like the Z Fold 5 is its desktop mode – I ditched my computer in favor of Samsung DeX.


I also enjoy taking notes on my Z Fold 5 much more than the last phone I owned with a stylus, the Moto G Stylus 5G. Why? Sure, I love Samsung Notes and the many S Pen apps, but more screen space really makes a difference. It’s like using a moleskin versus a notepad. Both are convenient, but one allows for much more.

I even prefer typing on my phone’s internal screen more than any tablet style smartphone. The larger size feels less cramped, but it’s not so big that you have to put it on your lap like a tablet.

2 Superior multitasking


I do all my professional work from my phone. I regularly switch between Samsung Notes, Slack, the web browser, the Pomodoro timer, and my music app. It used to be a lot more than I’d ever want to do at once on a phone, but that changed when I encountered all the different ways I could multitask on a book-style foldable device, especially one from Samsung.

Most large foldable devices have a taskbar or dock. Most also support split-screen display, allowing you to view two or more apps side by side. This is great for copying and pasting or taking notes while browsing a web page. Samsung goes even further and adds the ability to shrink any app into a floating window like you would on a laptop.

I can tuck windows along the edge of the screen or shrink them into floating app icons (a feature most common with chat apps). Phones and tablets don’t have to be visible apps all at once, and book-style foldable devices really expand what the form factor can do.


3 Built-in stand

Taking photos with the folded Galaxy Z Fold 5 on the table.
Bertel King/MakeUseOf

I love phone stands. Having something to support your phone is better than trying to hold your phone in front of your eyes for the entire length of the video. With a folding stand, you don’t need to buy a separate stand. Your phone is a separate stand.

I use this feature all the time. I often put the phone half-bent on the desktop to watch a video on the cover screen. I sometimes do this while playing games too, although the external display of my particular phone is a bit cramped for most of the games I play.

This built-in stand is practical for photography. Allows you to take pictures that would otherwise require a tripod. You can put your phone on the side table, start recording and get footage of you playing with your baby in the car. We often think of foldable phones as folded or unfolded, but this in-between state is so valuable in itself.


4 Amazing selfie

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Galaxy Z Fold 6 unfolded to reveal camera hardware
Framesira / Shutterstock

The camera under the display of my phone is only four megapixels, and the camera on the display on the cover is 10 MP. But I don’t use them for selfies or video calls because I can simply unfold my phone and take advantage of the powerful camera on the back and use the cover screen as my viewfinder.

The usefulness of this cannot be understated, especially for those of us who work remotely. It only took a few moments to get a high-quality image of yourself for Slack. Even though I’ve held high-end phones that take great selfies, like the Pixel 9 Pro I reviewed, I still prefer the quality I get from being able to flip the foldable to use the rear camera.


Like I said before, I can go on and on. I love how easy it is to work with office documents on my Z Fold 5, whose internal screen is shaped much more like a Word document than any laptop I’ve owned. Despite the larger internal display, I like that my phone is shorter and narrower than my previous smartphones, so it feels smaller both in my pocket and in my hand. I love how great some of the games are on the bigger display, like Slay the Spire and Midnight Girl.

All these factors prevent me from going back to a weak phone. I find the folding more than worth the added cost. Don’t let the sticker shock scare you. You don’t necessarily have to pay nearly two grand for a foldable phone; the bazaar market is your friend. I bought my Z Fold 5 (open box) for one grand.

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