Samsung Flip 5 Review from a previous Iphone User

Samsung Flip 5

Going from an iPhone to an Android; Specifically an iPhone 14 pro to Samsung Flip 5. Is it worth it? Lets discuss the main points, and what brought me to this decision.

We all have been there, after about 2 years our phones start to get glitchy and pull some nonsense that eventually can’t be ignored and then we are faced with the decision of what phone to get. I came from the generation of the Motorola Star Tac and Razr flip phones. There was always some charm to opening to answer, and flipping them shut to hang up. It feels powerful just like starting a gasoline engine and putting a car into gear; ok I know I lost some of you there, but these types of user experiences are important. Perhaps a better analogy would be pressing your mechanical shutter button versus tapping the screen on your live view to take a photograph.

I really didn't start researching the Samsung Flip 5 until my iPhone 14 pro starting acting up with more frequency. The timing couldn’t of been better; the fact that they were on the 5th iteration of the phone surely meant it was ready for primetime and the kinks were all worked out. I decided to preorder the flip 5 and it actually arrived before the estimated launch date. I was so excited but at the same time didn’t feel ready I must confess. I learned how to set up the phone from a few really good youtube videos! I put myself through basic training with the videos and really invested an initial 6 hours setting up from downloading all of my apps and painfully getting all the passwords entered under all of the different email addresses. Right away friends were literally rolling their eyes and not just with emoji on my decision. I promised them there was two apps coming that would allow me to imessage. At this time I’m still on the waiting list for Beeper and Sunbird apps that promise to be ready for public consumption, but only big time youtubers are using them; maybe after this post I will be able to have blue messages too??

Lets talk Design
I prefer a more compact device, it seems like jeans and shorts pockets have gotten more and more shallow. I don’t like my phone sticking out of the top or having a fear it’s going to slide out and fall in between the car seats or when I’m moving around. The Flip 5 absolutely crushes the iPhone in design and has a usable front screen. There’s a lot you can do with the phone shut just looking at that outer display. I cannot understand why Apple has been so complacent in terms of design. It just feels like it’s the same thing over an over again.

Functionality

The front screen is incredible, you can practically run most apps, watch videos, and even text or read emails from the front screen with the phone closed.

Camera
The camera on the Flip 5 is excellent but I would be dishonest if it was completely on par with the iphone. Under most photo situations it’s going to perform just as well and you can change the depth of field in portrait mode and even change the bokeh style. I think in zoom and in speed the iPhone is going to have an edge. There’s one feature that really stands out on the flip though; it’s the Selfie feature! You can have the phone opened and sitting down and with the wave of a hand it will initiate the selfie mode. There’s also a pro mode where you can manually set your exposure.

Apps
I have to tell you the apps all run just as well, with no discernible difference. I have even noticed that apps that are paid, are less money because of the fees apple charges. For that the Android is going to get the point here.

Carplay
If you’re driving a car that’s 2018 or newer chances are good you have car play. In Apple CarPlay their default navigation is maps. We all know that’s the worst choice out of google maps and waze. For me I was experiencing apple CarPlay dropping out, starting slowly, and other performance issues. The Android Play works pretty seamlessly. The only think is I think the Spotify app works better on apple. I still give this win to Android but by a lot.

Security/Biometrics
The flip 5 is equipped with face scan, fingerprint, and pin code. Modern iPhones stopped fingerprint scanning. The face detection on iPhone has gotten very good and seamless. The only time it struggles is in low light. The flip 5 face detection is so bad I turned it off. I prefer the finger print scanner anyway; it’s going to be faster. It is placed on the side of the flip 5 too, which is super convenient. The pin number entries are equal on both platforms. Samsung does have an alternate appearance face scan, and I tried with a hat and sunglasses, but it wont recognize, where apple will. I will leave this open for you to decide, if you like fingerprint; Samsung, if you swear by face scan; iphone.

Fun Factor
The flip 5 is a much more exciting phone and a conversation starter when using in public! The only thing that chips away at that is the lack of iMessage. Hopefully one of those apps will stop beating around the bush and launch already. Other then that, the Flip 5 really reins supreme in my opinion. Would I get a pc computer now? Definitely not, but for mobile device, I appreciate the flip design and how compact it is. After a few weeks, there’s no way I would go back to an iPhone. Opening to answer, and flipping closed to hang up is the best!!