Samsung’s Flip4 5G’s “Flair” Is Made Possible By Clever Software

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip4 5G is a phone that breaks with convention. Instead of a large rigid screen, it has a bendable one, held in place by a sophisticated hinge mechanism. That said, it’s more than just a foldable phone. The unique design brings with it a host of features that make the ownership experience feel more special than that of your average smartphone.

The software works a little differently compared to traditional smartphones in that it has to be clever enough to work with the bending screen, the outer, CoverScreen as well a trio of camera sensors. At the heart of the phone is the Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 chipset which is a little better than what’s in the flagship S22 and S22+.

As I’ve stated in our in-depth review, the hardware makes the phone a competent task cruncher for even the most demanding workloads. Though you are limited to just 8GB RAM, most computational work will not tax resources to the point where you wished there was memory on hand.

Hardware & Software Cooperation
But what makes the Flip4 truly special is the way its software melds the features together through the use of its powerful hardware. Unlike a traditional smartphone, it has a dual battery setup, a bendable glass screen that functions as two independent sections, capable camera hardware and a very useful external screen. They all work together seamlessly to make the phone one of the most interesting devices of 2022.

What this means in the grand scheme of things is that the Flip4 doesn’t show signs of hesitation when using the CoverScreen or Main Screen. Switching between the two happens fluidly without any disruption to overall usability. This is especially true of flexcam, where the screen splits into two sections for a viewfinder and camera controls.

More Than Just An OOTD Companion
The 1.9-inch CoverScreen can be used to tell time, read notifications, answer text messages as well as access a number of pre-defined, helpful widgets. Besides this, when folded it acts as a viewfinder for the rear 12MP wide and ultrawide sensors. And you can also use it to switch between the two, which is something that wasn’t possible on Flip3.

In addition to this you can sync themes with your Samsung Galaxy Watch4 or Watch5, so the animations shown on your watch face are also displayed on the CoverScreen. It’s an interesting way of matching the look and feel of your gadgets.

Circling back to Flexcam, it’s an interesting way of utilizing the screen when folded halfway. When leaving the phone in L position (half opened), the phone’s software automatically recognizes this action and adjusts the screen to suit what you are doing. For example, if you’re using the camera app, the top half acts as the viewfinder while the bottom houses the controls.

The same principle applies if you are on a video call or watching a tutorial on YouTube. The Flip4’s software knows the phone’s orientation, adjusts the display to compensate for the half-folded screen. We’ve covered the Flexcam feature in a previous article, click here to read it.

Camera Post-Processing
The clever camera software that supports the Flip4’s sensors proves that megapixel count isn’t always correlated with photo quality. Despite having 12MP wide and ultrawide sensors, the phone is able to capture pictures that can shame 50MP and 64MP sensors found on mid-range phones.

The software works with the hardware to clean things up to ensure that you get the best possible results, every time. Post-processing software is able to utilize what little light is available at night and produce well-exposed, detailed shots. This magic happens behind the scenes and doesn’t require any user intervention.

We’ve covered the cameras’ abilities at length in our in-depth review, take a look at it here: Samsung Galaxy Flip4 5G Review: The Best Foldable For Everyone. You can also read the following list of articles to get better acquainted with the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4 5G:

Samsung Galaxy Flip 4 5G: Unboxing & First Impressions

Samsung Galaxy Flip4 & Fold4: What You Need To Know

How To Improve Battery Life On The Galaxy Flip4 5G Or Other Samsung Phones

What Can You Do With FlexCam On The Samsung Galaxy Flip4 5G?

Android & Security Updates
At the beginning of this year, Samsung made an ambitious claim to support newer smartphone models with 4 generations of One UI and 5 years of security updates. Flip4, being part of the Z series range, is definitely eligible to receive said updates.

The introduction of each new version of Android usually precedes that of One UI. This means that the Flip4 should receive 4 successive Android operating system upgrades (roughly equates to 4 years of OS updates) but 5 years of continuous security updates. Please read reference1 and reference2 statements from Samsung as proof of its commitment to your device.

Having the latest version of Android’s software and security updates on your phone are extremely important. They ensure that bugs or performance issues are fixed and that apps and features continue to function smoothly. Besides this, having the latest security patches ensures that you have a fighting chance of preventing hackers from accessing your personal information.

Going by Samsung’s promise, users will be able to use their Flip4 phones until 2026 or 2027 without worrying about them being phased out and subsequently being sidelined from receiving new updates. Given that most smartphone users upgrade to new devices once every 2 to 3 years, the Flip4 will continue to receive updates long after you’ve moved on the Flip6 or Flip7.

Knox Security
A much needed but often overlooked feature of Flip4 is that it’s protected by Knox Security. It’s Samsung’s own proprietary software and hardware, multi-layered protection system to ensure that your data, passwords and other information are kept as safe as possible.

Part of that protection is called TrustZone. Its goal is to isolate software that manages sensitive data such as passwords, biometrics, and cryptographic keys. Isolated from the Android operating system, it works as a barrier to prevent exposure of the aforementioned information.

Then there’s Knox Vault, which is responsible for protecting critical data like PINs, passwords, biometrics, digital certificates, cryptographic keys and other sensitive information. The beauty of it is that it runs on separate hardware from that that houses the CPU.

Functioning on its own secure processor and memory, it works with Samsung’s software to shield your data from the Android operating system and third-party applications. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to gain access to said data.

If someone tries to tamper with a Knox-protected Galaxy phone, the secure information in the vault can “self-destruct”, which prevents intrusions from getting to your data. We’ve covered the Knox security system in previous articles, learn more about it here:

Here’s What You Need To Know About Samsung’s Knox

Stronger Security Makes For A Safer User Experience

Samsung’s Galaxy Flip4 5G is packed with great features that allow it to stand out from the sea of generic, traditional smartphones. In addition to this, the company’s pledge to support continuous OS and security updates for 4-5 years will allow you to safely use one for several years before considering the need to replace it with a new device.