Samsung Unveils the Galaxy Z Flip

Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Z Flip in February 2020, bringing a vertically folding OLED smartphone into the mainstream market. Unlike the larger Galaxy Fold, the Z Flip folded a normal phone-sized screen into a compact square.

The flexible AMOLED panel used ultra-thin glass as part of its display stack, but the hinge remained the difficult mechanical component. It had to hold the screen at different angles, prevent damaging particles from entering, and survive tens of thousands of folds while routing display connections through a moving structure.

Foldables turn software layout into a hardware problem as well. Android applications have to react when screen geometry changes during use. The Z Flip helped establish the clamshell form factor that later became a regular part of Samsung’s phone lineup.