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Samsung Galaxy Z Flip might not need a kickstand or tripod

It seems like Samsung's clamshell phone can do something the Motorola Razr can't.
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Published onJanuary 23, 2020

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The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is poised to be Samsung’s second foldable phone, and the first clamshell foldable from the company. We’ve already seen leaked images and specs, but another feature has since been leaked.

According to XDA‘s Max Weinbach and SamMobile, the Galaxy Z Flip screen can be opened at a 90 degree angle, and it will stay in this position. The Motorola Razr‘s screen either snaps shut or opens fully.

Basically, it locks into this position and more than just the camera will be supported pic.twitter.com/nmD8sraRx2
— Max Weinbach (@MaxWinebach) January 22, 2020

This is a pretty interesting feature as it means you might not need a kickstand if you want to use Skype or watch videos hands-free. This feature also means you won’t need a mini-tripod in some situations either, as you can theoretically just set the phone down on a flat surface and take a shot/video.

This could be ideal for those wanting to take long exposure shots or night shots in general (now we just wait for the Google Camera astrophotography port). It could also be handy for a Photobooth-style mode, as the phone intelligently snaps selfies without users having to tap the shutter key.

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The ability to lock the Galaxy Z Flip screen at 90 degrees also opens the door for smart display-style functionality in theory. We’ve already seen Google’s Pixel phones turn into digital photo frames when docked to the Pixel Stand, but I could totally see the Samsung phone delivering similar capabilities when charging (without the need for a dock).

Samsung seems to have teased this feature at its developer conference last year (as seen in Weinbach’s tweet). And the firm’s tease suggests that the phone will shift content to the top half of the screen when in this orientation.

We’ll likely need to wait for Samsung Unpacked to get official confirmation of this feature, but it will certainly help the device stand apart from the Motorola Razr.

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