Inspired by the iconic Lancome powder compact, that's how the Galaxy Z Flip is marketed to carrier execs and retailers, automatically putting it in the fashion accessory, girly category that Samsung is apparently aiming at.
As if to confirm the new Z-series marketing focus rumors, Samsung just released a whole "design story" writeup dedicated to the Flip's life as a fashion accessory. "The Galaxy Z lineup introduces a new identity to the foldable mobile category. One that adds a fashionable touch to users’ lives," claims Tae-joong Kim, Vice President of Samsung Electronics’ Mobile Communications Business, "by combining a pocket-friendly form with striking style."
The Z Flip gets a Valentine's Day release as a fashion accessory
Cue candy colors, the Flex Mode option to take selfies easier, or use the Z Flip as a makeup accessory. We get Samsung's point, yet can't help but wonder how many twentysomething female customers it thinks will be enticed by a $1400 phone as a fashion accessory. After all, there's already Apple's iPhone for that, just look around and calculate the ratio of iOS vs Android phones that women carry.
Samsung keeps selling the Galaxy Z Flip for a girly phone
Samsung is in a pickle here, and one of its own making. When phones with foldable displays like the Galaxy Z Flip were in the form of an initial concept, their main added value was perceived as the ability to carry a big screen in a compact package. It took Samsung seven years to go from the first flexible display experiments to phones from the Fold- or Z-series, and in the meantime "rigid" handset displays grew from 4" to 6"+ on average.
The Galaxy Z Flip display size is a 6.7" when unfurled, and we doubt it will be easy to find many users who care enough that it folds into a 3" phone size. On one hand, it's very thick in a folded state and, on the other, the "new normal" phones like Samsung's own S20+ and S20 Ultra come in a 6.7-6.9 inches screen size anyway.
Galaxy Z Flip vs Razr as a phone for men
Imagine having to open your Flip tens of times a day with one hand just to check on a notification, and you can see why Samsung is trying to market it as something else than simply a big phone that can turn into a small one. That's not even counting the fact that the Galaxy Z Flip's folding screen makes more sense for jeans or shirt pockets where most men's phones reside, rather than purses or handbags which can and do carry gargantuan screen sizes anyway. Does Samsung think they should only get the Razr?
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Galaxy Z Flip form factor actually makes more sense in a man's pocket rather than a purse
This is one way to analyze Samsung's heavy marketing push to position the Galaxy Z Flip as a fashion accessory, rather than a rational calculation for the pros and cons of foldable handsets in the era of phone screens encroaching on the 7" diagonal, what do you think?
The Galaxy Z Flip is marketed as a fashion accessory, do you agree with Samsung?
Yes, it's a girly phone
35.27%
No, I can see it used by men just as easy
64.73%
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Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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