What you need to know
- Alongside the Galaxy Z Flip, Samsung this week unveiled 'Flex Mode', which allows for content to be split across the screen when the device is folded.
- According to Google, the Flip won't be the only phone with that feature. Other phone makers can also build it into their foldable phones.
- The Mountain View giant didn't provide an ETA, however.
If you were impressed by the Galaxy Z Flip's 'Flex Mode' — it splits the screen into two usable regions when the phone is folded at an angle — rest assured that the feature is also coming to other foldable phones and is not a Samsung exclusive.
That's according to Google, which recently told The Verge that the feature can also be built into other phone makers' products.
This type of split-screen multitasking is, of course, one of the biggest benefits of using a foldable phone. An example from Samsung's marketing materials for the Galaxy Z Flip talks about the potential for hands-free video chats or vlogging via 'Flex Mode.'
A user could simply place their upright Flip on a table and continue recording without having to hold the phone. Moreover, while the top half of the screen would show the camera output, the bottom half can be used to tinker with various controls or look at the comment you're receiving while doing a live stream, for example.
It's unclear when the feature will be available to the likes of the Motorola RAZR, though. We do know, however, that foldables are likely to only grow in popularity in the coming years (if they don't flop entirely) and with Google officially pledging support for the new form factor, this is likely the first of many foldable-focused features coming to Android in the future.
The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung's second folding phone, and it costs $1380
