Among the most successful smartphones that the year has produced so far are Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7 and Galaxy Z Flip7. The Flip is quickly becoming the phone that content creators are picking up because of its size and what you can do with the cover screen.
The Flip7 weighs only 188 grams and measures 13.7mm when folded. On the cover is a 4.1-inch Super AMOLED 1048 x 948 display with 60/120Hz refresh rate but when opened, you get a 6.9-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X screen with 120Hz Adaptive refresh rate.
The 4,300mAh battery is the largest ever on a Galaxy Z Flip, delivering up to 31 hours of video play time on a single charge. The phone is powered by the latest 3nm processor, customised for Galaxy and offers even more powerful CPU, GPU and NPU than Galaxy Z Flip6.
Here are some tips and tricks to get you started on the Galaxy Z Flip7.
Wallpaper customisation
Cover screen options (left to right): Google Maps, customisable emoji and a wide range of widgets. Picture: Mathures Paul
If you tap and hold on the cover screen, you will find a number of wallpapers to choose from. At the top of the stack is the message to “open phone for more cover screen options”. Once you are in the main screen, tap on the ‘add’ option, visit the gallery and then choose any photo that catches your eye.
You can tap and choose the clock, which will take you to a section where you can play with the font. There is one that comes with an animation; if you move this clock around, it resizes to what’s on the screen. There is also an emoji option in which you can choose what emoji appears on the screen. When you close the phone, each of the emoji is animated, and it happens when you tap them on the screen (or move around when you tilt and twist the phone).
There is also the option to choose a video/GIF as your wallpaper. With the correct GIF, the screen will look even better.
Cover screen apps
Download the app Good Luck, which almost every Samsung phone owner loves. There are a number of plug-in options. Scroll down to MultiStar and download it. Next, choose MultiStar, tap on the ‘I love Galaxy Foldable’ option, and then ‘launch widgets’. You can select exactly what you want to see on the cover screen; it can be anything. Under Enable Launcher Widget option, scroll down to find MultiStar. Tap on it and then choose GoodLuck widget. Close your phone and then see all the options on the cover screen. It means you can see Instagram on the cover screen.
Tent mode
Put your phone in ‘tent mode’. It means putting the phone in a ‘stand’ option. It will help you watch content or even record videos.
Cover widgets
First, remove all the widgets from the cover screen, except for the multi-style option. Open your phone and then add some helpful widgets. How about 2x4 battery widget? Next, the 2x4 alarm widget under clocks. If you like Spotify, add it; it looks great because it’s a full-screen widget. It will help you take care of things like turning off the alarm from the cover screen itself or reading the battery percentages of all your connected devices.
Cover lighting
To get a cool colour effect while charging your phone, visit Settings, then Modes and Routines, and then Discovery tab. Under the last-mentioned option, there is something called Charging. Tap on it to find ‘edge lighting effect once’. Choose the effect you want.
Camera tricks
Visit the camera app and drag it from right to left on the cover screen. Pop your phone into the position you want and then use the palm gesture to take photos. There is a zoom slider to help you zoom in or out, particularly helpful with videos. It is much easier than the pinch-and-zoom gesture.
Split-screen mode
Using two apps together on the Flip7 is a delight. On the main screen, tap on the recents menu and then choose the app icon (which is at the top of a page). It will offer a split-screen view, and all you have to do is choose a second app. The divider bar between two apps can be moved up or down to dedicate more screen space to any one app.
There’s more. Visit Advanced Features in Settings. Next, select Flex Mode Panel, where you can switch on the toggle. Next time you put the phone in “stand mode”, there will be a small icon on the bottom left of the screen. Tap on it to open the control panel, which offers to pause, play, or move between tracks. There is even a touchpad that you can use like on a laptop.
Let’s carry on. When the phone is folded in half, you can tell your phone to “do” an action, like turn on the flashlight, take a screenshot, or record a voice note. Under Modes and Routines inside settings, tap on Routines. Hit the ‘+’ icon and then choose the ‘if’ and ‘then’ modes to select what you want to do with a folding status.
DeX ability
You can turn the Flip7 into a mini computer. Grab a USB-C to HDMI adapter and plug in an HDMI cable from a monitor or TV. Plug the USB-C bit into your phone. You practically get a computer. Throw in a Bluetooth keyboard.
Side button secret
You can now launch any app with the side button. For all you know, it can launch an app to recognise what music is playing around you. Head into settings and then advanced features. Next, hit the Side Button feature. Switch on the Double Press option and then choose the function you want it to load, like Samsung Notes, Samsung Capture, Torch, Camera and so on.
Process AI on-device
By default, Samsung’s AI features use a hybrid mode. If the feature requires more power, then the Cloud is used. However, if you want all your data to be on the phone, there is an option. Once again, visit Settings and find Galaxy AI. Scroll through to find the option ‘process data only on device’. It means some of the resource-hungry AI features will not work well.
Set a charging limit
Make the most out of Galaxy Flip7 with these options (left to right): Have two apps in split-screen mode, turn sketches into drawings, switch off Cloud AI computing if you want everything processed on-device
Modern phones should let you set a charging limit. Usually, 80 -90 per cent is a safe point and companies like Samsung and Apple make sure your phone’s battery doesn’t get damaged. You can manually set the limit to ensure the phone is not trickle-charging through the night. Many phones have an automatic battery protection feature, but the extra step will help you further. This way, your phone will be ready for use when you wake up in the morning.
AI art tools
Hiding near the right-hand frame is the Edge Panel. Pull it out to find Drawing Assist. You can create anything on the screen and see it get transformed into something cool, while maintaining the original style.
Flip it
Samsung is offering limited-period offers on the recently launched Galaxy Z Flip7 and Z Flip7 FE. With the new offers, a bank cash back or an upgrade bonus of up to ₹12,000, the Galaxy Z Flip7 will be available at just ₹97,999. Similarly, the Galaxy Z Flip7 FE will be available at just ₹85,999, with the bank cash back or an upgrade bonus of up to ₹10,000. The company’s seventh-generation foldable smartphones have seen excellent demand in India, with the company securing over 2.1 lakh pre-orders for Galaxy Z Fold7, Z Flip7 and Z Flip7 FE in the first 48 hours since their launch in July.