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Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge
The arrival of flip-style phones with big cover screens in the US has sparked interest among tech enthusiasts. The Motorola Razr Plus and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 are two notable contenders in this category. While both phones offer unique features, the Galaxy Z Flip 5's cover screen software appears to outshine the Razr Plus in most aspects, with one notable exception.
In terms of hardware, the Razr Plus boasts a smoother 144Hz panel with 413ppi resolution, while the Flip 5 comes with a standard 60Hz screen and 306ppi resolution. The difference in resolution is noticeable when comparing the two side by side. However, when focusing on the software experience, Samsung has taken a clear lead.
Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers a true always-on display, providing users with more customization options for cover screen wallpaper. Users can use photos, apply filters, and choose whether to display battery percentage and app icon notifications. On the other hand, Motorola's options for customizing the cover screen are limited to wallpaper selection and shortcuts to widget panels.
Moreover, widgets on the Galaxy Z Flip 5 are more functional, acting like small apps rather than providing specific information at a glance, as is the case with the Razr Plus. For instance, Samsung's default calendar widget not only displays daily schedules but also allows users to tap on events to view full details, providing a more comprehensive experience.
However, the Razr Plus stands out in the way it handles running full apps on the cover screen. Users can easily enable any app to run on the external display with a straightforward menu setting. In contrast, Samsung's option to run apps on the cover screen is buried in the Labs section of its settings, with limited app choices available. Users need to download additional modules from the Galaxy app store to access more apps, creating extra steps and complexity.
Furthermore, the Razr Plus offers a more user-friendly cover screen keyboard with a persistent input field, making it easier to type. Samsung's keyboard lacks this feature, resulting in the input field disappearing behind the keyboard and other UI elements in certain apps like Google Translate.
It's worth noting that while some enthusiasts enjoy pushing the cover screens to their limits, the average user may not be looking to run many apps on the front panel. Hence, Samsung's decision to put the app running option out of reach for most users is understandable.
As flip-style phones gain popularity, both Samsung and Motorola have the opportunity to learn from each other's strengths and weaknesses to improve the cover screen experience in future iterations. Whether used by tech enthusiasts or casual users, these advancements will benefit all users of flip phones.
