Do you ever stop and wonder at how far technology has come in the last century, especially in the last two decades? We basically went from horses and carriages in the early 19th century to self-driving cars now, and from libraries of encyclopedias to access the world’s knowledge right in the palm of your hand—yes, I’m talking about smartphones.
Even with smartphones, there’s been rapid evolution. The first mobile phones were giant bricks that could probably kill if you threw them at someone; then we transitioned to smaller, likewise durable bricks (think Nokia 3310); and when touchscreens came, our screens became bigger and bigger until the infamous phablet era, after which mainstream smartphones stayed around the 6-inch range. The standard smartphone design seems like it’s hit its peak, but lately, we’ve been seeing a revolution in action—or should we call it a renaissance?
Yes, I’m talking about flip phones. Foldable smartphones are all the rage nowadays, and the most prominent one of all is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4. The flip phone just takes portability to a whole new level, as it can fold down on itself to make a compact little square that fits into just about any pocket.
That said, having to unflip your phone just to access the most basic functions sound like an absolute hassle, but thankfully, the Galaxy Z Flip4 has an amazingly versatile cover screen that can do anything—if you don’t believe me, just read on.
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1. Convenience? Customizability? Yes.
Your smartphone is basically your identity, as we live in a world where you cannot leave the house without a phone. How do you stand out from the crowd, then?
Aside from the very distinct form factor, you can also customize your Galaxy Z Flip4 any way you like, from the inside to the outside. The Cover Screen, which is what most people look at first, can be customized with a variety of clock styles, displays, and widgets. You can even display up to 6 photos of your choice on the Cover Screen!
Plus, the widgets come with another benefit: convenience. As aforementioned, it’s quite a hassle if you have to unflip your entire phone just to check the time, but the fact is, you don’t need to do that. The Cover Screen is capable of displaying an amazing array of widgets that makes your day-to-day life so much easier. These include the standard clock, notifications, and quick settings. You can also control your music from the Cover Screen!
2. Pay For Your Food And Shopping With Just The Cover Screen!
Small but useful—that’s how we’ll describe the Cover Screen on the Galaxy Z Flip4. Apart from basic widget functions, you can also make payments right on the Cover Screen!
How, you ask? With Samsung Pay, of course! The Galaxy Z Flip4’s Cover Screen allows you to access Samsung Pay with just a literal swipe of a finger. Just swipe up to launch Samsung Pay, then select the card that you want to pay with, and scan your phone like you would scan your credit card!
3. Do A Spot Of Quick Gaming Too!
Now, did you know that you can game on the Cover Screen of the Galaxy Z Flip4? Yes, play games on the tiny Cover Screen, in all of its 1.9-inch glory. I’m not joking.
Source: XDA Developers
This is made possible by the CoverScreen OS app, which is a third-party app downloadable from the Google Play Store. This third-party app opens up even more possibilities for the Galaxy Z Flip4, including but not limited to launching apps right on the Cover Screen. And yes, that means you can game on the Cover Screen.
Being as tiny as it is, maybe playing FPS games isn’t exactly the most practical, but it’s certainly fun to try. I found it most useful for games that have daily login rewards that you don’t necessarily have the time to open up every day— with this app, you can just do it on the Cover Screen quickly!
Apart from gaming, you can also open up other apps, like Shazam, PDF readers for reading, or even social media apps.
The CoverScreen OS app might just be a third-party app for now, but it has certainly showed us how much more potential lies in the Galaxy Z Flip4’s Cover Screen. Who knows, maybe Samsung might pick up a few tricks here and there and make the Cover Screen more robust and functional in the future (cough, cough, Flip5?)!
As you can see from the above, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s Cover Screen isn’t just restricted to reading quick notifications without flipping your phone open. No doubt the familiar phrase “small but mighty” is best described by the multiple usabilities of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4’s Cover Screen!
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