iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island is cute but Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 folds, and that is COOL!

The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are wooing customers this year with one small feature pasted on their foreheads – the Dynamic Island. It is a simple yet clever idea of masking the two cutouts hosting the front camera as well as the TrueDepth sensors, and has drawn eyeballs for its unique implementation. The Dynamic Island is so influential that some Android phone makers are now willing to copy it. As cute as this small dynamic pill is, it simply loses out on the charm the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s folding action does.

I have used both of these phones over the last two months, and it has been clear – Samsung’s gimmick has turned out to be more useful in everyday lives than Apple’s shape-shifting pill. You may argue that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 is even better with its larger displays and that is certainly true – who doesn’t love a tablet in their pocket, folded! But it is the Galaxy Z Flip 4’s flip phone form that is easier to use, and most importantly – it is fun to use. Even after a month, there is quite nothing as fun as the Galaxy Z Flip 4.

Dynamic Island not as cool as Fold? But why?

Whether you root for Apple every September or Samsung throughout the year, it is a no-brainer that innovation is actually happening in the Samsung camp. Yes, the iPhone 14 Pro Max that I am using right now is a brilliant smartphone to use – it has a great set of cameras, nice battery life, is a smooth performer, and is solidly built. If you want a good smartphone, I can blindly recommend the iPhone 14 Pro, or the Pro Max.

But I can’t deny that the iPhone 14 Pro is simply boring; not that boring is bad but phones can be fun, eh? The iPhone is simply not fun, especially if you settle for the non-Pro models this year. The Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro brings some sense of fun in masking ugly cutouts but it can only do a little right now – other than offering shortcuts to the music player, I don’t see the Island being any more useful. If gimmick is what you are after, this is not a fun one to play with.

Samsung does it flippin' cool!

On the Galaxy Z Flip 4, the folding mechanism gives the Flip 4 certain bigger advantages.

- You can leave the phone half folded while using the camera to get a tripod effect. Getting group photos is now easier anywhere.

- When folded shut, you get a superb selfie camera setup – a 12MP main and a 12MP ultrawide with autofocus and much better image processing. More useful while taking group selfies in tricky lighting.

- Taking video calls while working is easy, since you can leave it half folded to get a laptop-like stance for the inner 10MP selfie camera.

- That small Cover Display just shows as much notifications and information as required, and offers enough controls to manage the phone’s main functions. Great way to stay away from distractions. It also does a lot to enhance privacy of notifications when left unattended.

- Most importantly, you can fold it shut and make it fit into your trouser pockets easily. No awkward bulge for men and women! It simply fits.