YouTube has released a new update to take advantage of the Galaxy Z Flip’s “Flex Mode,” allowing the app to split the screen in two.
While watching a YouTube video on Samsung’s new flip phone while the phone is partly unfolded, the top and bottom of the screen will now switch into separate displays. The top of the screen shows the actual video, and the bottom portion of the screen displays the YouTube interface, including comments and other videos you can browse through.
Samsung says it worked collaboratively with Google’s engineers to develop Flex Mode and that the split-screen feature can be integrated into other apps. In February, Google confirmed that the Flex Mode was not exclusive to Samsung and that other foldable phones could have the feature built-in as well.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip launched back in February with a retail price of $1,380. However, reception for the foldable smartphone has been mixed. My colleague Dieter Bohn reviewed the Galaxy Z Flip, and although he was impressed with the phone’s “solid-feeling” hinge design, he said the Z Flip — along with its current competition — is more like “an expensive experiment than a real product.”
