The second Android 15 developer preview is now available for eligible Pixel phones, and the software gives us a fresh look at what to expect once the full update rolls out. While official satellite connectivity, the return of the old taskbar for larger-screen devices, and other features are exciting, there’s one new feature in Android 15 that I’m excited about, and it’s designed to give more flip phones a flip screen they don’t have experience. deserve.
According to Google, a new property in Android 15 will allow developers to declare that their apps can be used on smaller displays, such as those used in flip phone covers. Google says the shorter size must be at least 1.5 inches and the longer size must be at least 2.4 inches.
“These screens are too small to be considered compatible targets for Android apps to run on, but your app can choose to support them, allowing your app to be used in more places,” said Dave Burke, Google VR engineering staff. This means more flip phones should be able to run full apps on their protective screens, a feature that’s fairly limited on most flip phones outside of the Motorola Razr Plus.
If you’re a fan of flip phones like me, it’s not hard to see why this is an exciting form factor for the near future.
Samsung dropped the ball
I’ve been using the Motorola Razr Plus as my daily driver since its launch in June 2023. There’s a lot to like about this phone, but the biggest draw for me is that I can run almost any app on a large phone. 3.6-inch cover screen. This means I can spend less time on the more power-hungry main display because I can reply to text messages, watch videos, and even play games without having to turn on the phone. It’s a great experience, and one I hope Samsung emulates when it launches the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in a month. Unfortunately, this is not the case.
I’ve written before about my disappointment with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and why I chose to stick with the Motorola Razr Plus despite the fact that the Samsung phone had a better chipset, longer battery life, and a better camera. For those of you who know me, it’s no secret that I love One UI, so I’d rather use the Z Flip 5. However, the flip-screen experience is quite lacking, and the Razr Plus far surpasses other flip phones I’ve used, such as the impressive OPPO Find N3 Flip. The Razr Plus may not be perfect, but that’s one thing it does right, and to me, that’s the most important thing. It just works.
Samsung, meanwhile, makes users struggle to get apps to work on the cover screen, and even then, the experience feels lacking. Out of the box, only a handful of unofficially supported apps are accessible via the somewhat hidden Labs setup, and they’ve obviously been optimized for the cover screen.
However, if you want to use more apps, you have to download Good Lock, install the module, enable the features in the module, and select the apps you want to display. It was a bit much and I had to explain the process to some friends who ended up buying the phone and they had no idea it was possible.
Samsung has apparently partnered with some developers to bring optimized versions of apps to the cover screen, which explains why the selection is rather limited. Samsung also said that more applications may be made available through the lab in the future.
The problem is that Samsung is holding back its big-screen push by failing to really take advantage of the big screen in the same way that Motorola does. It’s not entirely clear why the company has chosen to only allow selected apps to appear on the cover screen rather than trying to offer a so-called “curated” experience, but with this new feature in Android 15, Google is removing a potential roadblock , and Samsung and other OEM manufacturers have the opportunity to provide us with the protective screen experience we deserve.
After all, while it’s nice to have apps optimized for cover screens, I’d much rather have them available than unavailable, or avoid having to dig into apps and menus to make it happen. Optimization can be done later.
open the floodgates
At the moment, the Razr Plus is really the only flip phone I know of that makes full use of its cover screen in this way. However, this new feature in Android 15 has the potential to open the door for more OEMs to offer a similar experience. As a fan of modern flip phones, this is a good thing for me, but it also means Motorola will lose one of its main advantages over other devices.
After all, if I could get a Galaxy Z Flip 6 or 7 with Android 15, a decent camera, and a better overlay experience, I’d be sold. Of course, app developers and OEMs like Samsung would still have to choose to support the feature, but I can’t imagine companies being reluctant to do so when Google actually hands it over to them.
This change in Android 15 may also give us a glimpse of Google’s plans for a potential Pixel Flip. The company hasn’t revealed plans to follow up the Pixel Fold with a flip phone, but given the popularity of this form factor compared to larger foldable phones, it’s likely that Google is considering a flip phone in the future. That said, if it does, I imagine Google will want to offer a similar overlay screen experience to the Razr Plus, and maybe even work with developers to further optimize apps for smaller displays.
The global foldable market is growing, and the latest figures show Motorola is steadily catching up with Samsung, thanks to new Razr models and tougher competition in the sector. However, it’s only a matter of time before more companies like Google or even OnePlus launch their own flip phones, which means Motorola needs to give me another reason to stick with the Razr if it wants to stay competitive.