Like many Indians, I am addicted to my smartphone, and I am no longer hiding it. But I have started to question the way modern phones are designed. Their slab-of-glass form factor makes them easy to reach for and even harder to put down.

Flip phones, however, feel different to me. Something about their design encourages more intentional use: you open them when you need them, snooze notifications, and take a break from the endless demands of staying connected.

I am not saying that using Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 8 turned me into a believer in dumb phones or convinced me to disconnect from the world. But I will say that its flip form factor brought back a sense of calm. That’s why I’ve started calling Samsung’s latest Z Flip 8 the “zen phone.”

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The compact form factor slips easily into a pocket and, when folded, almost disappears from view. It lets you stay connected to the outside world without demanding your attention every second — giving you the freedom to decide when to engage and when to tune out the noise.

Since I’m constantly looking at a screen, the Galaxy Z Flip 8 gives me a more minimalist, almost “dumb phone” experience without making me give up smartphone conveniences.

Perhaps the one thing that helped me the most and turned the Flip 8 into a “zen phone” was deleting all my social media apps, including Reddit, which I am currently obsessed with and addicted to.

Changing your phone may not solve the problem, but changing how you use it, along with developing healthier habits, can help create a more positive mindset. I am not against modern smartphones. Phones are useful and can make our lives easier, but self-control is necessary, and many of us struggle with it.

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A minimalist phone at heart 

I have tried switching to dumb phones in the past, like the Nokia 2660, but their limited features completely cut me off from the outside world, and as a tech journalist, I can’t afford to be disconnected.

Samsung’s flip-style smartphone isn’t just a cool-looking device but is also designed to be less addictive to phones.

But I always wanted a smartphone that could help limit my screen time. Samsung’s flip-style smartphone isn’t just a cool-looking device that’s more powerful than dumb phones; it’s also designed to be less addictive than other phones.

Because opening the main screen takes a little more effort, you naturally open it less and rely more on the smaller cover screen. The change may not be obvious at first, especially if you’ve never used a flip-style foldable phone, but once you get used to it, you start to notice something else: just how much time you may have spent mindlessly scrolling through social media when you could have been doing something more meaningful or productive.

That’s where the Flip 8 makes a difference for me. It encourages you to be more present, use your phone with greater intention, and spend less time getting lost in the endless scroll.

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Its design is reminiscent of old-school flip phones, but in every sense, it’s a modern smartphone.

I rarely felt the need to use the internal 6.9-inch display, except in a few cases,.

While the Flip 8 doesn’t change the formula, I noticed one small change. The edges are still flat but now slightly tapered. This subtle tweak makes it much easier to unfold the phone. So, even though the Flip 8 may not look very different from its predecessor, these small design tweaks make the new flip phone much better from a usability standpoint.

Window to the world

The Flip 8 has two screens: one on the front and another 6.9-inch foldable display that fills the entire inside of the phone. When closed, the phone has a 4.1-inch cover screen that lets users view and respond to notifications. I spent about 85 per cent of my time using the cover screen on the Flip 8, which tells you exactly why I favour it over a traditional slab-style smartphone.

The phone also supports a dual video recording.

I rarely felt the need to use the internal 6.9-inch display, except in a few cases, especially before going to bed when I wanted to catch up on the news. I made sure to download the apps I use the most and can’t navigate my digital life without, while intentionally deleting all social media apps.

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Perhaps the reason the Flip 8 worked so well for me, as I mentioned earlier, is the sheer usefulness and practicality of its outer cover screen. I could add apps by scrolling up through the app drawer and tapping “Add apps” to access any app installed on my phone. On my Flip 7, I had to navigate through multiple settings menus to do the same thing.

The Flip 8 makes accessing apps on the cover screen much easier. I added Google Maps, the Calculator app, Spotify, and other apps I use most often, and I access them from the cover screen. This is the kind of screen I wanted for doing “phone-y things”, even texting someone or replying to an email.

The quality of both screens is good, but I have been intentionally watching YouTube videos on the cover screen, and I am adjusted myself to the small screen size.

The quality of both screens are good.

Little tweaks here and there

I also found the cover screen useful for managing alerts. You can quickly see, interact with, and dismiss notifications right from the front screen, something that feels right on a flip phone.

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The Flip 8 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy.

What also helped me turn the Flip 8 into a “zen phone” was turning off notifications after 10 pm and enabling Do Not Disturb when I was busy. I don’t think everyone deserves my attention, and being selective about whom I interact with has helped me cut out the outside noise.

While the Flip 8’s flip form factor and the deletion of social media apps helped me break my smartphone addiction, I also downloaded apps and changed the phone’s settings to help limit my time on the device.

One thing I realised later during the review was that, while I deleted all my social media apps from day one of using the Flip 8, the phone’s cover screen simply isn’t the right size for scroll-heavy apps such as Instagram.

For example, I relied on Opal, which helps reduce phone use by tracking screen time, providing detailed reports, and letting you block apps or make them harder to open. I also tried Niagara Launcher, a third-party app that helped me cut down on doomscrolling by simplifying my phone’s interface.

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With only five essential apps on the home screen, a less visually appealing app drawer, and a monochrome theme, it makes me more mindful about when and why I use my phone.

Flip-style foldables are not for everyone, and that’s okay

After using the Flip 8 for a few days, I realised the flip-style form factor is still one of the best ways to curb my smartphone addiction. I don’t expect everyone to follow me and switch to a flip phone in 2026. I am privileged enough to try new smartphones, and with an asking price of Rs 119,999, the Flip 8 sits firmly in luxury territory. (I hate how the memory crisis has made smartphones so expensive.)

I am not even sure I would recommend it. But I will say this: even though flip foldables are no longer as hot as they once were, the form factor has a unique quality: it can turn a smartphone into a more minimal, distraction-free experience without forcing you to compromise on features or settle for a poor-quality display.