Only a week in the past, Samsung lastly expanded its One UI 7 beta to telephones outdoors of the Galaxy S24 sequence, which incorporates the Galaxy Z Flip 6. The replace brings roughly the identical adjustments that we’ve seen on Samsung’s telephones, together with an up to date UI, the brand new Now Bar, and extra. Nonetheless, there’s one change specifically that caught my consideration, and it looks like Samsung is taking the fitting steps towards bettering the quilt display expertise.
I’m speaking about utilizing apps on the Galaxy Z Flip 6 cowl display. This has at all times been a ache level for me with Samsung’s flip telephones, as the corporate hides this operate behind menus and severely limits the built-in performance to permit only a handful of apps on the quilt display. That’s until you know the way to obtain Good Lock and set up the MultiStar module, which permits customers so as to add a brand new panel with entry to nearly any app on their telephone.
The issue is that not everybody who picks up the Galaxy Z Flip 6 goes to know this, and I’ve needed to clarify this course of to a couple folks I’ve run into with the telephone, who’re at all times stunned to be taught that they’ll achieve this way more on their exterior show. I really feel prefer it’s a missed alternative on Samsung’s half as a result of there’s a lot extra display to benefit from.
With the One UI 7 beta, Samsung takes a small however essential step towards remedying this. Within the Labs menu, the place you may allow cowl display apps, I seen a big “Get MultiStar” button that sends customers on to the module within the Galaxy Retailer. Above the button is a brief description that reads: “Obtain and set up MultiStar to permit extra apps on the quilt display.”
The button will basically bypass the Good Lock app and take customers straight to the supply. After it’s put in, customers can go to the Cowl display menu, the place they’ll allow the Launcher widget beneath MultiStar. Alternatively, customers can hit that very same “Get MultiStar” button from earlier than, which can take them straight to the Launcher editor, the place they’ll choose the apps they need on their cowl display.
The general expertise of utilizing apps on the quilt display hasn’t actually modified a lot, which is a bit of disappointing, given how One UI 7 has revamped a lot of the general person expertise. For instance, there’s nonetheless no solution to multitask, you’ll really need the app current on the Launcher for it to open through a notification, and also you’ll nonetheless have to open the telephone for sure duties. It’s nonetheless an inferior expertise to the Motorola Razr Plus 2024, which helps you to use apps on the quilt display out of the field and with out going by hoops to make it occur.
That mentioned, one thing so simple as including a button can go a good distance towards making extra folks conscious of what the Galaxy Z Flip 6 can do with out even opening the telephone. In need of fully revamping the whole cowl display expertise, that is the form of consciousness I’ve been hoping to see from Samsung.
There are rumors that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 will characteristic a extra expansive cowl display, which might measure a minimum of 3.6 inches or be as massive because the one on the Razr Plus 2024. That is additionally an excellent signal that Samsung might be working in the direction of rethinking its cowl display technique from being fully panel-focused to giving customers extra freedom with the smaller show.
As a lot as I like the Motorola Razr, I actually hope that Samsung takes this small change even additional with the following main replace and totally embraces cowl display apps with out the necessity for the MultiStar app. This might make the upcoming flip telephone battle between Motorola and Samsung way more fascinating when the Razr 2025 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 launch later this yr.
