During its launch event on Tuesday, Samsung showed how the bottom half of the Galaxy Z Flip can be used as a tripod for the top half of the display when taking photos — a feature that's intended to help the phone take more stable shots.
But I found myself really enjoying using the Z Flip in this mode in other ways, too. For example, I kept the phone opened half-way, with the top portion of the display propped up so that the phone makes an "L" shape, while watching a video on YouTube at work alongside my computer screen.
I could easily see this being useful in a variety of circumstances: imagine propping the phone up on a nearby table while showing friends photos and videos from a recent vacation, rather than having to hold the phone or hand it over. Or imagine using the Z Flip in this mode to watch videos or make a video call while at the airport.
These are use cases that make me see the potential for flip phones, beyond the portability and novelty behind it.