Do you remember the Moto X? If you're not an Android nerd like me, you might not, but that doesn't change how awesome Motorola's short-lived American-assembled project was.
In a nutshell, the Moto X was easily one of the most creative endeavors by any smartphone company, allowing users to fully customize their phones at a time when Motorola was still king of the "stock Android" flagship space. Users could choose individual colors or even more premium materials like wood and leather for the backplate of the phone. You could even get your name engraved on the phone and have a personalized message appear on the boot screen.
Fast-forward to 2022 where Samsung currently offers the Galaxy Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition to customers, much in the same vein as Motorola's now-defunct concept. Samsung's offerings here aren't nearly as varied as Motorola's, but from what we can tell, it seems like Samsung's version is likely a more sustainable business model than the one Motorola came up with.
Taking a closer look
Functionally, there's nothing different about a Bespoke Edition Galaxy Z Flip 4. It's the same great phone we praised in our Galaxy Z Flip 4 review, just with a custom flair that's all your own. The difference this year is that, unlike the Z Flip 3 Bespoke Edition, the Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition doesn't cost you any more than a plain old Flip 4 would.
That, alone, is a huge improvement over last year's model which cost $100 more just to give you the ability to customize its colors. Samsung also added more colors to the mix, giving users the ability to choose from 75 different color combinations. That's up from 49 color combinations with the Flip 3 Bespoke Edition.
And this isn't the only product that Samsung offers a Bespoke Edition for, either. From household appliances like refrigerators and microwaves to the Bespoke Edition Galaxy Watch 5, Samsung is offering more choices than ever for customers who like to personalize their devices.
For me, as an Android enthusiast, that's a huge part of what always has and continues to draw me to the OS and its wide-reaching ecosystem.
Samsung sent me two Z Flip 4 Bespoke Edition phones, and while I didn't get a true choice of colorways — as you, of course, would if you ordered your own — it did give me a chance to see the unique colors allotted to the Bespoke Editions firsthand. Personally, I would have gone with red backplates and a black frame to channel some Sith energy. I told you, I'm a nerd.
If anything, the Bespoke Edition is for someone who likes to use something a little different from everyone else and combined with the fact that this is a folding phone, there's little doubt using one will make you stand out among a crowd.
Could it be better?
We already saw a pretty impressive improvement from the first to the second-generation Bespoke Edition Flip phone, and I fully expect to see another leap with next year's models, as well. I also personally like the colors offered on the Flip 4 Bespoke Edition versus the Flip 3 Bespoke Edition, and I hope that Samsung continues to offer a range of hues to suit users' preferences.
With last year's Galaxy Z Flip 3, Samsung seemed to figure out a unique style that really sets the phone apart from the pack. It's not just the Bespoke Edition and its many color schemes, either, it's also the range of crazy-looking cases with rings, straps, and all sorts of other doo-dads on it either.
What could Samsung do next? I'd love to see some sort of removable back plates so that users can buy a bunch of plates at once and swap them out when they want. We've seen companies like OnePlus do this in the past and I really loved being able to customize the phone in every single way possible.
Aside from more colors for the backs and the frames, I'd love to see additional material options, as well. Things like leather, wood, or even fabric would make for some seriously amazing design options. While those particular materials don't always play nice when they get wet, it wouldn't take all that much for a user to swap it out for a glass, metal, or even plastic plate to bring back water resistance when going out in uncertain weather.
In short, I want to see the Bespoke line continue to shine and evolve. It's an incredible idea and I think Samsung has finally figured out how to create such a concept without creating too much overhead.
Flip phones are exciting enough, but what if you could customize one with your own color scheme? Red and blue, yellow and black, or even a lovely khaki green can make your Flip 4 stand out even more than it already does.
