In today’s hybrid world, flexibility is the name of the game. Traditional notions of where, when, and how employees get their work done have been flipped on their head, with workers now demanding more autonomy and even voting with their feet (see: Great Reshuffle). In fact, a recent Gallup Workplace survey identified that nine in 10 remote-capable employees prefer some degree of remote work flexibility and 54% of these respondents would look for another job if their employer stopped offering remote work options going forward.       

Foldable mobile devices are uniquely positioned to deliver on the promise of work flexibility. Not only are these devices themselves flexible, they arm end users with a Swiss Army-style approach to communication and collaboration, where users have a wide array of tools at their fingertips to customize the experience that will best suit their needs. Leading the pack in this category, Samsung has designed a pair of devices (Galaxy Z Fold & Galaxy Z Flip) that will power the future of hybrid work. In fact, recent market analysis highlights that three out of every four foldable smartphones shipped worldwide was a Samsung device. When asking end users about their foldable devices, 96% of Samsung customers are satisfied and 9 in 10 say they would purchase a foldable phone again.  

Therefore, as we were mapping out our mobile innovation roadmap, it was clear that we needed to develop a tailor-made version of BlueJeans Mobile for Samsung’s market-leading foldable devices on behalf of mobile-first, hybrid workers everywhere.

  

Now available in the Google Play store, this custom app experience for the Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip utilizes every screen available to maximize the video conferencing experience.  

Specifically, when content is being shared in a meeting, the Fold and Flip provide a unique experience in Flex Mode, where shared content appears in 1080p on the top screen and attendee gallery view is present on the bottom screen for rich collaboration. This makes it easier for users to focus on both the content and other meeting participants to help foster a more equitable meeting experience. In-app messaging is also a breeze with an updated keyboard that takes full advantage of the device’s specialized screen layouts. 

 

The benefits of remote work are well understood at this point – no commute, better work-life balance – but what has been a little less clear is where specifically this newly anointed power segment of hybrid workers prefer to get work done. Optimizing video collaboration on foldable mobile devices like the Galaxy Z can help ensure work gets done anywhere. 

BlueJeans on the Galaxy Z Fold really shines when the device is extended fully to the 7.6” widescreen view that functions like a mini-tablet. Simply stated, it provides a beautiful, immersive meeting experience that drops users right into a meeting the way no other mobile device can. Additionally, this bigger screen is an ideal canvas to pair with BlueJeans Collab Board, our new digital white board that provides rich ideation and co-creation tools for mobile users on-the-go. To unleash even more device interactivity, BlueJeans is building out a series S-Pen integrations that will unlock more opportunities for mobile productivity for this next generation of hybrid workers

With flexibility at the core, workers need technology that can adapt to frequently changing surroundings and provide a variety of experiences that fit the needs of the day. BlueJeans Mobile takes advantage of Samsung’s Video Calling Effects to provide end users with a robust set of video options to modify their on-screen experience from one moment to the next. Specific features include background blur, solid color backgrounds, and virtual backgrounds.  

Being able to meet and collaborate on the go, wherever that is, is quickly rising to the top of the employee “must haves” list. A recent study by Jabra focused on employee sentiments about the “anywhere” office found that, intuitively, younger generations tend to be more open to a more extreme version of work flexibility, where the physical representation of an “office” doesn’t necessarily exist. 

The reality is that there is a significant portion of the Millennial and Generation Z population where hybrid work is all they have ever known. Amazingly, 64% of Gen-Z respondents and 63% of Millenial respondents consider their “office” to be their laptop, headset, and wherever they can get a strong internet connection. Additionally, 10% of Gen Z admit that a third place (e.g., coffee shop) is their usual workplace, 2x more than Millenials and nearly 3X more than older generations.  

These generational differences are important, because the workforce is in the middle of a tectonic shift toward younger generations. By 2029, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts Millenials will account for 43.9% of workers, Gen-Z will be 11.4%, Gen-X will make up 19.5%,  and Baby Boomers will account for 23%. With work habits and preferences being defined by the current climate, it’s no surprise that key characteristics of hybrid work, like the “anywhere office,” are only going to be more cemented and commonplace as we move forward.  

At the end of the day the world is changing, and the way our best workers get work done is changing too. Ultimately, the tools that will be adopted by these next-generation workers will be optimized for superior hybrid work outcomes. When thinking about how and where work gets done, it’s clear that mobile technology will play a centerpiece in the arsenal of highly productive hybrid workers.  

At BlueJeans, our mission is to create immersive and engaging video experiences that make your workday better. Delivering a custom meeting experience for Samsung’s lineup of foldable devices allows us to extend our vision into the future, where the hybrid workforce can truly be successful by embracing the “office anywhere” mindset and having access to flexible tools at their fingertips.