Sydney Sweeney Talks New Galaxy Phone and Restoring Cars
Sydney Sweeney Declares Flip Phones Are Back
Sydney Sweeney is constantly searching for her next adventure. Whether it's taking on unexpected film projects, honing in on her hobby of fixing vintage cars, or experimenting with a daring fashion trends, she likes to change things up. That approach extends to her choice in technology as well: the Emmy-nominated actor recently made the switch to an Android phone, specifically the new Galaxy Z Flip5, which she is the face of.
POPSUGAR chatted with Sweeney on 26 July ahead of Samsung's Galaxy Unpacked event in Seoul, Korea, where the tech company announced its latest releases: two foldable phones, the Galaxy Z Flip5 and Fold5; the Watch6 smartwatch; and the Tab S9 Ultra tablet. Wearing a chic minidress by Korean designer Rokh and rocking the sleekest of ponies, Sweeney spoke about how she spends her time off, her passion for restoring vintage cars, and why flip phones are officially back.
"[H]anging up on somebody with a flip phone is a lot more fun."
"I feel very Y2K," Sweeney says, flipping open her new Galaxy phone decked out with pink charms and a keychain. "Plus hanging up on somebody with a flip phone is a lot more fun." Though Samsung released its first foldable smartphone in 2020, the most exciting upgrade to the new Z Flip5 — and Sweeney's favourite feature — is the external cover screen known as the Flex Window. You can take selfies on and customise the outer screen with various backgrounds and widgets, and the clamshell design opens into a regular, full-size screen. Basically, you've got the look of a '90s flip phone with the capabilities of a 2023 smartphone.
"I've never seen another phone have that," she says. "I love being able to just use so many different screens and I love the camera, especially being able to take photos without even pressing any buttons." It helps that she's the face of the device, after all, but despite my concerns of friends giving her sh*t for sending green texts, she assures it's been a "smooth transition." (She recently got WhatsApp, and it's quickly become her most-used app.)
She surprisingly spends a hefty amount of time scrolling through Pinterest on her phone. But instead of searching for home or recipe inspo, she has a mood board for car interiors. "I like to try and find different aspects," she says. "For my Bronco that I built, there are these really cool pouches on the sides of the doors that have old vintage suitcase clips. That wasn't a thing that Bronco created; I actually designed it. I love finding inspiration like that." Back in 2021, fans were fascinated when she revealed she collected old, rare models and restored cars herself by way of her TikTok, @syds_garage. While she's not quite ready to reveal her next restoration project, she teases it's "definitely a dream car of mine."
It seems Sweeney is drawn to breaking through typically men-dominated hobbies. She's previously spoken about feeling empowered fixing up cars, and her eyes light up as she shows me videos of her slalom skiing. "The moment I could walk, my mum threw me in the water and put me on skis," she says. "Women can do anything men can do, but in heels."
As for her next adventure, after two years of back-to-back filming New Mexico, Australia, Italy, and more, she's looking forward to spending time at home in LA, where she plans to fix up a new car. But it's clear the break won't be long; there's "so much more" she wants to achieve. When I ask her what she's inspired by, she says she's always thinking about who the 30- and 40-year-old versions of herself would want her to be. "I hope my 30-year-old self is a successful, powerhouse female and looks back and is like, 'I'm proud of the decisions you made.'"
