Hardware Flipper Zero Review

If you've heard of the Flipper Zero before – a device described by its manufacturer as a "multi-tool for geeks" – then there's a good chance that's due to the various negative news stories which have risen up around this pocket-sized hacking system.

There have been various videos published online which show the Flipper Zero – a tiny white candybar device with a monochrome display – doing things like spamming people's phones with Bluetooth requests or opening electronically secured doors without a key fob. Add this footage to reports that the Flipper Zero can perform other devious acts – such as cloning car keys and credit cards – and it's easy to understand why this diminutive device has gotten a bad rap.

However, having had the chance to mess around with a Flipper Zero for a week or so, we're pleased to report that the drama surrounding this product is somewhat overblown. In reality, this $170 device isn't going to turn you into a hacker overnight.

But before we get into all of that, what is the Flipper Zero? Well, it's a tiny device that comes packed with all kinds of features and functions. There's an infrared transceiver which allows it to act like a remote control (one viral prank you may have seen involves a school kid turning off the classroom screen, much to the annoyance of his confused teacher), a sub-GHz wireless antenna, RFID, NFC and GPIO connectivity.

Hacking Modern Life does a good job of debunking some of the myths that have grown up around the Flipper Zero on social media, but to cut a long story short, it won't open car doors, it can't get into every locked door (but it may be able to brute force its way in, depending on how secure the door's security is), and you can't use it to clone credit cards (but you can gain limited information from them). Custom firmware is usually required to enable some of Flipper Zero's more devious tricks, and we're happy to admit we didn't try.

Keeping on the right side of the law, it's possible to use Flipper Zero to clone your own entry cards (say, for your apartment block or office) and avoid having to carry around multiple cards. There are some other unique uses for Flipper Zero which feel both next-gen and are genuinely beneficial. For example, you can scan a lost pet's microchip to find its Animal ID and use the online database to contact its owner and arrange a return.

One of the most interesting uses we've seen so far for Flipper Zero relates to its NFC scanning capabilities. We've got loads of amiibo figurines and cards lying around the office, and having to find the right figure for a particular Switch game is often an onerous task. With Flipper Zero, you can scan the figure and save it to memory, allowing you to effectively carry around your entire amiibo collection on a single device.

On top of that, Flipper Zero can also be used as a portable games console, although we'd suggest you temper your expectations on this particular score, as the games are generally quite basic. Tetris works well (you hold the device in portrait mode), and there's a crude version of Doom available, but most of the examples we downloaded (the smartphone companion app makes this a breeze) are nothing more than fun diversions and certainly not games you'd spend hours playing on the way to work. The Flipper Zero's screen is also quite blurry when things are moving fast, which isn't ideal.

Even so, the creators of the Flipper Zero clearly have aspirations of making it a legitimate gaming platform, as they've released a Video Game Module accessory which bolts into the GPIO ports on the top of the device. Powered by a Raspberry Pi and capable of being used on its own, the module has HDMI-out (so you can play games on the TV) as well as a built-in accelerometer. Because it's compatible with Raspberry Pi projects, this little add-on massively enhances Flipper Zero's gaming credentials. Oh, and it would be remiss of us to not mention that the device has its own built-in virtual pet, which gains levels when you perform tasks like scanning frequencies or reading NFC devices.

Ultimately, the Flipper Zero is a difficult product to review. It has so many uses that it's almost impossible to sum them all up here, but unless you're a serious tech geek, we'd argue that you'll barely scratch the surface when it comes to fully exploring its potential.

For gamers, the ability to store NFC data makes this a great way of leveraging your amiibo collection, and there's some minor fun to be had playing the various games created for the platform – but for the asking price, Flipper Zero is far better suited to people who love hacking things and messing around with technology.

If you happen to be one of those people, then this technological Swiss army knife comes highly recommended.