1. Motorola RAZR
The original Motorola RAZR was launched in 2006, and it changed the flip phone world forever. Fast forward to 2021, and Motorola is attempting to recapture the magic with its Android variant of the RAZR. In the place of the alphanumeric keypad is a 6.2-inch OLED display. The RAZR is basically a half-size phone when the display is closed.
6.2 inch OLED (2142 x 876) display 2.7 inch gOLED (800 x 600) displayQualcomm Snapdragon 710 processor6GB RAM128 GB internal storage2,510mAh batteryUSB-C Charging16-megapixel camera5-megapixel internal camera (used for face unlock, selfies, display features) Splash-proof design
Motorola promises there won’t be a crease on the screen for more than two years of normal use. That will be the biggest test for the RAZR. Can its display last for two years of normal wear and tear?
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip
Samsung’s second foray into the foldable smartphone arena, the Galaxy Z Flip, is very much a hit-or-miss option. At its core, the Z Flip is really a great smartphone, as it mirrors the Galaxy S10+ in specs. The hardware feels high end and packs some of the best cameras. However, early user reports indicated a small crease appeared at the bend point of the phone after some use. For what you spend on the Z Flip, having a crease appear is disappointing. Samsung did pack the Z Flip with some of its touchstone features into Flex Mode which detects when the phone is half open so you can have two apps open at once.
Android 10 6.7 FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED (2636 x 1080) Display1.1” Super AMOLED Cover Display10-megapixel Selfie Camera12-Megapixel Ultra Wide Camera (Rear)12-Megapixel Wide-Angle Camera (Rear) 3300mAh Dual BatteryFast/Wireless Charging compatibleOcta-Core Processor8GB RAM256GB internal storage
One final note on the Z Flip is that its outside display is mostly useless.
3. LG G8X ThinQ Dual Screen
LG G8X ThinQ doesn’t make use of a foldable screen. Instead, it uses two separate screens that close together like a wallet. This also explains why its price tag is almost half of most foldable smartphones. Both displays are 6.4 inches in size with Full HD resolution. This device is unquestionably a multitasker’s dream, as running apps or multiple apps at once is the star of the show. Each screen can work independently of the other, so you can Twitter on one side and have a web browser on the other display. While you can go full screen, the hinge in the middle makes it a less-than-ideal experience. On the other hand, playing games on the top screen with on-screen controls loaded in the lower half display is something gamers will rave about for years to come.
Dual 6.4” OLED Full HD displaysOcta-core Snapdragon 855 processor12-megapixel rear standard camera 13-megapixel wide-angle rear camera32-megapixel front-facing camera 4,000mAh batteryFast Charging QC 4.0 plus wireless chargingIn-display fingerprint sensor128GB internal memory (expandable up to 2TB with microSD card support) 6GB RAM
4. Samsung Galaxy Fold
Introduced in February of 2019, the Samsung Galaxy Fold remains one of the best foldable Android phones you can buy. After a few months of hardware problems, Samsung tweaked the design and hardware to release a “fixed” version of the device. With a 4.6-inch screen on the outside and a massive 7.3-inch screen on the inside, the Fold is one of the largest foldable phones around. It is also one of the costliest foldable phones out there. Costing just shy of $2,000 dollars, the Fold is almost twice as expensive as most premium smartphones available today. You do get some top-end specs like 12GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, though. Samsung promises that you can run three apps simultaneously on the Fold. If you want the biggest screen with the best specs right now, the Fold is your best choice. The biggest downside? You are going to need really big pockets to carry it around.
7.3 inch Dynamic AMOLED (1536 x 2152) internal display4.6 inch Super AMOLED (720 x 1680) external displayAndroid 9.0 (upgradeable to Android 10) Octa-core Snapdragon 855 processor 12 GB RAM512GB internal memory12-megapixel wide-angle main camera12-megapixel telephoto main camera16-megapixel ultrawide camera10-megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera8-megapixel wide-angle front-facing camera10-megapixel wide-angle cover camera4,380mAh battery
5. Huawei Mate XS
The Huawei Mate XS has been widely praised for having some of the best-engineered hardware around, but it comes with a price. The most important aspect is the lack of Google services on this phone, and it is not available for the US. Designed to look and operate like a normal smartphone, the XS unfolds to become a tablet. When it’s unfolded, the Mate XS is beautiful. The crease between the screens is barely noticeable. The 6.6-inch OLED display is vibrant when it is unfolded to show off its 8-inch mini-tablet design. Throw in some excellent cameras and strong battery life and the Mate XS puts forth a strong argument as the best foldable smartphone available. Finding it globally isn’t all that difficult, but be prepared to pay well over $2,500 for the chance to own one.
Android 106.6 inch AMOLED main display (1148 x 2480 pixels)8 inch OLED display when opened (2200 x 2480 pixels) Octa-core Kirin 990 5G processor512GB internal memory8GB RAM40-megapixel wide-angle rear camera8-megapixel telephoto rear camera16-megapixel ultrawide rear camera4,500mAh BatteryFast Charging (85% in 30 minutes)
One way or another, foldable and flip Android smartphones are likely the future. Is it useful? That is hard to say, as there are not many apps optimized for the foldable phones yet. Will you get a foldable phone today? Let us know in the comments below.
