The rectangular design of the quintessential smartphone is getting stale for lots of people, including this graying gadget reviewer. That’s why the next phone I buy won’t be another 'same, same' iteration of the iPhone. It will be a foldable, a phone with a bendable display that flips open like a book to increase its screen size and closes up to fit in my pocket.
These folding phones, from companies like Samsung, Motorola and Huawei, have been getting buzz since their debut in 2019 thanks to their novel design. But they remained niche because of issues with software and durability. And at upward of $1,500, they were too expensive.
A shift is underway. The devices keep getting better, and some are becoming cheaper. IDC, the research firm, predicts that handset makers will ship 25 million foldable phones this year, up nearly 40 per cent from last year.
After testing two sizes of foldables that arrived in stores this summer — Motorola’s small $700 Razr and Google’s jumbo $1,800 Pixel 9 Pro Fold — I’m convinced that phones with bendable screens will become mainstream in the next few years.
Most of the issues have disappeared. The Razr resembles a compact mirror and unfolds to become a traditional smartphone. The Pixel 9 Pro Fold looks like a normal smartphone when closed up, but unfolded, it transforms into a tablet. Both devices demonstrate that bendable screens are no gimmick. They can become even more useful than a traditional smartphone. Above all, they are more than adequate devices for those wanting to try something different.
Here’s what you need to know about the new devices.
Motorola Razr
Over the past decade, smartphones kept getting bigger as more consumers gravitated toward larger screens. But there are still plenty of people who might prefer a smaller phone, including those with dainty hands and shallow pants pockets.
When the Razr is closed, you control a 3.6-inch screen on the cover of the phone. It’s roomy enough to use a set of basic apps for placing a phone call, sending a text, taking a selfie or reading notifications. This is a big improvement from older compact foldables. In past phones, like the $1,380 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip from 2020, the outer screen was much tinier and showed only notifications and a clock.
I found the small screen on the Razr to be delightful. I enjoyed using it to show people photos of my dogs and my newborn.
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Google’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold is the successor to last year’s Pixel Fold, which I called one of the most impressive pieces of technology of the year. The Pixel foldable caters to the opposite end of the spectrum from the Razr: It’s a product for people who can’t get enough screen.
When the Pixel is folded, its outer screen measures 6.3 inches diagonally. That’s roughly the same as a standard iPhone screen, so it works like any smartphone.
But when you unfold it, things get more exciting. The inner screen, measuring 8 inches diagonally, is roughly equivalent to a smaller tablet like the iPad Mini or an Amazon Fire. Overall, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold is an incremental improvement from last year’s Pixel Fold. The new model is slightly thinner and lighter. The camera produced clear photos with accurate colors in both daylight and low light. The battery lasted a full day before needing a charge, which is decent.
Bottom Line
Between the two types of foldables, I’d recommend the Razr because it’s more practical in terms of size and cost. It’s cheaper than flagship smartphones from Apple and Samsung. And as a geriatric millennial who refuses to give up skinny jeans, I especially liked how the compact phone felt in my pocket.
So why, you might ask, haven’t I converted to a foldable already? The simple reason is that I have a personal preference for the iPhone’s software system, and I’m holding out for a foldable one.
There’s hope yet that this will happen. Apple has been developing a foldable iPad, according to an Apple employee who claims to have seen a prototype of the tablet. That could pave the way for an iPhone with a bendable screen. Apple declined to comment.
- The New York Times
Oman Observer is now on the WhatsApp channel. Click here
