Latest news with #Razr
Phone Arena
12 hours ago
- Phone Arena
Samsung might have one more foldable surprise planned for Unpacked
Galaxy Z Flip 7 Spigen slips up—and spills the name Galaxy Z Flip 7 Z Flip 7 Receive the latest Samsung news Subscribe By subscribing you agree to our terms and conditions and privacy policy What to expect from the Z Flip 7 FE Flip 7 Z Flip 6 Now that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE is all but confirmed, would you be interested in a more affordable foldable from Samsung? Maybe – depends on how it compares to the Razr (2025) No – I'd rather go for the full Galaxy Z Flip 7 or Fold I prefer Motorola's foldables anyway Not interested in foldables, even at a lower price Maybe – depends on how it compares to the Razr (2025) 0% No – I'd rather go for the full Galaxy Z Flip 7 or Fold 0% I prefer Motorola's foldables anyway 0% Not interested in foldables, even at a lower price 0% Samsung's foldable trio is almost here Galaxy Z Flip 7 Z Flip 7 Z Fold 7 Recommended Stories Galaxy Z Flip 7 Galaxy Z Fold 7 Galaxy Z Flip 7 Grab Surfshark VPN now at more than 50% off and with 3 extra months for free! Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer Samsung's July Unpacked event is just around the corner, and the spotlight is expected to shine on the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 . But now it looks like there could be a third foldable crashing the party. A new case listing leak suggests that the long-rumoredFE is very real—and it's likely debuting alongside the flagship spotted by Android Central, popular accessory brand Spigen briefly listed cases for both theand a mysterious 'FE.' The listings were pulled shortly after, but not before confirming something key: Samsung's budget foldable will indeed carry the '7' branding, rather than launching as just a generic Flip notable because last year's Galaxy Z Fold FE launched without a number, creating some confusion over Samsung's naming strategy. This leak suggests Samsung wants the FE edition to feel like a proper member of the current generation—even if it cuts a few corners to hit a lower Samsung hasn't officially acknowledged the Flip FE, leaks and rumors give us a pretty solid idea of what to expect. According to CAD renders and early specs, theFE will look nearly identical to the Galaxy Z Flip 6 with a 6.7-inch main screen and a 3.4-inch cover display. But the changes will be under the FE model is rumored to use an Exynos 2400e chip, instead of a Snapdragon flagship processor. It may come with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and the display is expected to offer FHD+ resolution and a 120Hz refresh you're wondering about the price, local reports suggest it could cost around ₩1 million in South Korea, which would make it roughly 30% cheaper than theWith this leak, the chances are high that theFE will be announced at Unpacked alongside theand. That would mark a big shift in Samsung's strategy — bringing a more affordable foldable to market at launch instead of months a move that makes sense when you consider how competition is heating up. The newly launched Nothing Phone (3) is bringing some serious design flair and flagship power at a lower price point. For Samsung, a cheaper foldable could be the way to maintain its edge without asking users to pay $1,000+ just to try a foldable form for more on Samsung's foldables? Check out our in-depth hubs for the, andFE for the latest news, leaks, and analysis.
Phone Arena
3 days ago
- Business
- Phone Arena
The Motorola Razr (2024) gets an irresistible $150 discount plus a gift worth $49.99
Don't intend to wait for this year's Prime Day phone deals? Well, if you're into flip phones, now might be the ideal time to grab the Motorola Razr (2024) for $150 off. In fact, not only do you get to save 21% on the $699.99 device at the Motorola Store, but you also receive a free $49.99 Razr strap case with your purchase. That's some $200 in savings right there, and it's not even Prime Day yet! Gift $549 99 $699 99 $150 off (21%) The Motorola Razr (2024) is currently available for $150 off its original price at the official store. We haven't seen such a generous promo at Motorola in quite a while, so it's definitely worth checking out. On top of the juicy price cut, you get a $49.99 strap case that matches your chosen Motorola Razr color free of charge. Buy at Motorola Although we came across a $200 price cut at Best Buy not long ago, this promo is no longer available. At the time of writing, the merchant gives you a $150 price cut, while Amazon only matches this discount on the Koala Gray Motorola phone might have a successor already, but it's still a very stylish flip phone. It features two great-looking displays: a 3.6-inch OLED cover screen and a 6.9-inch OLED touchscreen, delivering vibrant visuals. But it's not just the display and design that make this bad boy a worthwhile choice. It also offers great performance with its MediaTek Dimensity 7300X chip. Sure, it doesn't crush the benchmark tests, as you can see from our Razr (2024) review, but everyday tasks run like a breeze. What about the camera? It features a 50MP main sensor and a 13MP ultra-wide snapper. Photo quality is decent overall—nothing mind-blowing, but good enough for casual use. The main camera can sometimes produce oversharpened images, so keep that in mind. Software-wise, the Razr is promised three years of Android updates and four years of security patches, so it'll stay reliable in the long run. Still, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is considerably more promising on that front (and it's also considerably more expensive). At the end of the day, we might have to wait until Prime Day 2025 phone deals go live, but for impatient shoppers, the Razr (2024) is a bargain right now. Get yours right now for $150 off and receive a free matching strap case worth $49.99. Secure your connection now at a bargain price! We may earn a commission if you make a purchase Check Out The Offer
Mint
7 days ago
- Mint
Moto RAZR 60 Ultra Review: The (almost) no-compromise flip phone
It happens every year. Motorola launches a new Razr foldable with gorgeous finishes, better cameras and the latest chips, and the best cover screen experience on any clamshell style foldable…only to be bettered ever so slightly by the reliability and refinement of the latest Samsung Z Flip. This year feels different—sure, the Z Flip 7 launch is just around the corner, but the Razr 60 Ultra ( ₹99,999) feels not only more complete than any Razr in the past few years—up a notch, if you will - but also a clear signal that Motorola has gone all out with this model to compete strongly, no matter what Samsung turns out. Unboxing the Razr60 Ultra is a sensory experience unlike any other. Not only do you get a full complement of in-box accessories—a 68W charger and a protective cover that's color matched to the phone's paint job, both rarities for the price segment in which the Razr 60 Ultra operates—but opening the scented box leaves this lingering fragrance that one absolutely does not mind. Look and feel There's just the single spec variant—16GB memory + 512GB storage—in three 'Pantone Curated" color variants: a Mountain Trail (wood finish), a Scarab (Alcantara finish) and Rio Red (vegan leather finish), of which I had the black Scarab variant for review. Right off the bat, it looks and feels different, with the suede-like texture on the lower half making it comfortable to grip and to hold, although it is a tad top heavy when unfolded, plus you'll want to take a little extra care of the Alcantara finish. Going beyond the materials, you may recall that the Razr 50 Ultra was a stunner of a smartphone, so sticking with the same overall styling isn't a surprise, although the sturdiness has been upgraded from its predecessor. A 'tested-for-800,000-flips' reinforced with titanium stainless steel hinge pairs with the aluminum frame for structural rigidity, and a sealed off design now allows the phone some degree of dust ingress protection, IP48 as compared to the last year's non-existent IPX8 rating. Using it at the beach could still be somewhat risky, but an IP48 rating is about as good as it gets for a flip phone right now. Motorola has persisted with a fingerprint-sensor on the power button on the right, skipping an in-display unlock which works no matter if the phone is flipped open or shut, and there's a du jour AI button to trigger the AI assistant. Thinning the bezels while keeping the overall dimensions the same has allowed Motorola to fit in a slightly larger 6.96-inch, 2912×1224-pixel pOLED display, which when opened, edging ahead of even the biggest candy-bar flagships around. The high-resolution display is crisp and unsurprisingly Pantone-certified for color accuracy, but its biggest draw is the zippier 165Hz maximum refresh rate. Granted, it'll only ever be seen in a handful of games, but everywhere else, the 120Hz refresh rate felt perfectly smooth. At a peak 4500 nits brightness, it's great for watching HDR content (not on Netflix, oddly), and the 2000 nits in high brightness mode is perfectly visible in the bright summer sun. After two weeks' worth of unfolds, the horizontal crease is still difficult to spot even when reading pages/playing games in landscape, but there's a hint of an undulation when you swipe your finger across. The speakers are surprisingly loud and punchy, more so for a flip phone. Evenly matching the inner display is the 4.0-inch Gorilla Glass Ceramic-protected outer display, with similar 165Hz maximum refresh rate and Dolby Vision/HDR10+ support, a tack-sharp 1272×1080-pixel resolution, 3000 nits peak brightness and crucially, a screen large enough to manage most tasks – checking notifications, reading emails, typing out quick responses on the on-screen keyboard, and running (mostly) any app you want on the display – without having to open up the phone. Motorola Razrs have consistently led the pack in cover screen functionality, and the Razr 60 Ultra follows down the same path, a much better approach than Samsung's widget-first world on the Z Flip 6. Under the hood There's a lot going on underneath those Pantone-approved surfaces – the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite takes the Razr 60 Ultra to proper flagship territory, although the handset can get a bit warm under load and see throttled performance in these cases. Not entirely unexpected given the constraints of a flip-style foldable, but everyday performance can't be faulted, with apps loading instantly and zero lag while scrolling or switching between apps. Gaming was fun too, and while I could manage Call of Duty Mobile without dropped frames, I'd suggest a non-folding phone for serious gaming duties. Using the Razr 60 Ultra as an everyday carry doesn't come at the expense of battery life, either. Motorola has managed to clear out enough space to fit in a 4,700mAh cell (up from 4,000mAh on the previous gen), and the result is a noticeable boost in longevity. Depending on how much of your work gets done on the outer screen, you could pull off a day and then some on moderate to heavy use, with both displays in active use. Pretty darn good for a flip-style foldable, and then there's the 68W fast charging that reaches full charge in just over 40 minutes. And no, Motorola hasn't scrimped on the 30W wireless charging and 5W reverse charging for your earbuds. In a move that would surprise absolutely no one, Motorola's gone all in on AI in its 2025 foldable, even as one has to commend the brand for its firm restraint in avoiding the temptation of software bloat. You get the regular Moto gesture shortcuts and customization options atop what feels like fairly stock software (Hello UI based on Android 15), and a few handy first party apps. The Razr series is the first to get the dedicated AI button to invoke Moto AI features, such as 'Update Me", summarized notifications from messaging apps, 'Take Notes" for recording, transcription and summarization of notes, 'Remember This" to locate screenshots photos and notes using contextual search. What's not in synch with its peers is its long-term software support policy, with three OS upgrades and four years of security updates falling behind the seven years of new Android versions and security patches from the likes of Google and Samsung. Photos and more Last year's Razr 50 Ultra ditched the ultrawide secondary shooter for a dedicated telephoto snapper, and this year, Motorola has brought a 50MP ultrawide back, acknowledging the fact that ultrawide perspective cannot be manufactured, but zoom action can be achieved with digital cropping on a large main sensor. The 50MP main lens, with a larger sensor and better light-gathering abilities, now crops 2x zoom for a middle-ground best of both worlds approach. The result? While primary sensor performance is full of details and consistent colors, dynamic range is improved and low-light images are usable with reduced noise, the downside is that close-up portraits lack detail previously offered by the dedicated telephoto. Well, at least cityscapes and group shots get that extra perspective, and you don't have to take all those steps back to compensate. The selfie shooter is hugely upgraded, a 50MP unit that takes sharp selfies with natural skin tones and good detail in good light, and slightly softer but perfectly usable selfies in low light. I like that Motorola really leans into the form factor with the camcorder mode when you hold the phone half open, and the cartoon mode on the external screen is great to draw attention for easily distracted young subjects. Verdict The Motorola Razr finally feels like an Ultra phone this year, with a proper flagship chipset, a bigger battery with boosted battery life, mature software, good camera upgrades, and displays – both outer and inner – that are unsurpassed right now. It's Motorola's most ambitious flip phone to date, and it shows up every day without compromise, which is refreshing for a category plagued with having to make one too many compromises over regular candy-bar phones. Hands down, no other clamshell is as convenient and easy to use while closed, likely the biggest compliment a flip phone can get.
Digital Trends
25-06-2025
- Digital Trends
What's the best flip phone design? I tested several to find out
Over the past five years, every list of the best folding phones has had a plethora of book-style ones, most of which follow the same form factor and overall design concept. There's a big smartphone-sized front display, and when you unfold it, you get a tablet-sized screen. The design of book-style folding phones has mostly reached its final form — until tri-folds become popular — but the opposite is true for clamshell-style flip phones. Here, every phone maker is trying to solve a key problem — how to make a smartphone smaller — with wildly different approaches to the Cover Display. Samsung is launching the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in two weeks, and it's expected to feature a fuller front display that's more akin to the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025. It's unclear whether Samsung will make it as easy as Motorola to run any app or widget on the front screen, or if the company will stick to its current approach of offering a curated experience. Recommended Videos Is this the flip phone's final form factor? Or should Samsung have stuck to its existing approach, or even followed the vast array of different front designs found in Asia? To dive deeper, I tested several different flip phones; here are the phones I tested, along with their unique approaches to the flip phone format. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: the big smartwatch The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to have a better front display than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, as the latter features a folder-style design and a 3.4-inch cover display that's smaller than the competition. In contrast, the new one will feature a full-screen display on the front, likely measuring 4 inches. Samsung Galaxy Flip 6 specs Dimensions 72x165x6.9mm (unfolded) 72x85x14.9mm (folded) Cover display 3.4in AMOLED, 720×748 Main display 6.7in AMOLED, 2640×1080, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 12MP (rear), 10MP (front) Battery 4000mAh, 25W Wired15W wireless Weight 187 grams This approach to the design has necessitated that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 Cover Display offers a far more curated experience. This means that you can't easily run any app on the front screen, unlike the competition. Instead, you must use the Good Lock app and its modules to achieve an inferior experience. Samsung has developed a range of impressive panels and experiences for the front screen, but this remains a walled-garden experience that's far less flexible than it could have been. The various panels are optimized for the folder-style design of the cover display, which has proven to be a unique and elegant solution for accommodating the cameras. However, it's no surprise that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to signal a shift in strategy. Samsung's approach to the Galaxy Z Flip 6's cover display is more akin to the lack of customization and flexibility offered by a smartwatch, rather than the compact, full-Android experience provided by its biggest competitor. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025: the mini phone The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 — also known as the Razr 60 Ultra — is the third generation of Motorola's current flip phone design language, and arguably the current gold standard for flip phones. The first flip phone to be branded the Ultra experience, it offers almost everything you can need from a flip phone. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 specs Dimensions 171.5 x 74 x 7.2 mm (unfolded) 88.1 x 74 x 15.7 mm (folded) Cover display 4in AMOLED, 1272×1080, AMOLED, 165Hz Main display 7-inch AMOLED, 2640×1080, 165Hz Cameras 50MP + 50MP (rear), 50MP (front) Battery 4700mAh, 68W Wired, 30W wireless Weight 199 grams We recently tested the smartphones with the best battery life, and the Razr 60 Ultra outperformed virtually every phone, including top models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Key to the Razr 60 Ultra experience is Motorola's approach to the front screen, which is also the gold standard for functionality. Motorola was the first to switch from a small, curated front screen to the expansive displays we have today. Along with this, the company has a clear strategy: the front screen is a compact phone that's always in your pocket. It has all the specs you could want from a flagship screen, including a 165Hz refresh rate that's market-leading. The Razr Ultra 2025 is the gold standard for flip phones This means that the Razr Ultra and the rest of Motorola's flip phones, including the Razr 2025, allow you to use every feature on your phone. Whether it's changing quick settings, reading and responding to notifications, playing games, checking widgets, or accessing any app, you can do it all on a Razr. It's essentially the same concept as a book-style foldable, except it goes from big phone to little phone instead of big phone to tablet. There are naturally some pitfalls to this, namely in how to accommodate the cameras, but even here, Motorola has optimized the experience specifically for the Razr. If you'd rather not have the screen overlap — or the many times you need to access bottom menu items that are otherwise covered by the camera — you can enable a black bar at the bottom. The screen becomes smaller, but it is the mode I use the most. One key advantage of the Razr's approach is that the front screen is ideal for many features where a large display is not necessary. Scrolling Instagram allows you to see one post at a time. Navigating with Google Maps is ideally suited to the screen's aspect ratio. Setting alarms, quickly triaging notifications, and using the cover display as a camera viewfinder are all ideally suited to the Razr form factor. The Razr Ultra 2025 is the gold standard for flip phones for good reason. Huawei Pura X: the small tablet Samsung and Motorola have primarily focused on flip phones designed to make smartphones smaller. At the same time, competitors like Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei have taken alternative approaches designed to rethink the front screen concept. As it turns out, there are benefits to all of these. One of the most interesting phones I've used this year is the Huawei Pura X. Huawei was one of the first to launch a book-style folding phone in 2019, and since then, the company has also released the Mate XT with a triple-folding screen, and is working on a rolling phone. Huawei Pura X specs Dimensions 143.2 x 91.7 x 7.2 mm (unfolded) 91.7 x 74.3 x 15.1 mm (folded) Cover display 3.5in LTPO2 OLED, 980 x 980, 120Hz Main display 6.3in AMOLED, 1320 x 2120, 16:10, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 8MP + 40MP (rear), 10.7MP (front) Battery 4720 mAh, 66W wired, 40W wireless Weight 194 – 196 grams It's not just those folding phones, however, as the company also unveiled the Pura X, which is a unique take on the flip phone form factor. Instead of a big phone that folds into a smaller one, the Pura X is a compact phone that unfolds to reveal a compact tablet. The display's 16:10 aspect ratio is designed for watching movies and video content, which is traditionally shot and released in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The Pura X does have its challenges. It runs a highly optimized version of HarmonyOS, which is also used in everything from regular phones and laptops to cars and smart home products. The Square Cover Display offers a few shortcuts to key apps, but swiping up allows you to access the full phone, including all of your apps. Imagine a 7-inch tablet experience in half the size, and you have the Pura X front screen. One added benefit of Huawei's approach is that the camera is separated from the display. As a result, instead of the dual camera setup of most flip phones, the Huawei Pura X has a quad-camera setup that's one of the best of any flip phone. It's a great all-around phone, made possible by the design approach. Oppo Find N3 Flip: the vertical display The majority of flip phones have featured a horizontal front display; however, before the industry shifted towards the current all-screen-on-the-front design language, Oppo demonstrated what is possible with a vertical cover display on a flip phone. Oppo Find N3 Flip specs Dimensions 166.4 x 75.8 x 7.8 mm (unfolded) 85.5 x 75.8 x 16.5 mm (folded) Cover display 3.26in AMOLED, 382 x 720 Main display 6.8in AMOLED, 1080 x 2520, 21:9, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 32MP (2x zoom) + 48MP (rear), 32MP (front) Battery 4,300 mAh, 44W wired Weight 198 grams The Find N3 Flip is almost two years old, but it remains one of the few phones that tried a vertical screen approach. The decision was understandable, especially since the logic was that the cover display could be a small phone, which we naturally use in a vertical orientation. The Oppo Find N3 Flip features a 3.26-inch cover display, and Oppo has built an optimized software experience that is more useful than a smartwatch and less distracting than a normal phone. It's the ideal experience for those times when you urgently need to perform a task, and don't want to be sidetracked by an errant notification on your phone. One of the biggest benefits of the vertical screen approach is that while the screen is smaller, apps don't need to be optimized to run on it. Instead, the phone can scale down an existing app, and it works fairly well. The horizontal orientation on the Razr 60 Ultra screen crops the display so you have to scroll more, whereas the Find N3 Flip can show more on the screen, albeit with smaller text. Huawei Pocket 2: the pocketwatch From the same company that brought us the mini tablet flip phone comes the modern pocketwatch flip phone. The Huawei Pocket 2 is unique, as its front display is a small circle, essentially a contemporary take on the traditional pocket watch. Used for hundreds of years, the pocket watch is a staple when it comes to telling the time, and the Pocket 2 is designed primarily with this function in mind. There's a selection of curated widgets for the cover display, and it is also in use when making payments. Naturally, you can also use it as a very small viewfinder when taking a photo. Huawei Pocket 2 specs Dimensions 170 x 75.5 x 7.3 mm (unfolded) 87.8 x 75.5 x 15.3 mm (folded) Cover display 1.15-inch LTPO OLED, 340 x 340 Main display 6.94-inch LTPO OLED, 1136 x 2690, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 8MP + 12MP + 2MP (rear), 10.7MP (front) Battery 4520 mAh., 66W wired, 40W wireless Weight 199 grams Talking of photos, what is the biggest benefit of sacrificing on the cover display? The first-ever quad camera setup in a flip phone, as well as 40W wireless charging for the first time. The Pocket 2 front display won't be for everyone, but it's a worthwhile sacrifice for the other features that are packed into the Pocket 2. The best of the rest Of course, other flip phone designs are worth mentioning, but the above five offer the best flip phone experience. If you want a flip phone that oozes luxury, there's a strong chance that you'll consider the vast array of unique Razr Ultra 2025 colors, especially the pink or red leather or the reclaimed wood. However, if you want something more luxurious, the Vivo X Flip is the answer. The reason for this is the textured vegan leather finish, which looks stunning, especially in the purple finish. Then there are older flip phones, such as the Razr 2023 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4. These feature a pager-like design with a small display strip across the front of the phone. These offer limited features, and even the base Razr 2025 now offers a large 3.5-inch display, as the previous design lacked the utility we've come to expect. With fewer companies focusing on the flip phone market, just as the book-style folding phone market is fiercely competitive, it's no surprise that we're starting to see flip phones mostly adopt the same overall design. As the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra shows, that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a reason it's one of the best phones you can buy, whether it's folding or not.
Digital Trends
24-06-2025
- Digital Trends
Flip foldables are running into design wall, and you're just going to accept it
When foldable phones first arrived on the scene, it was a durability disaster at Samsung. It took the company a few generations to fix the underlying hinge and display issues. And by the time the formula was perfected, every smartphone brand had already put their foldable phones on the shelf, except Apple. As the design matured and clamshell foldable phones arrived on the scene, the price came down while the hardware kept getting more refined. But soon, Samsung hit a design wall, a well-known trope that continues to haunt Galaxy phone buyers to date. The situation at Motorola, the only other foldable phone seller in the US market, wasn't too different. Recommended Videos Just a day ago, purported renders of Samsung's upcoming foldable phones — the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and a cheaper FE model — were leaked. The latter looks identical to Samsung's current-gen Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6, while the former wants to play blink-and-you-miss-me with Motorola's Razr 60 Ultra. Or it's Razr 50 series rival. Or the Razr 40 Ultra. Just take a look at the images above. The Samsung and Motorola phones look virtually identical, inside and out. The only difference? Motorola likes its branding on the rear shell, which it likes to experiment with. This year, it was Alcantara and wood. Last year, the company was experimenting with vegan leather in a variety of colors. Samsung, on the other hand, hasn't tried anything except glass and metal, with a matching tone of the metallic side frame. Your only chance of standing out? Pick one from the Samsung-exclusive colors with a black side frame (yeah, that's the only difference) that is only sold via the brand's website and colors. On the outside, each brand wants to maximize the area of the cover display, which is a meaningful endeavor. After years of attempts, both brands (and a few from China) have landed at the exact same formula. An edge-to-edge screen with floating camera lenses and an LED flash module. The similarity runs so deep that if you don't carefully look at the rounded corners and sides, you won't be able to tell a Motorola Razr apart from a Galaxy Z Flip later this year. The situation with the inner foldable display is even more difficult. But then, every slab phone is also starting to look the same, including Samsung and Motorola. Does it make sense? That's a million-dollar question, and the answer would depend just how much work you can get done solely off the cover screen. Smartphone brands keep trying to one-up each other by claiming how immersive the secondary outer display on their foldable phone is. 'Largest and smartest external display,' that's what Motorola claims on its website. In a few weeks, Samsung will be fighting for those bragging rights atop the Galaxy Z Flip 7, which takes the same design formula, offers thinner bezels, and goes for less rounded corners. Or in marketing terms, relentless innovation and pursuit of hardware excellence. Now, just how much is your life going to change if the cover display goes from a 3.4-inch OLED panel to a 4-inch OLED panel? Not much, at least for me. For navigation and reading messages? Fine. For typing on a full-sized qwerty touch keyboard, you either wish your thumbs were more dainty, or the screen were a little bigger. Either way, not what you would call an ergonomically pleasing experience. The race for practicality The biggest problem is scaling. Apps look weird, even if you can now run all of them on the landscape or square-ish cover screen. Try social media apps, especially those with vertical videos, and you will know the deal. Is there a solution to it? Not really, because consumers would prefer the biggest possible screen, even if they can't get the best out of out. It also looks a lot more polished, so it's clear every brand is chasing after that edge-to-edge look. Interestingly, the problem of scaling was solved in a more natural way, not too long ago. Oppo launched a flip phone that had a traditional candybar-style secondary display on the back. It felt natural, and so did app interactions. Huawei has done something similar on the Pura X, and so has a fellow Chinese brand on the Vivo X Flip. Honor thinks the cover display should not take precedence because it's not the primary source of user interaction, so there's a lot to experiment with the design. In all the outlier cases mentioned above, the phones offer a lot more identity and look playful. It's not going to please everyone, especially those who carry the banner of 'function over form,' and if you try to with the argument that there's a perfectly fine flexible display inside that's just a flip away, it wouldn't make sense. Call it a situation of misplaced expectations, but we are at a point of no return. Clamshell-style foldable phones are going to look mostly the same moving ahead. The saving grace? If you don't care too much about standout looks, they are getting more powerful, sturdier, and in some cases, a tad cheaper, as well.
