When Samsung released its first premium Fold phone, it was a technical feat: it was essentially a thick and tall smartphone that unfolded into a tablet. But it was also kind of a disaster, the folding mechanism crunched on dust, and the “screen protector” that came pre-applied would permanently damage the screen if removed.
Samsung’s persistence paid off with last year’s Galaxy Z Fold 4, which seems better able to handle daily use. Now almost every manufacturer, from Honor to Google, is chasing the folding device form factor.
Smartphones, including Apple’s iPhones, are getting boring with their iterative updates, so a new form factor could keep people interested with a whole new screen that literally folds away when you don’t need it.
Besides the hard-to-completely-ignore center crease and durability questions, foldable are still really expensive, with prices kissing a $2,000 ceiling that zaps away your whole college tech budget.
But with foldables trending toward abundance, perhaps a price war is around the corner. Stay tuned here for all the latest on the foldables launching this year, like the Pixel Fold, Motorola Razr, and whatever Samsung has planned next. Just don’t try folding your regular phone in the opposite direction unless, of course, your phone is a Surface Duo.
Highlights
Feb 7
Is this the Pixel Fold 2?Android expert Mishaal Rahman has shared what could be Google’s second-generation foldable with Android Authority.
As you can see from the photo, the most noticeable difference is a square-shaped camera module, which appears to replace the camera bar that extends across the back of the first-gen device. Rahman’s source also says the potential Pixel Fold 2 has a slimmer form factor, along with rounder inner and outer displays.
Dec 19, 2023
Samsung adds foldable phones to its self-repair program
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Galaxy Z Flip 5 will be part of Samsung’s self-repair program. Image: SamsungThe Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5 will join the entire S23 series, the Galaxy Tab S9 series, and the Galaxy Book 2 Pro series in Samsung’s self-repair program this month. A partnership with iFixit, the repair program initially only supported S20, S21, and Tab S7 devices. At the start of 2023, the S22 line and some Galaxy Pro books were added, and now, the entire flagship S23 and foldable lines are joining the fix-it-yourself family.
Read Article >The Galaxy foldables are not listed on iFixit’s page yet, so we don’t know what the prices will be. But as the Google Pixel Fold costs around $900 for a parts kit to repair the large inner screen through its partnership with iFixit, I’m guessing it's not cheap.
Oct 12, 2023
Here’s our first official look at the OnePlus Open
OnePlus’ first folding phone arrives soon with the alert slider intact. Image: OnePlusThe OnePlus Open is set to arrive on October 19th, and this is our first official look at the folding-style phone. In an official teaser image provided to The Verge, it looks to be a relatively thin design with at least one fan-favorite feature: a three-stage alert slider.
Read Article >OnePlus president and COO Kinder Liu isn’t being shy about the phone’s potential. In a conversation conducted via translator with The Verge late last month, he told us it would “bring the foldable experience to new heights.” That’s a big claim to make about your first entry into a market where Samsung has dominated for years, but according to Liu, this device — which parent company Oppo will release under another name — has been a long time coming. His statements throughout this article have been edited for clarity.
Oct 10, 2023
Motorola’s other Razr foldable is here for $699.99
Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeHot foldable summer isn’t quite over. Motorola revealed two new flip phones earlier this year, but until now, only the higher-end Razr Plus has actually reached the market. Now, the standard Motorola Razr is debuting with a smaller 1.5-inch outer screen.
Read Article >It’s priced at $699.99, making it the least expensive mainstream flip phone in the US by a significant margin — the Razr Plus and Samsung’s Z Flip 5 start at $999.
Oct 10, 2023
The OnePlus Open foldable could be arriving in the US as soon as next week
The OnePlus Open, a rebadged Oppo folding phone. Image: WinFutureGerman tech site WinFuture shared leaked marketing shots of the the OnePlus Open today and claims it will arrive in the US on October 19th for around $1,700.
Read Article >The pictures show OnePlus’ rebadged Oppo Find N3 is more Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 than Pixel Fold — it’s taller than it is wide when you pop it open — and it has OnePlus’ characteristically circular three-camera array. The images show it in two colors: green and black.
Sep 20, 2023
OnePlus’ upcoming foldable might come in October.At TechCrunch Disrupt on Wednesday, the company announced its new OnePlus Open is releasing “soon,” but leaker Max Jambor is providing some more specific insight: apparently, it will get its full reveal on October 19th, and a release soon after.
OnePlus hinted at the foldable’s name, “Open,” in July. Jambor reported that month that the device had an August release date.
Aug 22, 2023
Alright, you sold me, I guess I’m getting a Pixel Fold.What’s the good of being named Wesley if I don’t have a Star Trek: The Next Generation-era console to fiddle with? The Trek-themed launcher in this TikTok from thetechpreacher might be just the thing... if I had a Pixel Fold.
Yes, these launchers have been around forever, but look, I forgot about them, and this video awakened something in me.
I wish he said where it’s from. I think it’s this one?
Aug 21, 2023
Samsung’s latest pitch for the Z Fold 5: two iPhones at the same time
Try Galaxy lets you see what OneUI looks like on two iPhones. Image: SamsungHey, wait a minute, that Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 is actually just two iPhones in a trench coat!
Read Article >That’s the idea behind the latest update to the Try Galaxy web app, which, when running on two iPhones, offers a Samsung One UI demonstration spread across both screens. Samsung says it lets iOS users try out the foldable’s benefits, like watching content on an “immersive” screen, or sample productivity features like dragging and dropping across both screens thanks to its multitasking abilities — something Samsung does well and that even the iPad could use work on.
Aug 16, 2023
Want to see the inside of the Galaxy Z Fold 5?iFixit just posted its video teardown — which includes throwing the phone in a bag with a bunch of bright green dust. The Z Fold 5 has an IPX8 rating, meaning it that it’s not rated for dust resistance, so you can imagine what happens with that bright green dust.
Aug 7, 2023
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review: the flip phone we’ve been waiting for
Go on and flex that Flex Window, Samsung. Being able to declare an absolute category winner is rare in the smartphone space. But in the case of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5, it’s actually quite easy: this is the best flip-style folding phone you can buy.
Read Article >It’s a small category, so that helps. It’s even smaller if you’re looking at options available in the US since your choices are basically the Flip 5 or Motorola’s Razr Plus. They have a lot in common, including the fact that they both offer a much bigger, much more useful cover screen than their predecessors. They share the same $999 price tag, too. But Samsung’s flip phone is more durable, its cover screen widgets are more useful, and its camera system is better overall.
Aug 2, 2023
The Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover screen software beats Motorola’s in every way but one
This year’s flip phones come with much bigger cover screens, but they’re not exactly created equal. I’m a cover screen convert.
Read Article >Our first flip-style phones with big cover screens have arrived in the US (pipe down, everyone in China and Europe who has options). The Motorola Razr Plus was the phone that converted me to a cover screen believer — I found it useful not just for checking quick info but also running a handful of full apps I use for simple tasks.
Jul 26, 2023
Unpacking the Samsung Unpacked event.Slept in and didn’t watch Samsung’s summer Unpacked event this morning? I don’t blame you. This was an early one. As always, our video team has got you covered! Catch up on all the announcements in our 8-minute recap video.
Jul 26, 2023
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 gets a big little screen upgrade
The Motorola Razr Plus’ reign as the best flip phone might be short-lived.
Read Article >The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is officially here, complete with a 3.4-inch cover screen — still small by modern smartphone standards but much bigger than the Z Flip 4’s 1.9-inch front display. There’s a new hinge design that closes totally flat, a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset tuned for Samsung, and 256GB of storage in the base model. Even with these substantial upgrades, it’s still $999. That puts it toe-to-toe with Motorola’s new Razr Plus — also $999 with 256GB of storage. But given Samsung’s experience making folding phones and some of the hardware upgrades included in this year’s Z Flip, the Razr Plus is in a tough spot.
Jul 26, 2023
The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is last year’s phone with a new hinge
Samsung saved this year’s biggest advancements for the flip phone. As for the bigger Z Fold 5, it gets a new hinge, a brighter inner screen, and not a whole lot else. For better or worse, that includes the price: still $1,799.
Read Article >There’s an updated processor, of course — the same overclocked Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset in Samsung’s S23-series flagship phones — and it’s a bit thinner and lighter than the Z Fold 4 thanks to the new teardrop-shaped hinge that allows it to close flat. The Z Fold 5 measures 13.4mm thick when closed; at its slimmest point, the Fold 4 was 14.2mm thick. It’s also about 10g lighter (two nickels), down to 253g from 263g. If you’re keeping score at home, that’s six nickels lighter than the Google Pixel Fold.
Jul 24, 2023
Flip phones are having a moment — and all eyes are on Samsung now
It’s your time to shine, little guys. Photo by Allison Johnson / The VergeWhat’s old is hot again, and flip phones are so very hot right now.
Read Article >These phones are a far cry from the phone that you mastered T9 texting on in college. Today’s flip phones are garden-variety 2023 smartphones that happen to fold in half — plus a screen on the front cover.
Jul 18, 2023
Samsung’s foldables will definitely be lighter and thinner this year.Samsung mobile business president TM Roh mostly waxes poetic in his pre-Unpacked blog post about human-inspired product design, but also confirms one small detail about the upcoming folding phones: they’ll be thinner and lighter than last year’s models.
Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 was already appreciably lighter than the Pixel Fold, so that likely gives the Z Fold 5 another advantage over Google’s first foldable. We’ll get all the details soon enough — Unpacked is next Wednesday which is fast approaching.
Jul 12, 2023
Honor’s latest foldable is almost as thin and light as a regular smartphone
The Honor Magic V2, folded. If there’s one thing Honor wants you to know about its new Magic V2, it’s how thin and light it is. The thinnest vegan leather version of the new foldable, which is launching in China today, is just 9.9mm thick when folded and weighs 231 grams. That’s thinner and lighter than Honor’s major competitors like Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 (14.2mm and 263g), Google’s Pixel Fold (12.1mm and 283g), and Huawei’s Mate X3 (11.8mm and 239g) when folded.
Read Article >In fact, hold the folded Honor Magic V2 in your hand, and it almost feels like a non-folding smartphone. The Magic V2’s weight (like its 6.43-inch exterior screen size) sits somewhere between an iPhone 14 Pro (206g) and iPhone 14 Pro Max (240g). It’s not as thin in its smartphone-style folded form (both of Apple’s recent flagships are 7.85mm thick), but it’s in a similar ballpark. Note that the glass-backed version of the Magic V2 is slightly thicker and heavier than the “Silk Black” vegan leather variant, at 10.1mm and 237g.
Jul 7, 2023
Is that the Galaxy Z Flip 5?This new (and strange) Samsung ad is mostly forgettable, but watch all the way to the end for a potential hint of the Galaxy Z Flip 5’s cover screen, which is rumored to be much bigger than before.
Samsung is set to reveal the new phone on July 26th.
Jul 5, 2023
Samsung’s next folding phones arrive on July 26th
If you’re planning on tuning in live from North America, you’ll want to brew a pot of coffee first. Image: SamsungWe have a confirmed date for Hot Foldable Summer’s biggest party. Samsung has announced it’s hosting its next Unpacked on July 26th at 7AM ET — bright and early for the east coast, but it’ll be an evening affair in Seoul, where Samsung previously announced that it’s hosting the event. The image and text released with the announcement make it quite obvious that we’ll see a flip-style foldable at the event, which would naturally be the Galaxy Z Flip 5, and the Z Fold 5 is anticipated as well. We will likely see the Galaxy Watch 6, too, as well as some Galaxy Tablets. That’s quite a packed Unpacked.
Read Article >The flip-style foldable in Samsung’s promotional image looks right in line with the rumors and leaks we’ve seen thus far with a lower-profile hinge. It certainly looks like a phone that will close flat. Unfortunately, this profile view doesn’t give us a glimpse of the cover screen, which is expected to be much larger than the teeny tiny screen on the Z Flip 4 — literally big, if true.
Jul 2, 2023
Here’s why the Pixel Fold has more letterboxed apps than Samsung’s foldables.Mishaal Rahman writes on Android Central explaining why Google’s Pixel devices — like the Pixel Fold — tend to be more constrained than others, specifically Samsung’s Galaxy Fold series. It comes down to developer expectations versus user preferences:
Google’s decision to letterbox apps, in my view, is the correct one: It compromises between the desire of developers to not have their apps’ aspect ratios distorted and the desire of users to use their apps in their preferred orientation.
Google is Android’s steward, and as such, it’s important for it to make sure apps behave the way developers intended — even if it means running afoul of user preferences.
As foldables go mainstream, perhaps developers will feel more pressure to optimize for larger screens.
Pixel's ties to Google is its biggest strength—but also a weakness[Android Central]
Jun 26, 2023
New Samsung foldable leaks give us the best look yet at the Z Flip 5
Leaked renders of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5. Image: SnoopyTechWith about a month to go until the next Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event, we may have a pretty comprehensive idea about what to expect from the next version of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and the Galaxy Z Fold 5. Several leaks over the last few days have revealed a lot about what the phones may look like — and what’s under their respective hoods — ahead of their official unveiling.
Read Article >A Twitter leak early this week from Revegnus showed a photo of a folded phone that looks to be to be the Galaxy Z Flip 5 in a blocky, black case (via 9to5Google). The case hides a lot of the design, but what you can see backs up previous alleged renders. For instance, the screen on the back may be the same 3.4-inch 720 x 748 cover screen that’s been predicted. You can also make out the side-by-side camera lenses, another rumored update to the design.
Jun 26, 2023
Google Pixel Fold review: closing the gap
The Pixel Fold’s portrait-first format is a plus, but it feels like the first-gen product that it is. Photo by Chris Welch / The VergeThe Google Pixel Fold is a lot of phone. It’s heavy, expensive, and often great. But it’s also every bit the first-generation product that it is, and it’s not ready to take the foldable fight to Samsung just yet.
Read Article >It’s the first foldable I’ve used with a camera system I feel like I can really trust. And its wider format outer screen fits apps more naturally than Samsung’s tall-and-skinny cover display. But if you’re going to spend $1,800 on a phone, then you better get a lot out of using it. I haven’t felt that from the Pixel Fold the way I did when I used the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
Jun 24, 2023
Google Pixel devices finally have a real default weather app
Finally, a real Pixel Weather app. This particular forecast is for the birds, though. Google finally has a default weather app to compete with Apple and Samsung. Though Pixel phones have long been able to display the current weather in widgets, tapping on those widgets just launched a basic screen with a cute weather frog and a handful of stats. It felt like a webpage because that’s basically what it was.
Read Article >With the launch of the Pixel Tablet earlier this week, Google has rectified that situation. Its new weather app — which is accessed via the same widgets as before, as there’s no icon to launch it — has a much nicer design without losing the playfulness of the older experience. It has 10-day and 24-hour forecasts; wind, humidity, barometric pressure, and UV index reports, plus current sun position and sunrise / sunset times. It also shows details for precipitation, wind, and humidity broken down by the hour. All of this is available in an easy-to-parse single screen with some fun animations for the current conditions.
Jun 22, 2023
Motorola Razr Plus review: the right moves
A big cover screen is everything. The Motorola Razr Plus is the first folding phone that makes me genuinely excited for what’s ahead. In the here and now, it’s a good device, though not quite as ready for the mainstream as Motorola wants you to believe. But for a specific kind of tech-inclined person willing to try out something new, the Razr Plus will be very rewarding.
Read Article >One feature defines the Razr Plus experience: the 3.6-inch outer display. It’s bigger than anything else offered on a flip-style foldable right now — in fact, it’s bigger than the screen on the first iPhone. It’s not just a check-your-notifications display; it’s a display, full stop. It opens up a whole bunch of use cases that I kept discovering the more I used the phone. It definitely has its limits, but if you’re willing to work within them, then the cover screen becomes kind of a secret weapon.
Jun 20, 2023
Where to preorder the Google Pixel Fold
Suddenly, June can’t come soon enough. Image: GoogleDuring Google’s I/O keynote in May, Google introduced both its new flagship foldable and midrange slab phone offerings: the Pixel Fold and the Pixel 7A. These were some of the showcase device announcements at the tech giant’s big spring event, which was accompanied by other Android and AI-related news.
Read Article >The Pixel Fold is a new ultra-flagship addition to the Pixel lineup, one that represents Google’s first attempt at a foldable phone and takes a page from Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 4 in the “it’s a regular-ish phone that also unfolds into a small tablet” department. It runs a whopping $1,799 and is due out in July. Here’s what you need to know and where you can preorder one for yourself.