Although Samsung was the first to launch a folding phone, companies throughout the rest of the world have caught up. Options fromOppo and Vivo have left us impressedwith their massive leaps in quality — especially when it comes to the display crease — while cheaper options like theTecno Phantom V Foldhave made it easier for anyone to adopt a folding phone. But in the US, Samsung has remained relatively unchallenged. Thankfully, that’s about to change.
Over the next few months, three companies will enter the foldable ring — two for the very first time, one returning from an extended hiatus — while Samsung looks to keep its lead with the Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5. For many shoppers, this year is the first time they’ll see folding phones outside the Samsung ecosystem, and it could be an opportunity for these smaller brands to grow their market share.
Although thePixel Foldis still a month away, we did learn plenty about the upcoming device thanks to ahands-on session at Google I/O. It’s an interesting device, simultaneously better and worse than what Samsung has offered in the past, and thanks to its chunky camera bar, it has the opportunity to leap ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold series when it comes to camera quality. But the inner display isn’t quite as modern-looking as some might like, and Google’s history when it comes to first-gen hardware isn’t exactly sterling.
This week, Motorola will announce at least one — and likely two —new Razr devicesafter months of rumors. Unlike the Pixel Fold, this is a clamshell phone, meant to compete with Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip series. Motorola isn’t new to the market, as it brought two different Razr models to the US a few years ago. But last year’s third-gen phone — which, reportedly, was leagues ahead of its predecessors — skipped a US launch, leaving Samsung to continue dominating the field. This year’sleaks look pretty tempting, and if Motorola can hit the same tier of qualityit managed to find with the Edge+, we could be in for a great device.
We don’t know much about the upcoming foldable from OnePlus, though unsurprisingly, it’s rumored tolook similar to the hardware its parent company Oppohas launched in the past. Frankly, that’s great news, since Oppo’s folding phones have left usfeeling pretty jealous. Expect anAugust launchin place of the usual T-series device.
Finally, there’s Samsung. Despite holding the title for the global leader in this field, Samsung has plenty to step up this year, starting with its design. After being trounced by the competition, theGalaxy Z Fold 5andZ Flip 5are finally changing to gapless hinge designs. The Z Flip 5 is also getting a new exterior display that takes up much of the front of the device, while the Z Fold 5 is likely to retain its core look and feel. Rumors have these phones pegged for a late July launch, so expect much more over the next two months.
Phew, that’s a lot of phones. North America is about to be flooded with foldable options from everyone but Apple, which begs the question: which would you pick? Obviously, not everyone wants a folding phone — they have just as many upsides as downsides — but if youwereto pick one, would you opt for the Pixel Fold? Experiment with whatever OnePlus has up its sleeve? Or stick with the fifth-gen products from Samsung, no matter how safe their designs may be? Let us know in the poll below.
