2. Long before foldable phones became a thing, in 1996, Motorola
Startac was the first to make a clamshsell design available
for the public. While not many people fancy Clamshell mobiles
presently, they used to be a dream-come-true just a couple of
decades ago.�
Their popularity caused Motorola to develop the RAZR model.
Because of the thin profile and unique appearance, RAZR
remained an exclusive fashion accessory for quite some time.�
However, after selling more than 130 million units and topping
the podium as the best-selling clamshell mobile in the world,
they lost their touch when modern smartphones hit the industry
in 2008.
Android and Apple quickly cashed on the market, and it wasn’t
until 2018, where the foldable smartphone concept resurfaced.
Today we see folding smartphones coming in all forms, styles,
models, and brands.
Some of the most dominating names on the market include Royole
Flexpai (October 2018), Galaxy Fold (February 2019), Huawei
Mate X (February 2019), Motorola RAZR (November 2019), and TCL
(March 2020).�
3. The History of Foldable Phones
For many of us, the hype around the 2019 Samsung Galaxy Fold
launch was the first time to hear about this new twist to the
smartphone industry. However, the idea of folding phones has been
around for long enough.
Just like we have seen the basic concept of “Short Messaging
Service” (also referred to as SMS) transform into the likes of
Zoom and Slack to� Viber,� WhatsApp and other alternatives,
we’re witnessing the conventional mobile phone designs transform
into something new and interesting.
In 2006, a company called Polymer Vision launched
the� Readius concept. More than an e-reader with calling
capabilities, it would open to reveal a large-sized tablet-like
screen, resembling pretty much the foldable smartphones of today.
You could roll out its screen futuristically. It was quite
ambitious for 2006, but couldn’t live up to the expectations in
the long run.
From then on, a host of companies started making dual-screen
“folding phones.” Some models offered split screens, dividing the
screen into two halves to do different things. Some others
offered the “extended mode”, where the two screens would combine,
but with a big gap around their junction.
The fact of the matter is that those models weren’t true folding
4. First Generation Foldable Phones
It all changed with the introduction of foldable OLED screens in
the smartphone industry. (And yes, they were named as “FOLED“.)
OLED stands for Organic Light Emitting Diode.�
The first out of the gate was Royole Flexpai at the end of 2018.
But was it worth the $1,300 price tag? Not so much. But if the
aim was to beat others in rolling out a fully functioning
foldable model, the target was achieved.
Galaxy Fold, the first Samsung foldable phone, was next in the
queue. The media got their hands on the test units by early
2019, and feedback was not so great. At most, you can consider
it as “too much too soon” by the Korean tech giant. It turned
out way too fragile and delicate to not snap under the pressure
of daily use.
So, the day before the planned April 2019 release, Fold’s debut
was postponed without a time limit.� Huawei Mate X, the famed
Huawei foldable phone, also faced months’ delay in its release.
However, when they finally hit the market at the end of 2019,
the durability of the two phones was greatly increased. But, by
then, the public began questioning the wisdom of spending up to
$ 2,000 on mobile phones with questionable longevity. And the
phones did not come close to the projected sales figures.
Next stop, Motorola RAZR. While it rolled with many improvements
5. The Next Generation of Foldable Phones
If you pay attention to the first quarter of 2020, there was a
hint of foldable cell phones potentially making a comeback.
Thanks to the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip.
While it shared a design similarity with RAZR, i.e., the flip,
reviewers had many positive things to relate to it. Performance
and endurance were more in line with the wishes of the media this
time around. And the price label, too, while still staying in the
flagship zone.
For those wishing to see more foldable screens, the good news is
that this is a trend across the board.
With an enhanced camera set, Huawei Mate XS turned out faster and
more durable than its predecessor. Samsung, meanwhile, makes a
much-improved fold on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Its 5G capabilities,
the type of fit and finish that we expect from South Korean
manufacturers, and better multitasking capabilities made it the
best folding phone of the time.
After a while, Samsung also offered 5G updates to the Z flip,
with Motorola also uplifting the RAZR with the same capabilities.
6. Best Foldable Phones of 2021
1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 5G
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G
3. Motorola Razr
4. Huawei Mate XS
5. LG Velvet
6. Xiaomi Mi Mix Fold
7. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2
8. Microsoft Surface Duo 2
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