Folding phones have not become cheap yet, and this is the main reason why they are not widely spread like flagship or even medium phones, because their sales have not exceeded or even approached the percentages achieved by other categories of each company.
An example is Samsung, whose mid-range and flagship phones generate much higher sales and profits than the foldable devices division; The reason for this is that this technology does not seem to have fully matured and it still has a lot to offer to convince users to buy a foldable phone, especially with its significantly high prices.
The third quarter of each year is known as the “mother of battles” in the technical field, especially in the smartphone market; But the third quarter of the current year 2021 is a little different and very special, so I called it “the foldable quarter,” and this appears in Samsung’s abandonment of the Galaxy Note category and soon merging it with the Galaxy S22 Ultra, all in order to launch new foldable phones, where Samsung has provided with many companies very excellent foldable phones with specifications similar to the leading phones, and of course Samsung will not remain alone in this field for long, due to the large number of competitors, most notably Xiaomi and Huawei, who in turn launched two very excellent phones that are currently in the market.
An image showing a folding coin, which was used to perform magic tricks, and was the reason for choosing the title of this article
The most prominent weakness of foldable phones
The price, of course, is the biggest obstacle limiting the spread of this new type of phone, as the price of the new Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3 5G phone is twice the cost of the company’s flagship Galaxy S22 Ultra, and in practice this high price is enough to acquire a premium laptop, but this It is expected because it has the strongest technical specifications on the market today.
The high price is largely justified for the technical professionals; However, it may seem otherwise to non-specialists, the main problem in prices is the independent production lines for each category separately, where the production line has an independent budget that rises or falls according to the financial returns of this product.
There are also foldable phones that are more affordable, but they are very different. Instead of appearing with large screens like tablets, they fold vertically like old phones, providing main functions in a smaller size, and targeting a specific category of consumers who like to have their phones small in their pockets.
Fortunately, foldable devices tend to offer better specs that rival flagships, so you’re not only paying for the screen, but for the specs of a flagship phone as well. However, keep in mind that battery life is often a little weaker with any type of flexible phone.
If you are looking for the best foldable phone you can buy this year, we have collected this list for you, which includes the selections we find in full to provide this unique experience without sacrificing any features.
Technical Specifications:
Weight: 271 grams.
Dimensions: Closed: 158.2 x 67.1 x 14.4-16 mm – Open: 158.2 x 128.1 x 6.4 mm.
Screen: Dynamic AMOLED 2x at 120Hz, 1768 x 2208 resolution, 1200 nits brightness
Screen size: 6.2 inches (7.6 inches when open).
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
Storage: Available in 256/512GB.
RAM: 12 GB.
Battery: 4400mAh.
Rear camera: 12 MP (wide) + 12 MP (telephoto) + 12 MP (ultrawide).
Front camera: external 10 megapixels (wide) – internal (integrated under the screen) 4 megapixels.
Operating system: Android 11 modified by Samsung to support the foldable experience.
Price: Starting at $1,899
Features
More durable design, with water and dust resistance.
S Pen support with very high accuracy.
Front camera at the bottom of the screen.
Multi-dimensional sound with surround speakers.
The lightest of all the foldable devices in its class.
Defects
It’s still expensive.
Cameras are not taken care of.
The Samsung Galaxy ZFold 3 is not only the best foldable phone to date, it is the first foldable phone that can be fully recommended without any comments, assuming you can afford its high price tag.
Now with an ultra-rugged, water-resistant design, and thanks to the support of the S Pen, you can make the most of its large 7.6-inch screen, which is actually a bit cheaper than the previous version at launch.
The cameras are far from class-leading, even if one is hidden under the screen, and it’s not a big enough upgrade if you already own a Galaxy ZFold 2, but other than that, there’s not much to complain about in this phone.
Technical Specifications
Weight: 183 grams.
Dimensions: Open 166 x 72.2 x 6.9 mm – Closed 86.4 x 72.2 x 15.9 – 17.1 mm.
Screen: Dynamic AMOLED 2x at 120 Hz, 1080 x 2460 resolution, 1200 nits brightness
Screen size: 6.7-inch primary, 1.9-inch secondary.
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888.
Storage: Available in 128/256 GB.
RAM: 8 GB
Battery: 3300 mAh
Rear cameras: 12MP (wide) + 12MP (ultrawide)
Front camera: 10 MP (wide)
Operating System: Android 11
Price: Starting at $999