Galaxy Z Fold 6, Z Flip 6 foldable phones might finally fix pain points

Foldable phones are getting more common these days, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have room for improvement. Whether it’s the larger book-type foldable or the stylish clamshell flip phone, there are still lingering concerns in terms of design and durability. Admittedly, there have been quite a few major improvements over the years thanks to increased competition in this market segment. Although it was a pioneer, it almost seemed that Samsung had been stagnating instead, sticking too close to safe designs. That changed with the Galaxy Z Flip 5 this year and it will keep changing for next year’s generation that are expected to introduce new screens that address some of those complaints.

Designer: Samsung (via Ross Young)

It’s not really that puzzling that Samsung decided to focus on improving the durability and reliability of its foldable phones over fancy features. After all, those are the biggest concerns buyers have when trying to sink their teeth into such an expensive investment. But four years after it first launched the Galaxy Fold, the basic design of this foldable phone hasn’t changed. In fact, one of the biggest complaints is how the external Cover Screen is too narrow, making it awkward and even difficult to use the phone as a regular phone when folded close.

According to industry sources, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will have a wider Cover Screen to resolve this issue. An exact figure wasn’t given, but any additional width would be an improvement to the current design and put it on the same page as its rivals. Of course, this would translate to a change in the aspect ratio of the internal main display, which might end up looking more squarish than before.

The Galaxy Z Flip 6 is also getting a bigger Cover Screen, one that spans 3.9 inches diagonally versus the current 3.4 inches. This is being compared to the 4.0-inch iPhone 5s and iPhone SE (2016), which are the last small iPhones that Apple made. In theory, that means there will be more space for content, which opens the door for more apps as well.

Of course, that isn’t always the case in practice, because the screen aspect ratio and shape won’t be the same as an iPhone. And just like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 now, the kinds of apps that you can use on that external screen are very limited. There are no signs that Samsung will open up its Cover Screen to more apps the way the Motorola Razr does, so the impact of this change could be very minimal in the end.

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The limited-edition Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro is inspired by the classic SGH-E700 flip phone

The clamshell-like Galaxy Z Flip5 is an interesting device, combining modern smartphone specs and features with a holistic design approach that heavily borrows elements of flip phones from the early 2000s. It’s also the best of its class, thanks in part to very little competition from Apple — but also because of its robust internals, like a primary 1080×2640 AMOLED display (collapsing into a 720×748 front display when closed), a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and a 3700 mAh battery.

As of October 30, Samsung announced a limited-edition version of the Galaxy Z Flip5, called the Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro, and it looks peculiarly like 20-year-old SGH-E700, which launched around the same time as (and was ultimately overshadowed by) the behemoth Nokia 1100. Still, as Samsung’s first mobile phone containing an antenna, the SGH-E700 was a triumph in cellphone design for its time, and it’s celebrated in the stylized Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro, which sports the original SGH-E700’s indigo blue and silver color scheme.

Designer: Samsung

The tributary Flip5 Retro also comes with an interface makeover which itself is a throwback to the SGH-E700’s stock interface, complete with the blue lettering on the Flex Window that you can even show off alongside a pixel-art animation of a city skyline punctuated by shooting stars streaming across the night sky. It’s awfully pretty looking, and it’s certainly reminiscent of 16-bit screen savers and mobile games that were playable on cell phones in the early 2000s.

It sounds like the Flip5 Retro is shipped in a package containing several extra goodies, including: “three Flipsuit cards featuring logos from different eras of Samsung’s history, a Flipsuit case and a collector card engraved with a unique serial number that will add to the product’s collectible value for purchasing customers.”

Unfortunately for those of us in the United States, there is no planned launch window for the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5 Retro over here. It’s also not exactly clear how “limited” the limited edition release will be, as Samsung has yet to disclose how many will be produced. You may still be lucky enough to nab one for yourself from the Samsung online store at the Flip5 Retro’s MSRP (roughly $1,240) if you’re in the UK or Australia, where shipments are set to go out on November 1 — or, if you’re in Spain, Germany, or Korea, where shipments are set to go out on November 2.

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OPPO Find N3 Flip Foldable Phone Review: Refinement with a Big Twist

PROS:


  • Impressive cameras, including a 32MP telephoto shooter

  • Elegant design with nearly invisible crease

  • All-day, fast-charging battery

  • IPX4 dust and water resistance rating

CONS:


  • Distracting camera bump

  • Limited Cover Screen functionality

  • No wireless charging

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The OPPO Find N3 Flip takes foldables to flagship standards, but its impressive camera upgrade doesn't come without a price.

When large, not to mention expensive, foldables didn’t seem to be appealing to people, manufacturers tried a different angle and sent a different message. Taking lessons from the somewhat inexplicable popularity of clamshell flip phones from the 80s and 90s, brands found the perfect opportunity to market a foldable phone that seemed hip, classy, and a bit more relatable. Thus, the flip-style foldable phones were born, straddling the fine line between compactness and usability, and we’ve been witnessing big changes in design and features in every iteration. But like their larger foldable siblings, these stylish phones have traditionally been held back by space constraints, especially when it comes to squeezing advanced cameras inside cramped bodies. With the Find N3 Flip, OPPO is trying to change the formula once and for all, so we put it through the wringer to see whether that large bump on its back is worth its presence.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

There’s no denying the fact that two things will immediately catch your attention when you behold the OPPO Find N3 Flip. First is the large rectangular external display, formally called the Cover Screen, which has been the signature design of the OPPO Find N Flip. It’s admittedly smaller than ones from Samsung and Motorola, but its shape more closely resembles a phone screen and doesn’t force the cameras to be stuck with a particular design only. As we’ll soon see, OPPO added some new features for the Cover Screen, but it really only takes a second seat to the other most obvious design feature of its new flip foldable.

There is a distinct camera bump on the Find N3 Flip, and it isn’t some discreet bump either. It’s a large raised circle that houses no less than three sensors arranged in a symmetrical triangular pattern. It takes inspiration from the OPPO Find X6’s “Cosmos Ring” design, with an added “Starlight Track” that aims to mimic the control ring on camera lenses. On a wide area on a large phone like the Find X6, this design element is striking and quite pleasant. Squeezed into a very small space, the raised structure looks more pronounced and visually distracting. Some will love the luxurious style and materials of the ring, but there will also be some who will criticize its almost obnoxious presence, especially when the rest of the smartphone can stand up as an elegant accessory that you can proudly show off at a gala.

This isn’t surprising since the Find N2 Flip before it already flaunted stunningly good looks, and OPPO wisely preferred not to change that winning formula. The glass back panel’s edges gently curve toward the metal frame to produce a pleasing aesthetic that also increases comfort when holding it in your hand. It’s a departure from the predominantly flat trend of smartphones these days, but one that still works in the Find N3 Flip’s favor. The color options are just as gorgeous, with Cream Gold and Misty Pink offering soft hues and Sleek Black carrying a classic character. The phone has a minimalist charm to it as well, broken only by that large circle whose presence can, fortunately, be justified by its performance.

Ergonomics

Unlike with the larger book-style foldable, holding the OPPO Find N3 Flip is less of a hassle and risk because it can be easily held in one hand. In fact, you can even open it up with a single hand, if you’re not afraid of digging your finger in between the two halves. The phone folds completely flap with no gap in between, though there’s still a bit of space created by the raised edges of the foldable screen where you can slip your finger in. Some might still be a bit too wary of tempting fate, but opening and closing the foldable is quite easy and can even be quite addictive to be perfectly honest.

Holding the phone in your hand is just as pleasurable, thanks to both the texture of the materials used as well as their forms. The curved edges of the back panel contrast and complement the flat sides of the frame, providing both comfort as well as grip. It’s taller than most flat smartphones, of course, so you might still find yourself reaching elements higher on the screen with your free hand. Compared to other flip-style foldable phones, however, it has a wider main display and a wider body. This means the aspect ratio of the screen is more standard and that your hands won’t feel cramped when tapping away on it.

The improved Flexion Hinge also plays an important role in enhancing the usability of the foldable phone, especially when taking photos. Since it can stay open at almost any angle, you can take shots from difficult angles that would normally require a tripod or monopod and still have the confidence in being able to hold the phone firmly. Considering how this kind of foldable is being marketed primarily at Gen Z customers who love to take selfies or record videos, that kind of stability and ergonomics goes a long way in appealing to that consumer base.

Performance

The OPPO Find N3 Flip is quite the looker, but it thankfully isn’t just a pretty face. It boasts some of the best specs in the smartphone market today, like the latest LPDDR5x memory and fast UFS 4.0 storage technology. The one oddity in that hardware list is perhaps the choice of processor, a MediaTek Dimensity 9200. It’s definitely no Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, as synthetic benchmarks will show, and there will be some areas where the Dimensity 9200 might fall behind in terms of numbers. That said, the gap isn’t that wide, especially in practice, and you can expect premium performance from this foldable, no matter what task you throw at it.

The foldable display inside helps support those use cases, providing a vibrant and bright display when you need it but folding out of the way when you don’t. It’s the exact same screen as the OPPO Find N2 Flip, which means a 6.8-inch 120Hz foldable display with a resolution of 2520×1080, a few pixels shy of the standard ultra-wide format. Thanks to the aforementioned Flexion Hinge, the screen has no visible crease in the middle, not unless you intentionally search for or feel it. It presents a traditional user experience, the same you’d find on regular smartphones, just that you can fold it halfway to enable some extra features, especially with the camera.

Ironically, it’s the secondary display outside that’s more interesting than the foldable panel. The Cover Screen, after all, allows you to use the phone without opening it up as well as easily take high-quality selfies using the more powerful cameras on its back. It’s the same 3.26-inch 720×382 screen, though, with Corning Gorilla Glass Victus protection for this year’s model instead. The traditional rectangular shape might seem almost old-fashioned given these year’s flip phone designs, but its straightforward implementation actually makes it more flexible in features, at least in theory. It also frees up more space for bigger camera sensors, which is the true star of OPPO’s 2023 flip foldable phone.

The OPPO Find N3 Flip boasts the world’s first triple camera system on a clamshell foldable, which explains the decisions that the company had to make. It wouldn’t have been efficient to just have three dots lined up on the side of the phone, especially given the sensors’ sizes, so they had to resort to a more familiar design of having a large camera bump instead. Just having three cameras wouldn’t have been enough to justify such a large enclosure and, thankfully, OPPO didn’t stop there either.

Portrait Mode

The 50MP Sony IMX890 sensor makes its return from last year, but this time it comes with Optical Image Stabilization or OIS. The ultra-wide shooter has been upgraded with a whopping 48MP camera so you won’t have to sacrifice quality for field of view. The biggest change, however, is the dedicated telephoto camera with a 32MP sensor that’s useful not only for 2x optical zoom but also for taking stunning portrait photos, with some help from Hasselblad tuning. The results are simply impressive, with images containing lush colors and high levels of detail, no matter which of the three cameras you use. And thanks to that multi-angle Flexion Hinge, you can use these powerful cameras in more ways, taking breath-taking shots or videos without having to use sticks and stands.

Ultra-wide

1x

2x

The Find N3 Flip runs the latest OPPO ColorOS 13.2 based on Android 13. This flavor of Android has all the bells and whistles you’ve come to expect from the brand, including the dizzying amount of options and several pre-installed apps. Unlike with the larger foldable, the focus on this flip phone is not exactly multi-tasking but on “mini-tasking,” that is, the mini apps that can run on the small Cover Screen. OPPO has expanded that experience to include a few more Google apps and social networks, but the limitations are still the same. You can’t use it for anything other than OPPO’s sanctioned set of apps and experiences, which now includes having a furry pal on your lock screen. It’s a double-edged that keeps the experience simple and streamlined but also misses out on big opportunities. It gets the job done, which focuses mostly on basic tasks you can do without flipping the phone open, but that’s all there is to it.

Normal Mode

Night Mode

Powering this whole ensemble is a 4,300mAh battery that is quite generous for a flip foldable. It’s more than enough to last you a full day, though your mileage will depend on what you’re using it for, and it also charges up quickly thanks to SuperVOOC 44W technology. There’s still no wireless charging, which is a bit of a shame in this day and age, especially when you consider the premium price that OPPO is asking for.

Sustainability

Despite its rapid growth, OPPO has thankfully been mindful of the role it plays in keeping the planet alive for future generations of customers. It has a strong and detailed strategy for reducing its impact, at least as far as operations and production go. There’s definitely plenty of room for improvement, especially when talking about the use of recycled materials, but that will probably require a bigger investment and more partnerships than OPPO can muster at the moment.

Fortunately, the OPPO Find N3 Flip is built to last, and not just because of its improved hinge. Earlier generations of foldable phones have been notoriously vulnerable to the slightest accidents, especially when it comes to dust and liquid. The Find N3 Flip’s IPX4 rating still doesn’t hit the mark, especially when it comes to protection from small particles, but the waterproofing goes a long way in inspiring confidence in such a pricey investment.

Value

It was quite easy to impress crowds with foldable phones, but they turned out to sell in practice. Durability and usability have always been concerns, but there’s also the question of practicality vis-a-vis their expensive price tags. Modern flip phones are an attempt to make the idea of foldable phones more approachable while also pushing down the price just a bit. Unfortunately, many of these devices failed to match expectations when compared to flagships on the same price tier, especially when it comes to the photography experience that many users consider to be critical to their smartphone use.

That’s where the OPPO Find N3 Flip comes to the scene with guns blazing. A glance at the specs sheet suggests an incremental upgrade from last year’s model, but you can immediately see there’s something different once you behold that large camera ring on its back. It is perhaps the closest that flip phones have gotten to matching the power of traditional flagships, both in the overall experience as well as in photography. It’s still a bit pricey, but that price finally makes sense considering you’re finally getting what you’re paying for.

Verdict

Foldable are here to stay and the market will only get noisier in the coming years. There’s plenty of room for improvement, especially as they try to catch up with features that have become standard in buyers’ eyes. Durability and reliability are always top priorities, but matching the photography prowess of flagships without giving up thin and light designs is something that has eluded even the biggest smartphone brands.

The OPPO Find N3 and the Find N3 Flip raise a challenge to the status quo, proving that, yes, you can put great cameras on foldable phones, too. While much of the Find N3 Flip hasn’t changed, it steps up its game with a team of imaging sensors that empowers any user to become a content creator. Yes, the large camera ring looks a little awkward, but we’ve seen worse designs on regular smartphones. It’s one of the prices that OPPO and users have to pay to achieve this level of performance, and it’s definitely worth that design cost. Fortunately, the rest of the phone looks as elegant as ever, so if you’re in the market for a stylish phone that has both a “Wow!” factor and impressive cameras, the OPPO Find N3 Flip deserves a spot on your list.

Aki Ukita contributed to this review.

The post OPPO Find N3 Flip Foldable Phone Review: Refinement with a Big Twist first appeared on Yanko Design.

Did the OnePlus Open Foldable Phone Come Too Late? Or Did It Launch At The Perfect Time??

Samsung’s still stuck with the foldable format. Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi have limited themselves to an Asia-exclusive audience… and Google mentioned NOTHING about the Pixel Fold’s sales, hinting at disappointment. So did the OnePlus Open arrive at the perfect time to reinvigorate foldable sales the way Apple’s Vision Pro reinvigorated the metaverse? Or is the OnePlus Open a little too late to a rather lackluster party that Samsung’s been trying to throw since 2019? My gut tells me it’s the latter.

All Foldables are the same

Speaking of 2019, I remember when Elon Musk took to the stage to reveal the Cybertruck at a Tesla event in November of the year. Just before Musk revealed the truck’s unique design, he revealed an image of four pickup trucks kept side by side with the logos removed. Musk asked the audience to look at the truck and identify which one belonged to which brand. To the untrained eye, without the logo, every truck looked the exact same. Rightfully so, Musk’s point was to highlight that within the pickup format, companies weren’t imaginative in the least. Everyone just colored within the lines, churning out trucks that had no character and that couldn’t be differentiated in a lineup. Foldable phones are seeing a similar trajectory. Apart from the fact that they bend in half, there’s really no difference between a OnePlus Open, a Pixel Fold, a Galaxy Z Fold, an Oppo Find N2, or a Huawei Mate X2. Every single phone looks the same on the front and when you open the device, and the only real difference lies in their back and how many cameras they have crammed into that bump. If you REALLY want to look for innovation, it’s probably in the way those hinges are designed or whether the phones leave a gap when they fold shut or have a clean closing seam… but otherwise, these foldables are exactly like their unfoldable counterparts.

Image Credits: MKBHD

The OnePlus Open Looks Great! But…

Amid much fanfare, OnePlus released their highly anticipated Open phone today (although most people will argue it looks EXACTLY like the Oppo Find N3). For a first attempt, it’s a stellar device that has a beautifully thin design that folds shut. The bezels are practically invisible both on the outside as well as the inside, firing major shots at Google’s Pixel Fold that looks absolutely chunky and hideous in comparison, and the phone is slim when folded, but opens up to reveal a gorgeous 7.8-inch display that shows barely any crease when opened. It’s got a Hasselblad-powered camera, the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, and an impressive 4805mAh battery. The software is great, with a uniquely designed interface that prioritizes power-use, allows multitasking, and has an almost laptop-style dock of apps at the bottom that you can access on demand. Heck, the alert slider is back too, making this phone a true OnePlus icon. However, there are a few rather glaring problems. The phone is quite literally a rip-off of the Oppo Find N3, which most people would have figured out considering Oppo owns OnePlus now. So if you’re looking for something absolutely refreshingly different, this really isn’t it. The phone also skips wireless charging in a strange turn of events, and has a starting price of $1700, making it eye-wateringly expensive considering you could get a GOOD flagship phone for half that price. The overarching problem, however, is that if you view OnePlus’ own teaser from last week, it’s a vague message AT BEST. The teaser talks about how life bends you, and how your phone should bend too. It vaguely rants about “opening to new possibilities” and ties it to OnePlus’ “Never Settle” tagline. Sure, one could argue that it’s just a teaser, but what it’s teasing isn’t new. The OnePlus Open is great on paper, but it makes absolutely no compelling case for why you should buy it over any other foldable, or even any other regular non-folding flagship with a big screen, good battery, and a great camera.

Consumers aren’t asking for foldable phones…

The tragedy with foldables is that consumers find them interesting, but not interesting enough to buy. We love the idea of wowing at stuff, but just a small fraction of users are actually enthusiastic enough to put the money where their mouth is. The number is so small that companies don’t EVER talk about how many foldables they sold. Not to consumers, not to analysts, not even to shareholders. The reason behind this tiny number is beyond just the fact that foldable phones are more expensive than some laptops. It’s that consumers literally aren’t asking for foldables. People just want better cameras and batteries, more durable devices that last longer, and ease of repairability, whether it’s first or third-party repairs.

The Folding Screen isn’t the solution… It’s the problem

Just like consumers have ‘range anxiety’ with EVs, they have ‘bend anxiety’ with foldables. We’re a generation that puts cases on phones, applies tempered glass on screens. I’m absolutely anal about making sure my phone doesn’t see a scratch on it, so you can imagine how neurotic I’d be if I had a folding phone worth twice as much as my current device. There’s an inherent fear of accidentally shutting your phone with some dust or sand in it, or having your keys get wedged as you fold your phone shut, or just the fact that folding a display may end up damaging it (Marques Brownlee’s OnePlus Open handset showed a few dead pixels within 3 weeks). Besides, foldables don’t have one screen – they have two, so that’s double the anxiety. After all, warranties don’t cover cracked or damaged displays. Fixing the display on a foldable costs as much as buying a new flagship phone. All that being said… those concerns may be generational. Foldables could scare off our generations but could somehow appeal to younger generations who don’t look at all these as concerns but as ridiculous hypotheticals. That puts us at an interesting turning point.

How Foldables benefit the entire Smartphone Industry

The minute you stop thinking of foldables as actual consumer gadgets and start thinking of them as R&D devices, you begin to appreciate them. First-generation foldables had horrible designs. Their bezels were unappealingly thick, the phones themselves felt incredibly chunky, the hinges made all sorts of noises, and the battery life was abysmal. Cut to nearly half a decade later and you really begin to see how far we’ve come. Newer foldables have thinner profiles, practically invisible bezels, highly engineered hinges, and split batteries that go up to 5000mAh in capacity, giving you all-day usage just like a regular phone. This innovation helps consumers in two ways – First, it carries over onto regular phones, which can now house better batteries, and which can be engineered to be more durable thanks to the material science that goes into foldables. Secondly, the ONLY way to make foldables more affordable is to make more of them. There was a time when OLED displays were terrifyingly expensive, but now even a $500 mid-range phone has an OLED display, showing how effective the economies of scale are at bringing down the cost of cutting-edge tech. If we’re on this trajectory, it wouldn’t be inconceivable to imagine a $799 foldable, which would appeal to a vast variety of users. That future, however, remains largely unknown… which is why it isn’t really easy to predict whether the OnePlus Open came too early or too late. My gut as an avid tech-lover tells me that foldables won’t die, but they’ll remain a niche. Before foldables become mainstream, we’ll move on to the next thing, which could possibly be spatial computing. In that eventuality, there won’t be much demand for a folding phone, however, folding technology will carry forward into other sectors like tablets and laptops. My gut tells me the OnePlus Open might just be a bit of a bust, but it’ll play a key role (along with other foldables) in helping spur innovation in multiple different directions.

The post Did the OnePlus Open Foldable Phone Come Too Late? Or Did It Launch At The Perfect Time?? first appeared on Yanko Design.

OPPO Find N3 Foldable Phone Review: A Shutterbug’s Dream Come True

PROS:


  • Elegant and luxurious design

  • Best of class cameras for foldables

  • Innovative UX features for foldables

  • Top-notch hardware performance

CONS:


  • Taller, more vertical design compared to previous gen

  • No wireless charging

  • No IP rating (but weather-sealed)

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The OPPO Find N3 elevates the foldable phone experience with a gorgeous design and cameras worthy of a true flagship.

Phone makers have been trying to really make foldables a more common presence in people’s hands, and they have been trying to do so by assuring them of their durability. But while they have been successful on that front to some extent, some people still doubt the practical use of such devices. What makes matters worse is that foldable phones have always been a step behind flagship models in the one area that matters most to users: the cameras. OPPO, however, is now saying that it doesn’t have to be the case, especially with advancements not only in technology but also in design. The new OPPO Find N3 foldable phone is poised to showcase how far foldable phone cameras can go, so we give it a good spin to see if it is the true trailblazer that the brand is touting it to be.

Designer: OPPO

Aesthetics

You might think that once you’ve seen one foldable phone, you’ve seen them all, but there’s definitely plenty of room for improvement and innovation. There are the parts that you can’t see, like the all-important hinge that can make or break the device almost literally. And then there are aspects that you can see, like the materials used to make the phone, the flexible screen that actually gives it its unique functionality and the camera bump that puts an accent on the phone’s back. The OPPO Find N3 definitely touches on these and then some, to create a rather beautiful package that you’ll proudly flaunt wherever you can.

Rather than aiming for the typical business-like appearance of smartphones, OPPO clad its latest large foldable with luxurious clothing that makes it as much a fashion statement as it is a technological marvel. The Classic Black, for example, is anything but standard, covering the back with rich vegan leather. Our review unit dons the Champagne Gold colorway that uses a single piece of glass for the back panel to give it an elegant character. In both models, the OPPO Find N3 sports a sand-blasted metal frame with flat sides to complete the phone’s contemporary aesthetic as well as provide a better grip.

The Cosmos Ring camera design will probably be a bit divisive, considering how large and conspicuous it is, especially on the Gold model where the lens easily stands out. At the same time, the camera’s symmetric design and gentle rise do add a bit of elegance to the composition. That said, the LED flash would have probably been better inside in the ring rather than sticking out like a sore thumb in the corner of the phone.

If there’s one thing that sets the OPPO Find N3 apart from its predecessors, it is the fact that it is noticeably taller, even if it’s only subtly larger. The aspect ratio of the screens is different and, for better or worse, changes the formula in an important way. The first two OPPO foldables were praised for their compact designs which were closer to common phone sizes when folded and were more like standard horizontal tablets when unfolded. This time around, the overall shape is taller, yielding a vertical tablet design instead, almost similar to the design that Samsung and Huawei have been carrying for years. On the one hand, this does suggest having more breathing room for content. On the other hand, it also sadly lets go of what endeared the OPPO Find N to the market and what set it apart from its peers.

Ergonomics

Comfort and confidence are important factors in any smartphone, but they’re even more critical for foldables because of the different shapes they come in and the higher risks of breaking the flexible screen and the hinge. Manufacturers have focused more on strengthening these two parts, but improving the phone’s ergonomics also goes a long way in preventing accidents from happening in the first place. In that regard, the OPPO Find N3’s textured back and flat sand-blasted frame offer a stronger grip without being too rough on the hands.

It also helps that the foldable phone is made to be just as light as a regular phone and incredibly thin whether folded or not. This isn’t just a bragging right because it helps reduce the stress that’s placed on your hand when holding the phone, which means you are less likely to accidentally drop it from fatigue. It also adds more confidence and stability to your grip, making the phone comfortable to hold and enjoyable to use.

The hinge also plays a very important role in improving the usability of the phone, particularly in opening up use cases where the user can hold the device in a different way with more stability. This is particularly useful when taking selfies with the main camera, or folding the phone halfway for difficult angles. One won’t need a tripod or selfie stick to stabilize the device, whether in your hand or on some flat surface.

The taller shape of the phone when folded might prove to be a stumbling block for some since your thumb will have to stretch out more to reach higher elements on the screen. Granted, the OPPO Find N3 is still actually shorter than, say, the latest Samsung foldable, but it’s also considerably taller than the OPPO Find N that people loved for its handy and comfortable size. Thankfully, the design doesn’t have that awkward narrow shape of other “vertical” foldables, so you won’t be clumsily pecking at the keyboard either. The size difference is, unfortunately, a compromise that has to be made to fit more stuff in, especially the cameras that will be the defining factor of OPPO’s latest foldable.

Performance

OPPO definitely pulled out all the stops in decking the OPPO Find N3 with the finest parts, both inside and outside. While the foldable phones look glamorous, they are veritable beasts when it comes to power. The latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 leads the show, followed by the fastest LPDDR5x memory and UFS 4.0 storage technologies available to mobile devices. What all these mean in practice is that you won’t be wanting when it comes to performance, whether you’re gaming, creating content, or simply taking advantage of the advanced user experience features that the phone has to offer.

Of course, the star of the show is that internal display, which now measures 7.8 inches diagonally. It bears a resolution of 2240×2268 pixels, a variable refresh rate of 1 to 120Hz, precise 1440Hz PWM dimming, and support for the latest Dolby Vision and HDR10+ standards. All of these translate to a breathtaking viewing experience, no matter the type of content. Colors are lush and vivid and peak brightness makes the phone usable under the sun. Together with the powerful silicon running inside, the vibrant screen makes the UI feel fluid, responsive, and as smooth as butter. Best of all, the screen’s crease is barely visible and won’t distract you from enjoying your content. It’s still there, of course, if you look hard for it or try to feel it with your fingers, but it might as well be invisible in most cases.

With the OPPO Find N3, however, that screen is probably upstaged by the camera system, and for good reason. Cameras have traditionally been the weak point of foldable phones, primarily because of how much space they need to take up inside these thin devices. In that regard, OPPO seems to have pulled off a miracle by including not just large sensors but even a periscope-style telephoto lens while maintaining the foldable phone’s incredibly thin profile. The result doesn’t just blow other foldables out of the water but even stands head-to-head with some of the best smartphone cameras in the market.

You might downplay the main camera’s 48MP sensor, but it’s living proof that megapixel count isn’t all that matters. The new Sony LYTIA-T808 1/1.43-inch sensor boasts an image quality close to those of the ranking 1-inch sensors without taking up as much space. Ultra-wide cameras are often neglected and left with disappointing sensors, but the OPPO Find N3 flaunts a 48MP Sony IMX581 1/2-inch sensor that complements the main wide shooter quite well. Last but definitely not least, you have an astounding 64MP telephoto camera with a 70mm equivalent focal length, capable of 3x optical zoom and 6x lossless zoom that it pulls off by cropping the full 64MP image to preserve details.

1x

Low Light (1x)

Low Light (3x)

Needless to say, we were thoroughly impressed by the output that these cameras produced, regardless of the lighting condition or location. Colors are pleasant and lush, though probably more on the saturated side by default, and details are rich with very little noise. There is a very noticeable bit of distortion with the ultra-wide angle, but it’s all within expectations.

Ultra-wide

1x

2x

3x

Even more mind-blowing are the results from the telephoto camera, which are just as advertised. Even at 6x zoom, you can still make plenty of details, though it is also where noise starts to seep in just a little bit. The periscope lens also perfectly with portrait mode powered by Hasselblad, creating rich photos with pleasant blurring, accurate separation of the subject and the background, and rich depth. It also helps that the camera app has a friendly wheel interface that not only shows the zoom levels but also their focal lengths.

3x

6x

The OPPO Find N3 runs the latest ColorOS 13.2 version based on Android 13, and some might leave it at that when it comes to regular smartphones. Of course, this is a foldable phone, so it won’t be enough to simply slap on any plain old Android skin and call it a day. Fortunately, OPPO has definitely gone out of its way to provide new experiences that take advantage of the increased screen real estate, features you might not find in other foldables to date. Yes, it has a taskbar at the bottom of the internal screen and, yes, it has an app grid it calls the “App Library.” It didn’t stop there though and added a File Pocket shortcut that presents a visual grid of your most recent files, images, and clipboard items so that you can drag and drop these into the active app. There’s also the “Boundless View” feature that puts a new spin on split-screen multi-tasking that puts two or three apps into a scrolling view so you can enjoy more screen space while still being able to quickly switch between those apps.

A 4,800mAh split battery powers all these features, which is pretty generous as far as foldable phones go. It will definitely last you a day, at least with moderate and mixed use, and you can top it off quickly with SuperVOOC 67W fast charging. The phone, like its predecessors, still doesn’t support wireless charging, which is a bit disappointing for a premium flagship in this day and age.

Sustainability

As one of the top smartphone brands in the market, OPPO has a huge weight on its shoulders to lead the charge in protecting the future of its customers and the planet they live on. The company has implemented several strategies to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment and human welfare. Those efforts, however, primarily focus on the way it does business and produce and ship phones. We have yet to see it make more significant changes in the actual composition of its products, particularly with the use of recycled materials like plastics and aluminum.

The durability and subsequent repairability of foldable phones still remain in doubt even to this day. There is no question that OPPO’s third-generation Flexion Hinge is more resilient than its predecessors, but it’s still a far cry from the guarantees of phones with no moving parts at all. The OPPO Find N3 also bears no formal dust or water resistance guarantee other than being weather-sealed to guard against accidental splashes. IP rating might be an expensive certification, but it undoubtedly adds some peace of mind that the device has met internationally recognized standards at least.

Value

Almost any smartphone user will admit to wanting a bigger screen as long as it doesn’t mean having a bigger device. Ironically, these same people find the concept of a foldable phone alien if not too risky. It’s plain to see that brands are pushing foldable phones, both large and small varieties, to the market in an attempt to make them more commonplace, but the question of the value still remains. After all, why would you risk such an expensive product that might easily break or scratch at the slightest accident?

Fortunately, real-world experience as well as improvements in engineering and design have made those worries pretty much moot. As for the value of a foldable phone, you are getting a future-ready device that can easily adapt to whatever need you might have, whether it’s playing the latest mobile games, binging on trending shows, or taking mind-blowing photos and videos from angles that would have been impossible without some selfie stick. The OPPO Find N3, specifically, makes that last use case a complete pleasure thanks to its powerful cameras, delivering a foldable phone that is finally worth its price in almost all aspects.

Verdict

There is no stopping the march of foldable phones in the market, and each year we see new models promising the sun and then the moon but arrive with plenty of compromises. The latter often revolves around the cameras, constrained by the need to make these devices extra thin, especially when unfolded. Fortunately, there is also no stopping the progress of imaging sensors that are shrinking in size but increasing in capabilities, and OPPO has leveraged those advancements to put three such high-quality cameras on its thin and lightweight foldable hero.

Whether it’s the lustrous surface of Champagne Gold or the sleek leather texture of Classic Black, the OPPO Find N3 puts before you a product that is also a piece of art. It dares to go beyond market trends to put not one, not even two, but three powerful cameras that truly change the game for foldables. And that’s on top of the already impressive combination of hardware and software that truly makes the phone a joy to use for whatever purpose you might have. Sure, we wish it retained its more compact size or that it finally got an IP certification, but at the end of the day, the OPPO Find N3 is easily the foldable to beat, especially for shutterbugs who have long been denied this staple of the smartphone experience.

Aki Ukita contributed to this review.

The post OPPO Find N3 Foldable Phone Review: A Shutterbug’s Dream Come True first appeared on Yanko Design.

TECNO PHANTOM V Flip 5G Unveiled: Tech Marvel Meets High-End Design

Today, the PHANTOM sub-brand of TECNO unveiled its first flip phone, the PHANTOM V Flip 5G, which marks a new era of design innovation. This foldable marvel distinguishes itself from other smartphones by combining advanced technology with a high-fashion aesthetic. Its camera trinity is at the heart of this cosmic ensemble: a powerful 64MP+13MP+32MP system. With aesthetics reminiscent of celestial bodies, its unique circular cover screen and cosmos-inspired finish are bound to turn heads and spark conversations.

Designer: TECNO

The PHANTOM V Flip 5G is a remarkable device that can fit easily in a pocket. Its sleek design has received much acclaim and even earned a prestigious German Design Awards nomination. The device was unveiled during the “Flip In Style TECNO Flagship Product Launch 2023” event in Singapore, which showcases PHANTOM’s dedication to innovative design, pushing limits, and providing an unparalleled foldable experience.

Eclipsing Shadows: Illuminate Every Moment

The PHANTOM V Flip 5G’s camera has been crafted to turn low-light moments into luminescent memories. The 64MP RGBW Ultra Sensitive Sensor Main Camera is designed to swallow light, boasting an impressive 60% surge in light intake. The RGBW pixel format ensures minimal noise and enhances color fidelity, ensuring every captured moment reflects reality. With its industry-leading f/1.7 aperture, large 1.6μm (4in1) pixels, and a resolution untouched by any flip phone, nighttime photography is not just possible – it’s great.

TECNO’s Dual-camera Fusion technology ensures every image, whether shot with the 64MP main or the 13MP Ultra-Wide Angle Camera, is detailed, vast, and immersive.

Are you a fan of taking selfies? The PHANTOM V Flip 5G has exciting news for you! It now includes a 32MP Dual-flash Autofocus Front Camera that will take your selfies to the next level. This flip phone has first-of-its-kind Micro-slit Dual-flash technology and TECNO’s Super Flashlight algorithm that guarantees perfect lighting every time. The Automatic Eye-focus feature also ensures that all your selfies and vlogs capture even the smallest details with crystal-clear precision.

In the evolving smartphone world, the PHANTOM V Flip 5G emerges as a shining star, a testament to PHANTOM’s relentless pursuit of design perfection and technological brilliance. Only time will tell where they’ll take us next, but the universe seems a little brighter for now.

As dusk sets and shadows dance, the PHANTOM V Flip 5G stands poised, ready to turn every fleeting moment into a luminous masterpiece. Delving deeper into its prodigious camera capabilities, one can’t help but marvel at how it seamlessly conquers the challenges posed by low-light conditions.

Exploring the Versatility of PHANTOM V Flip 5G’s FreeCam System

The unique flip design of the PHANTOM V Flip 5G isn’t just for aesthetics—it introduces a dynamic new way to capture photos with the FreeCam System. This system provides users with a vast canvas to stretch their creativity, utilizing both front and rear lenses. With the ability to stabilize at angles ranging from 30-150˚, it offers opportunities for diverse shots: group photos, detailed rear camera selfies, and low-angle captures that provide a unique perspective. Additionally, the FreeCam Time-lapses bring a fresh perspective to traditional time-lapse videos. The phone’s capability to hover and accept both gesture and voice commands further enhances its versatility, paving the way for hands-free photography and videography.

A Design Masterpiece in Your Pocket

The PHANTOM V Flip 5G is a tech device that combines luxury with cutting-edge technology. Its cosmic-inspired design features a round “The Planet” cover screen with a deep black hue that evokes the vastness of space, making it truly eye-catching. The innovative “Asteroid Belt-Shaped” camera module is seamlessly integrated into the screen, giving the phone a sleek and unique appearance.

For those who appreciate the finer details, the phone’s exterior boasts premium lychee-pattern classic leather, a material often associated with high-end fashion and luxury cars. It brings an added layer of sophistication and tactile pleasure to the device. Available in two refined shades—Mystic Dawn and Iconic Black—the PHANTOM V Flip 5G caters to various style preferences.

In terms of form and size, the PHANTOM V Flip 5G is designed with user comfort in mind. When folded, it is 88.77 x 74.05 x 14.95mm, which fits snugly in one’s pocket and allows for intuitive thumb navigation. Unfolded, it measures 171.72 x 74.05 x 6.95mm, with a slightly narrower screen. This design decision is rooted in research, ensuring users have a comfortable one-handed experience.

The PHANTOM V Flip 5G is joining competitors with a more modern mobile design, introducing a new dimension to user experience. At the heart of its exterior is “The Planet,” a centralized circular screen designed for effortless one-thumb operation, ensuring convenience from every angle.

This innovative cover screen is not just functional but also interactive. Users can personalize it with a selection of wallpapers, interactive animations known as Tmojis, and even engaging 3D virtual pets. Importantly, this screen allows immediate access to essential functions, such as capturing photos, selecting music tracks, or sending quick replies, without needing access to the main display. The integrated “Smart Widgets” also bring a suite of utilities right to the user’s fingertips. With these, one can view the day’s weather, activate timers, record voice memos, consult their daily agenda, and set alarms without opening the device.

Upon flipping the phone open, users are presented with a pristine 6.9-inch display. This expansive screen, without distracting creases, offers exceptional clarity and detail. With advanced technology behind it, the display ensures smooth navigation and responsiveness, enhancing activities like photo browsing and gaming. In essence, the PHANTOM V Flip 5G represents a harmonious blend of innovative design and user-centric features, making it an ideal choice for those seeking both sophistication and functionality in a mobile device.

The post TECNO PHANTOM V Flip 5G Unveiled: Tech Marvel Meets High-End Design first appeared on Yanko Design.

OnePlus Open foldable phone renders paint a better, more realistic picture

Last month’s big Samsung event attempted to remind people that foldable phones are here to stay. While the fancy and hip Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the one making headlines, large foldables like the Galaxy Z Fold 5 are still the first thing that comes to mind when people talk about this kind of form factor. Of course, Samsung is no longer the only game in town either, and OnePlus even boldly made that fact known right at the start of Samsung’s device launch with an equally bold name. While most brands, Google included, focused on how these devices fold down, OnePlus might have chosen the name “Open” to send a very different message. That said, the OnePlus One’s design might not be completely different from what we’ve seen before, but it seems that there will be some big changes that will set this phone apart, at least visually.

Designer: Steve Hemmerstoffer/OnLeaks (via SmartPrix)

This isn’t the first time we’ve heard or even seen what is allegedly the OnePlus foldable, with inklings and leaks already trickling down for months. Back then, it was christened the OnePlus V Fold, more in line with the naming convention of foldable phones. It also had a fairly typical tall design, with a circular camera bump that’s becoming a norm on foldables other than Samsung. In all honesty, the images felt more like a rehash than the daring character that OnePlus often paints for itself. Fortunately, that’s not going to be the case it seems.

A fresh batch of renders shows a design that diverges from the older ones in important ways. The biggest difference is the aspect ratio, now wider when folded and more horizontal when unfolded. This puts its closer to the design of the OPPO Find N2, but these cousins are far from being twins. The OnePlus Open, should that be truly its name, has very flat edges, though its outer rounded corners are more pronounced. Although the inner corners near the hinge are still angular, the screen and back cover are cut to be curved, giving the illusion of rounded corners that make the entire design more symmetrical.

The camera design has also shifted, both inside and outside. The internal selfie camera moved from the left corner to the right corner, a more natural spot for it, while the circular camera bump is now larger and thicker. The latter could hint at an upgrade in specs, especially with an unknown sensor sitting below the Hasselblad “H” logo, speculated to be a 3D Time-of-Flight (ToF) sensor. There’s still a faux leather cover on that side, though it’s unknown whether there will be other options without this material.

Internally, the OnePlus Open is expected to have the staple high-end components, so it will be battling Samsung and other brands in terms of design, overall experience, and camera performance. OnePlus will surely play up the “Open” name, but it remains to be seen if its first foldable phone will have the same groundbreaking impact that the OnePlus One had which catapulted the brand into stardom.

The post OnePlus Open foldable phone renders paint a better, more realistic picture first appeared on Yanko Design.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+ (2023): Which Foldable Clamshell to Get

Foldable phones are seemingly becoming more common, at least if you ask the major phone manufacturers. Almost all of them have one form of foldable device or another by now, trying to push the idea of these form-changing devices into mainstream consciousness. Although there’s still plenty of debate on the practicality of the larger and more expansive foldables, it seems that the smaller “clamshell” types may have already found a captive audience, or at least a more concrete demographic. These “flip” style phones seem to be squarely aimed at a younger market, around Gen Z-ish ages, with an emphasis on self-expression, selfies, and style. Of the handful of clamshell foldables, the Motorola Razr+ (2023) and the newly announced Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 seem to be taking the lead, but which of these brands is actually ahead of the race? We put the two side-by-side to find out.

Designers: Samsung, Motorola

What is the Motorola Razr+ (2023)?

Of these two foldable phones, the Motorola Razr+ (2023), also known as the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra, had a head start, but only by a month. At the time of its announcement, it was largely hailed as the poster child for a good small foldable, particularly because its external display practically covered all of the top half of the phone’s rear. This meant more space for content, not to mention less cramped interfaces for regular Android apps. Although some of the hardware looked last-gen on paper, the overall package still seemed acceptable, especially when you consider the price tag.

For a time, it seemed that Motorola is giving Samsung a run for its money, at least with this singular device, and that the Korean tech giant would need a lot of work to reclaim its crown. Its next foldable phones looked more evolutionary than revolutionary, making some wonder if ol’ Sammy has lost its touch or is letting its competitors leave it in the dust. Things seemed to be looking up for Motorola, one of the world’s oldest mobile brands, with the Razr brand poised to regain its iconic fame. And then the Galaxy Z Flip 5 finally arrived.

What is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5?

Truth be told, Samsung was left with very few surprises when its Unpacked event finally came around. Most of the specs of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and its larger sibling, the Galaxy Z Fold 5, have already been leaked to death, and the official announcement only served as confirmation. Yes, Samsung’s foldable clamshell does have a much larger Cover Screen, now called Flex Window, and, yes, it is now using the gapless “teardrop” hinge, officially branded as Flex Hinge. And, yes, the cameras have not been upgraded, at least the two on the outside.

Of course, the devil is in the details, especially in the way that Samsung is taking advantage of the oddly-shaped external display. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 is also more than just the sum of its hardware parts and it promises a very different experience from the Motorola Razr+, especially for its more youthful customers.

Flip or Razor?

From a cursory look, the Motorola Razr+ (2023) and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 seem almost too similar, with just a few differences here and there. It’s not an unfair comparison, but there is definitely a lot more than meets the eye. Here are some of the finer details of how the two stand head-to-head.

Specs

Right off the bat, the Motorola Razr+ (2023) loses for running last year’s silicon, the Snapdragon 8 Gen 1, versus the latest and greatest Gen 2 mobile processor. In practice, the two aren’t really worlds apart, so most people might not be able to tell the difference anyway. It just means that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is a bit more future-proof than its Razr counterpart. Speaking of future-proofing, both do come with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage, but Samsung offers a 512GB storage option, albeit at added cost (after pre-orders). These days, storage size is extremely important because you can no longer expand that capacity with microSD cards, so at least having that option goes in Samsung’s favor.

The Galaxy Z Flip 5, however, has a slightly smaller 3,700mAh battery than the Motorola Razr+ with its 3,800mAh pack. Considering Samsung is running more powerful hardware and more complex software, you’d think it would want more capacity as well. Making matters a bit worse is that it charges slower at 25W compared to Motorola’s 30W. It’s not a lot, but every bit counts when it comes to battery life and charging speed.

Design

Both of these “flip phones” have slightly similar “base” designs, especially now that the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can close flat without any visible gap. They both look stylish, though Samsung seems to prefer softer pastel colors over Motorola’s sharper hues. The Motorola Razr has a classier bent, but both can look elegant, depending on your tastes. But while both companies seem to be trying to woo the young and young at heart, Samsung might have the upper hand when it comes to appealing to their aesthetic tastes and inclinations.

That’s largely thanks to the Flipsuit cases that Samsung has designed for this particular generation of its small foldable phone. At face value, the concept is nothing remarkable, just a bumper for the upper half of the phone and a clear case for the lower half. The ingenuity comes in the form of NFC-enabled “interactive cards” that you can sandwich between the phone and the clear case which would set a special wallpaper or lock screen on the Flex Window (formerly Cover Display) to match the design of the card.

Definitely a gimmicky feature, but one that opens the doors to many brand partnerships, especially those favored by consumers. Imagine all sorts of collectibles and tie-ins, allowing brands to provide a whole theme package that lets owners easily switch just by swapping NFC cards. It might be a cheaper alternative to producing a complete case for both halves, though the Flipsuit system definitely leaves room for that design. It’s a potential gold mine for marketing, especially considering Samsung’s brand clout.

Cover Display

The biggest “innovation” that these two foldable phones have is their larger external display, but the two brands clearly have different plans in mind. With the Motorola Razr+, its External Screen is simply just a larger version of its predecessors. It has the exact same capabilities, which means you can still run any regular Android app on a now larger display. The catch, however, is that screen wraps around the cameras, so any part of the app’s interface covered by those will be unreachable. Of course, you could do the old notch trick to push the display up, but that leaves wasted space that has little practical use anyway.

In contrast, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 features an actual cutout, creating a shape that looks like a folder tab. You won’t notice this uneven appearance when the display is off, but it might annoy some people who are particular about those details. The two phones also differ greatly in terms of functionality, with Samsung limiting the Flex Window to a selection of “widgets” ranging from a music player to messaging to Google Finance. This allows Samsung to create a more fine-tuned experience but also limits the usefulness of such a large screen. There is word that an extension from Samsung’s “Good Lock” suite of utilities will make it possible to run regular Android apps, but that collection isn’t available in all markets yet.

Durability & Sustainability

One of the biggest concerns people have over foldable phones is their durability or rather their fragility. Moving parts like a hinge increase risk factors like dust and liquid ingress, and a soft touch screen that could be scratched by fine particles also add to their fears. That’s why manufacturers have been trying to calm those worries with promises of increased resilience and reliability, and this is where Samsung and Motorola diverge paths once more.

The Motorola Razr+ (2023) has an IP52 rating, which means it has quite a lot of dust protection but can only withstand light sprays of water. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is IPX8 rated, so it will survive a dunk in a pool but all bets are off when it comes to dust and sand. The two devices both promise protection but place importance on different things, so consumers will be left to decide on their priorities.

Samsung has been playing the sustainability game far longer than any other manufacturer, and it definitely has a wide lead over Motorola in this race. The Galaxy Z Flip 5 steps up the game with increased use of recycled plastic, glass, and aluminum, in addition to more eco-friendly packaging. Motorola does have some sustainability commitments, but it hasn’t had much visibility as Samsung.

Other Features

Beyond these major points, there are also a few smaller details where the two flipping clamshells differ. The Motorola Razr+, for example, has a bigger 32MP selfie camera, while the Galaxy Z Flip 5 remains very conservative with only a 10MP shooter. Despite being at the forefront of providing a “desktop mode” experience, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 curiously doesn’t support Samsung DeX. Surprisingly, Motorola’s oddly-named “Ready For” is available on its latest foldable.

Both phones currently run Android 13, with promises of an Android 14 update once that’s out. Samsung, however, is guaranteeing one year more than Motorola when it comes to both major and security updates, and now has a better track record of actually making that happen. Samsung’s One UI might be “heavier” in customizations compared to Motorola’s Android skin, but it is better and longer supported, which means you won’t have to worry about software updates for at most four to five years.

Price & Availability

Another reason for people hesitating to even consider foldable phones is their prohibitively high price tags. Thanks to their smaller sizes and less complex designs, however, foldable clamshells like these two can push their prices a bit down to more palatable levels. In fact, both the Motorola Razr+ (2023) and the Galaxy Z Flip 5 retail for $1,000, though the latter has a 512GB model that will go for $1,120 once the pre-order phase ends. At the moment, Samsung’s special promo sells that 512GB model for the same $999 price, significantly undercutting Motorola.

In terms of availability, both phones can be purchased easily either unlocked or with carriers, at least in the US. In other markets, however, Motorola has a more limited reach, so it might be a “no contest” against Samsung anyway. Samsung also has more retail partners and service providers, making it easier to find support for the phone should it meet an unfavorable fate.

Final Thoughts

For a brief moment, it seemed that Motorola finally won the crowd, at least as far as foldable clamshells are concerned. But although there are points that go in its favor, the overall package and experience seem to tip the scales in Samsung’s favor. In terms of specs alone, you would be getting a bit more for the same price, making the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a more worthwhile and future-proof investment over the Motorola Razr+ (2023). Samsung’s small foldable is far from perfect, but it checks most of the right boxes, especially when it comes to presenting a more reliable device.

But smartphones have long gone past being just pieces of tech. They pretty much have become lifestyle choices, and Samsung is in the position to really play up that aspect. With customizable, fun designs and features that appeal to younger generations, Samsung is establishing the Galaxy Z Flip 5 as the hip choice of today’s social media-centric society, and it’s a strategy that might just work in its favor.

The post Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 vs Motorola Razr+ (2023): Which Foldable Clamshell to Get first appeared on Yanko Design.

Vivo X Flip Review: Playful, practical, almost perfect

PROS:


  • Excellent camera experience

  • Largest battery among clamshells

  • Sleek design with unique charm

  • Almost invisible crease

CONS:


  • Limited cover display functionality

  • No wireless charging

  • No IP rating

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Vivo X Flip checks most of the right boxes but now faces even stiffer competition even in its home market.

The market for foldables is still marginal, but the demand for foldable phones is steady, backed by the number of sales. 2023 seems to be a year for foldables phones, with iterations of foldable phones from familiar brands and inaugural foldables from big and not-so-big brands. Vivo released its first clamshell foldable Vivo X Flip in China along with the second generation of book-style foldable Vivo X Fold2. We checked out the Vivo’s first attempt at a flip phone.

Designer: Vivo

Aesthetics

Vivo X Flip sports a large 3.0-inch horizontal cover display. With bezel extended to the entire back of the device horizontally, the cover display is nicely integrated into the design, rather than the vast cut-out of display we’ve seen in the OPPO Find N2 Flip. The design also gives you the illusion of the cover display being bigger than it actually is.

On the left upper corner, sitting atop the cover display, is a circular camera bump adorned with a Zeiss logo. The circular camera bump design echoes Vivo’s other foldable released on the same day, the Vivo X Fold2. Vivo did not compromise aesthetics for the form factor. Unfortunately, the rather big, attention-seeking Vivo logo placed on the bottom spoils the sleek and premium design of the phone.

X Flip comes in three color options: Rhombic Purple, Silk Gold, and Diamond Black. While each colorway offers unique charm and character, the eye-catcher of three is Rhombic Purple, with its quilt-like vegan leather cover inspired by luxury bags.

More subtle Silk Gold and Diamond Black variants feature a glass back cover. The Diamond Black we got is beautiful with a small diamond pattern reflecting light, but we find the shiny, glossy glass attracts fingerprints and smudges. The phone comes with a transparent plastic case, but that, too, is a fingerprint magnet.

Ergonomics

Vivo X Flip size varies slightly between the colorways, but the largest Rhombic Purple measures 86.40mm x 75.25mm x 17.56mm when folded or 166.42mm x 75.25mm x 8.19 mm when flipped open. It is practically the same size as the OPPO Find N2 Flip. The Vivo X Flip closes all the way flat and has absolutely no gap when closed. When unfolded, the phone looks and feels like a regular smartphone. The crease is barely noticeable for the eyes and very subtle for the fingertips thanks to the 5.3mm waterdrop hinge structure.

The phone feels comfortable to hold in your hands. The build quality of X flip feels premium and gives you satisfaction each time you open and close the phone. The Vivo X Flip is certified by TUV Rheinland to endure up to 500,000 folds, so there is no need to worry about durability.

The X Flip can stay stand steadily on its own at the range of somewhere between 60 to 120-degree angle. Try to sit the phone at an angle wider or narrower than that, and it will slowly close or open.

Performance

Vivo X Flip is powered by Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 and comes with 12GB of ram that can be expanded by up to 8GB and either 256 GB or 512 GB of storage. It’s not the latest high-end Qualcomm chip, but plenty powerful. The clamshell runs Origin OS 3 on top of Android 13.

The X flip features a 6.74-inch screen with a 2520 x 1080 resolution. It has a 21:9 aspect ratio and an LTPO 120 Hz refresh rate. No official peak brightness figure is provided, but the main screen is bright enough under harsh sunlight. Unlocking the phone can be done using the impressively fast and accurate fingerprint sensor on the side.

As for the 3.0-inch cover screen, it offers a broader range of possibilities compared to Samsung Z Flip4 or OPPO Find N2 Flip. You can swiftly access quick settings, check notifications, make and receive calls, take pictures and videos, record audio, check the weather, and set a timer. You can use WeChat with full keyboard input, use a navigation app, watch videos, or even lock/unlock your car on the cover screen. But these are limited to Chinese apps. Vivo didn’t give X Flip the freedom to run any app on the display screen, and it may not be a big issue since this is a China-only phone, at least for now.

However, it feels like a missed opportunity for the phone to have a large 3.0-inch of canvas to play with, yet we’re limited in what we can do with it. If Vivo wanted it, we could run the entire phone without ever having to open it.

It’s no secret that foldable phones lag behind premium camera phones when it comes to mobile photography. But Vivo’s well-regarded improvements in imaging software in recent years are present in X Flip, and the clamshell can produce excellent pictures. X Flip boasts 50MP main camera that employs IMX 866V with 1/1.149”. It has an f/1.75 aperture and features OIS. The 12MP ultrawide camera with f/2.2 aperture also is equipped with autofocus. And there is a 32MP selfie camera.

Ultrawide

Wide

2x Zoom

X Flip’s main and ultrawide angle capture images with nice details and great dynamic range. The color rendered is on the warmer side, but nothing unnatural. Green, notably lighter green, tends to be more vibrant than it actually is. Zeiss mode produces images with softer green.

Normal 1x

ZEISS 1x

Normal Macro

ZEISS Macro

Low-light photos the X flip capture are impressive too. Vivo employs aggressive shadow brightening while ensuring good white balance and color saturation. Different light sources are adequately exposed, and the details are retained. It seems Vivo is proud, and rightly so, of its night mode and decided to apply it to low-light photography by default.

Regular Mode

Night Mode

One advantage of a flip phone is that you can prop it up as its own tripod or let your subject see the framing as you take photos. And you can see Vivo puts significant consideration and care in this area. The preview mode shows the cropped view of the framing. Vivo added a dual-preview letting your subject see the cropped picture along with the entire framing by splitting the cover screen into two. This lovely function allows your subject to check the whole composition of the photo and not just the zoomed view of the photo you usually get with flip-cover displays.

You can take selfies with the rear cameras by launching the camera directly from the cover screen or switching to Rear HD Selfie mode from internal camera mode. You can access camera settings like camera timer, aspect ratio, and shutter release mode. For Portrait and video, filters and beauty modes can be applied via the cover display. What’s fun is that you can pinch in to access the ultrawide’s 0.6x on Portrait and Photo via the cover display.

Of course, you can shoot selfies with the internal camera. But with the ability to take selfies with the superior rear cameras, the internal camera will likely be left for video calls only.

As for video recording, Vivo X Flip can shoot up to 4k 60fps with the main camera and up to 4k 30fps with the ultrawide. Both the main and the ultrawide camera are equipped with stabilization. Weirdly, the preview on the cover screen is not available for video. And what is more puzzling is that recording selfie videos with the cover display is limited to 1080p 30fps, and no stabilization is available.

Macro

Vivo X Flip packs the largest battery for a flip phone at 4,400 mAh and supports 44 W wired charging. The battery is more than enough to get you through the day. Unfortunately, it does not come with wireless charging capability or an IP rating.

Sustainability

While many smartphone manufacturers are putting efforts into being environmentally responsible, it seems they throw it out of the window when it comes to foldable smartphones. Sadly Vivo is no exception here. For example, Vivo makes no mention of using sustainable or recycled materials on the flip phone or its package.

That said, the X flip is built well and rated to withstand at least 500,000 opens and closes, so it won’t die on you too early. At least if you’re careful. No formal IP dust and water resistant rating is given, though, so you’ll need to take extra measure to keep it away from risky environments. It would be great to see Vivo leading the area of sustainability in this form factor segment, but that doesn’t seem to be on its radar yet.

Value

Currently only available in China, Vivo X Flip is priced at CNY 5999 ($838) for 256GB of storage and CNY 6699 ($936) for 512GB storage. The X Flip has a lot to offer as there are only a few competitors for flip phones out there, and X Flip can be one of the top picks when it was launched. But now, with Motorola Razr+ and its larger, fully functional display, as well as the upcoming Galaxy Z Flip5, the competition is getting stiffer. No global availability and limitations on cover display functionality are major drawbacks that won’t help the situation.

Verdict

Even though the limitation on what apps you can run on the cover screen has left us disappointed, Vivo has done so much right with X Flip. With its sleek design, highly customizable Origin OS 3, excellent camera experience, bright main screen amongst flip phones, beefy battery, and a large and responsive cover screen, Vivo certainly left a mark on the clamshell segment. It’s timing, however, leaves something to be desired, and it will be facing tough rivals in the coming months, even in its exclusive Chinese market.

The post Vivo X Flip Review: Playful, practical, almost perfect first appeared on Yanko Design.

Vivo X Fold 2 Foldable Phone Review: Beautiful, Big, and Bewildering

PROS:


  • Stylish design with a thin profile

  • In-display fingerprint sensor on both screens

  • Largest screens among foldables

  • High-performance hardware with fast-charging battery

  • Rare mute switch

CONS:


  • Limited market availability

  • Downgrade in camera and USB technology

  • No dust and water resistance rating

RATINGS:

AESTHETICS
ERGONOMICS
PERFORMANCE
SUSTAINABILITY / REPAIRABILITY
VALUE FOR MONEY

EDITOR'S QUOTE:

The Vivo X Fold 2 takes the foldable game up a notch but strangely takes two steps back as well.

As foldable phones start to become a little bit more common, it will also become harder for brands to stand out from the growing crowd. There’s definitely still a lot of room for improvement, of course, but many of the features have started to become more standard these days, especially those surrounding the all-important foldable screen. The challenge is even higher when trying to put out a successor to a successful first attempt, with the stakes now higher and the competition even tighter. That’s the difficult task that Vivo had to face in coming up with a successor to its notable first foldable phone, and so we take the Vivo X Fold 2 for a good run to see if it manages to overcome the odds or if it is a victim of the brand’s own success.

Designer: Vivo

Aesthetics

At first glance, the Vivo X Fold 2 immediately sets itself apart with its distinctive and elegant looks. Circular camera bumps seem to be the new trend, but not all styles are as pleasant to look at. Normally, one that isn’t centered would look a bit awkward and unbalanced, but Vivo manages to pull this one off thanks to a neat visual trick.

The non-screen backside of the phone is made from two materials. There’s a vertical strip on the side of the hinge that’s made of glossy glass, serving as an accent to the rest of the surface, which uses that oh-so-familiar faux leather material. Beyond giving the phone a unique visual, it also gives the illusion that the camera enclosure is sitting in the middle rather than off-center. That said, that camera design is a bit of a mixed bag. Its stepped design and textured ring make it stand out a bit less despite its height, but that small LED flash ring sticks out like a sore thumb and breaks the visual flow of the design, not to mention the necessary ZEISS branding that sits like a blue wart below the camera.

The Vivo X Fold 2 is definitely quite a looker, especially in the eye-catching red unit we were given for this review. Compared to its predecessor, it’s supposed to be thinner and lighter, though you won’t be able to easily tell even if you have both devices at hand. It’s definitely on the thin and light side compared to other foldables, but it’s certainly not the top of the pack in that aspect. What it is, however, is large, and it is possibly one of the largest in the foldable market, especially when it comes to screen size.

Like many other foldable phones outside of Samsung, Vivo uses a well-known water drop hinge to help make the crease less visible while also allowing the phone to fold shut completely. In both cases, the Vivo X Fold 2 doesn’t disappoint, but it’s not exactly a groundbreaking feat either. It would be more shocking if it actually did worse since it’s a more or less established technology at this point. Fortunately, you really don’t notice the crease that much unless you intentionally look for it, and the bright and large 8.03-inch inner display will be enough to distract you with the way it shows your content in vibrant and crisp colors, even outdoors under the sun.

Ergonomics

Now that the once ridiculed “phablet” has become the standard smartphone size, even for Apple, it is nearly impossible to use smartphones these days with a single hand. That is especially true for foldable phones, which transform into small tablets that you really need two hands for. When folded closed, however, the phone’s doubled thickness makes it even less comfortable to use with a single hand, no matter how large your hands might be.

This is probably truer for the Vivo X Fold 2 simply because it is larger than any other foldable phone. When folded, the 6.53-inch external display makes the surface area even less unwieldy. Fortunately, the phone’s textured back gives it a better grip than others of its kind. If you’re the type to still worry, though, Vivo includes a protective back case in the same color and, amusingly, the same vegan leather material as the phone itself.

The one thing that’s a bit easy to do with one hand is to unlock the phone. Thanks to housing an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the middle of the screen, you don’t have to fiddle with power buttons located on just one side of the phone. This is already a rare sight on foldable phones, but even more impressive is the fact that the Vivo X Fold 2 also has a similar in-display sensor on the inner display.

Performance

The Vivo X Fold 2 is equipped with top-of-the-line hardware you’d expect from a premium flagship this time of the year. That means a beefy Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2, 12GB of RAM, and 256GB or 512GB of storage. What all these figures mean in practice is that it won’t be lacking in power, handling anything you throw at it with aplomb. There is, however, one caveat where the phone gets quite warm when playing graphics-intensive titles. It’s not hot enough to burn your skin, but it might make you want to pause the game a bit, especially since it would eventually affect frame rates.

The phone is equipped with a dual battery that totals 4,800mAh, quite a generous capacity as far as foldables go. Given the power and the two displays, however, you are going to see a shorter uptime compared to normal slabs with the same battery size. Vivo makes up for it with a 120W ultra-fast charging capability that’s one of the fastest in the industry, foldable or otherwise. Unfortunately, that may have come at the price of Vivo downgrading the USB-C port from version 3.2 of its predecessor to an older 2.0 technology. Not only does this mean it has a slower data transfer rate, it also loses the ability to output video through that part. The latter is probably less important to most people compared to faster charging times, but it’s still an unfortunate downgrade nonetheless.

The crowning glory of the Vivo X Fold 2 is, of course, its foldable screen, which is currently the biggest in its category. It has quite an impressive performance, especially when it comes to brightness, but its size does come with a price. It has an overall lower pixel density, and while you won’t be able to make out individual pixels, more discerning eyes might notice the step down in quality compared to other foldables. Fortunately, that doesn’t take away from the enjoyable viewing experience, whether you’re watching videos or reading documents.

Foldable phones haven’t exactly been at the height of mobile photography, mostly because of the sacrifices that have to be made in terms of design and price. Vivo, however, is quite known for its smartphone cameras, especially with its flagship X family, so you’d expect that the X Fold 2 would rise above the rest in this regard as well. Just like the rest of the phone so far, however, it’s a bit of a mixed bag. It definitely takes impressive photos and videos, but they won’t sweep you off your feet, especially when it comes to close-up shots.

The main 50MP camera might not sound like the greatest, but it gets the job done without breaking a sweat. Images have plenty of details, and colors are bright, perhaps even too vibrant for some tastes. Vivo has again partnered with ZEISS for the optics as well as some special camera modes, and those turn out to be more color accurate. The main camera delivers plenty of detail, even in low light, to the point that the dedicated Night Mode might look redundant as long as there is enough illumination from the surroundings.

Left: Regular Shot; Right: ZEISS

Regular (1x)

Night Mode

ZEISS

Unfortunately, the other cameras are less impressive. The 12MP ultra-wide is so-so, and it’s no better nor worse compared to other 12MP ultra-wide cameras you’d find on most smartphones these days. Things take a rather sad turn with the telephoto camera, though. Where there were once two, there is now only one, and Vivo removed the one that was actually more interesting. There is no longer a periscope telephoto camera, leaving only a 12MP shooter in its stead that is capable of doing a measly 2x optical zoom. Many “main” cameras are capable of that much, which makes this camera feel redundant. As for output, it’s decent enough to be usable, but it’s a few steps short of what fans have come to expect from Vivo.

Ultra-Wide

1x

2x (Telephoto)

As for software, the Vivo X Fold 2 comes with Origin OS based on Android 13, which is the China-exclusive flavor that Vivo ships on its phones. This means that there is no Google Play Store pre-installed, though you can definitely install it through other means and get access to your favorite apps. Alas, Origin OS is also filled to the brim with other pre-installed apps, but that, too, is the norm for phones coming from that market. The even bigger concern, however, is how the custom Android experience feels a little rough around the edges as far as support for foldable features is concerned. Given it’s just the company’s second stab at the form factor, it’s a bit understandable, and it will hopefully push out improvements quickly while the phone is still actively supported.

Sustainability

While the Vivo X Fold 2 is able to set itself apart from the others in terms of design, it isn’t that different when it comes to its effects on the environment. The choice of vegan or eco-leather is definitely a good one, but its positive effects are quite minimal compared to the other materials that make up the phone and its packaging. Vivo’s super-fast charging requires a proprietary charger, so it’s unavoidable to ship one in the box.

Sustainability wouldn’t be so bad if the product is made to last, but even then, this foldable might raise some concerns. There is no formal IP dust and water resistance rating, not even a formal assurance of its durability under the most common accidents. Granted, there are few foldable phones aside from Samsung and Huawei that can make such promises, but it is also an opportunity for brands like Vivo to step up their game and prove that they’re no small fry when it comes to providing their customers with peace of mind.

Value

The Vivo X Fold 2 is a bit of a mixed bag. It has a striking design that makes it memorable and attractive, and it also has the power to support all your mobile needs, from browsing to photography to gaming. The larger screens leave plenty of room for your content, or even two of them for the inner foldable screen. There are special features you won’t find in other foldable phones, like an in-display ultrasonic fingerprint scanner and a physical switch to silence notifications, ala the iPhone. We have a few complaints, of course, but nothing so glaring as to make the phone something to avoid.

That said, the biggest deal breaker for this stylish foldable is the fact that only a select number of people will be able to buy one in the first place. Never mind the roughly $1,300 price tag, the Vivo X Fold 2 isn’t even available in markets outside of China. Whether that situation will change, Vivo isn’t saying, but it will definitely need a more polished Funtouch OS experience to improve its reception in international markets.

Verdict

At this point, almost all the major smartphone players except Apple have entered the foldable smartphone market. The competition will soon be just as fierce as it is in the “normal” smartphone arena. With many of them having nearly the same hinges and almost crease-free displays, manufacturers will have to find ways to differentiate their products in other ways that create better value for their customers. That doesn’t always have to be new hardware or gimmicky features. Sometimes, just having a powerful and beautiful device is enough to get people to buy. Just ask Apple!

The Vivo X Fold 2 clearly tries to reach those goalposts. Its elegant design actually makes the off-center circular camera bump work in a simple yet memorable way. In addition to its powerful hardware, the foldable phone offers unique features as well, like larger screens and in-display fingerprint sensors that even industry leaders failed to offer. Unfortunately, Vivo seems to also have cut a few corners in the process, and while they’re not deal-breakers on their own, they make the experience less than ideal altogether. As a successor, the Vivo X Fold 2 definitely rises to the challenge, but Vivo will need to step up its game to really leave a lasting mark in this growing market.

Aki Ukita and JC Torres contributed to this review.

The post Vivo X Fold 2 Foldable Phone Review: Beautiful, Big, and Bewildering first appeared on Yanko Design.