Five Reasons to Spend More on a Foldable Phone
With Samsung set to unveil its next foldable flagship phones on July 10 ( here’s a quick look at what was released last year), now seems like a good time to reassess the appeal of phones that fold in half. They typically cost more than standard flagships, but do they offer enough to justify that extra cost?
The answer may be yes, but not for everyone. Before you decide to shell out a significant amount of money for a foldable phone, you need to be sure that you’ll get enough use out of it. Below are use cases where a foldable phone can really make a difference, and if they make sense to you, a foldable phone could be your next upgrade.
This list focuses on book-style foldable devices like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google Pixel Fold , and OnePlus Open, but there is also mention of foldable devices like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr. at the end.
Improved multitasking
This is one of the most obvious: with a screen twice the size of a regular phone display, you can fit one app next to another very easily. Whether this will actually be useful depends on the specific applications you’re going to be spending most of your time in – you don’t have a lot of space on either side, so it can get a little cramped at times.
Keep in mind that you can split the screen either vertically or horizontally. It’s great for watching videos, checking email or searching for articles online, as well as taking notes or keeping track of social media and updating your calendar. Over time, you’ll likely come up with your own useful split-screen combinations.
I am watching a video
A foldable phone gives you a screen that, when opened, is close to the size of a mini tablet, meaning videos play at a significantly larger size. It may be letterbox-heavy, but the extra screen space at the top and bottom can come in handy too – meaning you can watch YouTube clips while scrolling through, for example, the comments below the clip.
The previous tip mentioned watching videos in split screen mode, and if you use your phone half folded, that means you have the video screen raised for easy viewing (like the stand on your phone without a stand). The bottom half of the screen can be used to display comments or playback controls for what you’re watching.
Play games
Another scenario where all this extra screen space can come in handy is gaming. Most Android games happily expand to fill the extra space without any problems, meaning you can see more game settings: race track, space station, dungeon, or whatever. It’s great for everything from simple puzzles to open world adventures.
The controls can often be easier to use as well, although this may vary from game to game. Remember, you’re holding a foldable phone with both hands when it’s open, so you have thumbs on both sides ready for action. And if you want a traditional experience in any of your games, you can always close your phone.
Faster typing
Most of us spend a lot of time typing on our phones, and on a foldable phone the experience is vastly different and improved in many ways. You have more keyboard space on the screen and you have two hands to type on, so most of the time your typing speed will increase (though it takes some getting used to).
If you need to do a lot of writing on your phone, a foldable phone can mean you’re significantly more productive. Emails, documents, comments, text messages – whatever it is, you can view them faster with a foldable device. Keyboard options, including AutoCorrect options and the phone’s clipboard, are also easier to access when the phone is unfolded.
Compact form factor
Flip phones (like the Z Flip 5) work in the opposite direction to book-style folding phones (like the Z Fold 5)—they’re the size of a regular phone when unfolded versus when folded. . This makes them easier to carry and ideal if you don’t have much space in your pocket, bag, drawer or wherever you usually keep your phone.
These flip phones can still be used even when folded to half their size. The latest models have decent-sized screens, so you can check incoming messages, control media playback, take photos, set timers, check the weather, and more. You get a lot of functionality on a screen that’s about half the size of a standard phone display.