Foldable smartphones are the modern renaissance of the folding phones of the past. After Samsung introduced the first modern foldables with the Galaxy Fold and Huawei with the Mate X in 2019, a lot has happened in the last five years. Even back then, the industry was celebrating foldables as the next big thing. And slowly things are actually moving. Sales figures are steadily increasing: According to Trend Force 15.9 million foldables were sold in 2023, an increase of a quarter compared to the previous year. That sounds like a lot, but it’s actually quite a bit when converted to the smartphone market. Foldables are expected to have a market share of just 1.5 percent in 2024.
Nevertheless, for manufacturers, the device category is a growth market in which they can gain even more market share than with normal smartphones. Laut Counterpoint Huawei will have the largest share of foldables sold in the first quarter of 2024, closely followed by Samsung. Honor and Motorola are in third and fourth place. At least worldwide. In Germany, Samsung is currently the market leader.
What are the best foldables in 2024?
At connect we also regularly test foldables. But what are the best foldables 2024? In addition to our Top 10 Foldable best list on the next pageof course, it also depends on the application and personal interests as to which folding smartphone is the best. Here are our recommendations:
Foldable with the best features:
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5: The Fold 5 offers the best features overall with water protection, wireless charging and a huge basket of software features.
Foldable alternative with larger display
Honor Magic V2: If you want a lighter foldable that also has a larger internal display and a much more usable external display than the Fold 5, the Magic V2 is the right choice. It’s also cheaper.
The best clamshell foldable
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5: With the Flip 5, Samsung also offers the best foldable in clamshell format. It comes with a large external display that can not only be used as a status display, but you can even write messages on it. As with the Fold 5, the features are very good.
Clamshell-Alternative
Motorola Razr 40 Ultra: If you want a larger display on a flip smartphone and want to be able to do more tasks on the outside, the Razr 40 Ultra is the right choice for you. Motorola’s Flip 5 alternative also has a smaller fold, but is only protected against splash water.
Top 10 Foldable list on the next page
What types of foldables are there?
There are two types of foldable smartphones: devices with a clamshell design, such as Samsung’s Galaxy Flip or Motorola Razr, which are roughly the size of a normal smartphone when unfolded. When folded, they are almost square and can easily be slipped into a pocket or bag.
There are also foldables in book format, which are as big as a normal smartphone when closed and have a large internal display when opened. When closed, they are of course thicker than a top smartphone, although here too the weight and thickness are constantly decreasing. The terms “flip” and “fold” have become established in the market for both categories.
Who benefits from a foldable?
The question of who a foldable phone is worth it for is of course personal and perhaps emotional in nature. We recommend a flip phone, especially for those who want a particularly compact smartphone and don’t place much value on extensive camera equipment. Newer models have a relatively large external display even when closed, which allows you to do many tasks without opening the device. This saves energy. Flip phones also still offer an eye-catching effect and usually have a wide range of colors and accessories. However, you also have to remember that for the price of a flip phone you can still get a better-equipped normal smartphone. If you go for previous models or buy shortly before a model change, the costs are put into perspective.
Large, book-like folds now offer almost the same features as top smartphones. However, they are still sometimes significantly more expensive. Folds are particularly suitable for users who like to read or work a lot on their phone – even multitasking is easy to do. Regardless of whether you want to work on Excel spreadsheets, edit images or watch films: a fold simply offers more display space and is still more compact than a tablet. The devices have now become very thin, so you no longer have a brick in your pocket. The Magic V2 is the best example of this.
What foldables are there?
There are significantly fewer foldables on the German market compared to China. But interest is also growing here and the selection is getting bigger. The following foldables are currently available:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Honor Magic V2
- Google Pixel Fold
- Oneplus Open
- Motorola Razr 40 Ultra
- Motorola Razr 40
- Nubia Flip 5G
- Huawei Mate X3
Which foldables will be released in 2024?
2024 could be the foldable year par excellence! There are rumors that several manufacturers are expanding their portfolio with flip phones and are also targeting the German market more closely. Currently, many foldables from Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi or Vivo are only available in the domestic market.
The following foldables could come onto the market in 2024:
- Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6: The launch is imminent and will take place on July 10th
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: The Flip 6 will be introduced with the Fold 6 on July 10th.
- Google Pixel Fold 2: Google is expected to unveil its second generation of foldables along with the Pixel 9 models on August 13.
- Motorola Razr 50 Ultra: The Flip competitor has already been introduced. Due to the current patent dispute, it is uncertain when the device will come to Germany.
- Honor Magic V3: The Magic V3 will be introduced in China shortly. It is not yet known when it will come to Germany.
- Honor Magic Vs3: With the Vs3, Honor is expected to bring a slightly slimmed down version of the top foldable onto the market.
- Honor Magic V Flip: In June, Honor introduced its first flip phone. A release for Germany is not yet known.
- Xiaomi Mix Fold 4: The launch of Xiaomi’s top foldable is expected in the second half of the year. Sales in the EU are unlikely.
- Xiaomi Mix Flip: The Chinese company’s first flip-foldable is also expected this year and could be introduced with the Fold 4.
>>> On the next page: Our best list – The Top 10 Foldables 2024 <<
Source: www.connect.de
