Google’s recent changes to the Pixel line of phones, beginning with the Pixel 6, have helped the company make major headway in the smartphone market. Foldable phones are the next big thing in smartphone design, with Samsung being the current leader in the space.
If Google is able to successfully break into the foldable market, the company’s upward momentum could be just beginning.
Microsoft is making a major change to its Surface Duo line, ditching the dual-screen design in favor of a foldable screen.
Microsoft first unveiled the Surface Duo line in late 2019, surprising users with both its operating system and its design. The phone ran Android rather than some tablet-centric version of Windows and featured a dual-screen design. The dual screens were Microsoft’s attempt to avoid some of the pitfalls of early foldable designs, such as creases and breakage.
Fast-forward three years, and Microsoft is ready to throw in the towel on dual-screen designs and embrace foldable screens, according to Windows Central. What’s more, the decision to make the switch appears to come after a dual-screen Surface Duo 3 design had already been approved.
There are likely multiple factors that led to the decision, not the least of which is the mixed reviews the Surface Duo 2 received. In addition, foldable screen tech has come a long way in the last three years and has largely resolved the limitations of early generations.
If the report is true and Microsoft embraces foldable designs, it could easily help the company make major inroads into the mobile phone market. For many users, having an Android phone designed from the ground up to run Microsoft’s suite of applications could be the holy grail of mobile phones.
Foldable phones may be all the rage, but Apple is still not convinced they’re the future.
Despite that, one notable holdout is Apple. According to leaker Dylandkt, Apple is testing multiple foldable designs, but remains unconvinced about the future of the market.
Numerous companies are working on foldable phones, most notably Motorola and Samsung. In fact, Samsung’s foldable phone shipments quadrupled in 2021 and the company expects the market to grow tenfold by 2023.
Apple also wants to avoid the pattern other companies have fallen into, where they release a subpar phone and then spend the next couple of revisions trying to fix it.
Dylandkt may not be one of the most well-known leakers but, according to AppleTrack, he’s ranked 7th on the list of Apple leakers, with an accuracy of 77.5%.
Samsung has revealed data about its foldable phone business, saying it shipped four times the number of units in 2021 than in 2020.
Foldable phones are considered the next evolution of phone design. Smaller flip-style phones can be unfolded to rival larger smartphones, while large smartphones can be unfolded to rival a tablet.
Samsung has been on the forefront of the foldable device market, but the company has managed to triple the market growth most analyst expected it to achieve, shipping four times the number of devices in 2021 as 2020.
The company says foldable smartphone shipments will grow tenfold by 2023, and believes it is well-positioned to continue leading the market.
As more consumers become aware of foldables’ incredible potential, interest in the category will continue to grow. With a variety of innovations set to make their way to consumers in the coming years, Samsung will continue to lead the foldables category with even more pioneering technology.
A new Motorola Razr is in development, a third-generation foldable device that could make headway in the market.
The Motorola Razr was one of the most iconic mobile phones in history, before seeing a rebirth as a foldable phone, the first to feature a vertical folding screen. Lenovo purchased Motorola Mobility in 2014, inheriting its smartphone business.
According to Android Authority, a Lenovo executive has confirmed a foldable Razr 3 is in development. The new phone will feature more processing power, an improved interface, as well as an updated appearance.
Given how popular early Razrs were, a competitive folding phone with a traditional flip phone form factor could be a big hit.
Just a week after rumors that Google is working on a foldable Pixel phone, new rumors suggest it may be delayed.
Google announced the Pixel 6 in early August, powered by the company’s new Tensor chips. Shortly after, eagle-eyed observers noticed that the latest Android 12 beta makes reference to four different Pixel models, one of which is rumored to be a foldable version.
According to 91mobiles, however, sources inside the company are saying the Pixel Fold has been delayed, with no clear date set for its launch. Nonetheless, those same sources said Google may preview it at the Pixel 6 launch later this year.
After years of lackluster sales and a failure to gain major traction in the smartphone hardware market, the Pixel 6 represents Google’s most ambitious effort yet. A foldable version, whenever it debuts, could well be a critical factor in Google making headway in the market.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has weighed in on Apple’s foldable iPhone plans, saying the company will introduce one in 2023.
Foldable phones are the next big evolution of modern smartphone design. Foldable designs promise to deliver current screen sizes in smaller packages, or much larger, tablet-size screens in phones that are comparable to current phones when folded.
Several companies, such as Samsung, have tried to make foldable phones, but have had issues with them being as durable as necessary. Others, like Microsoft, have opted for a dual-screen design, joined with a hinge. It’s unclear what approach Apple will take, although the company is well-known for arriving late to the party with designs that improve on the existing offerings of other companies. Many believe the iPhone maker may be able to leverage its hardware design expertise to deliver an unrivaled foldable experience.
According to Kuo, via 9to5Mac, Apple is expected to sell 15 to 20 million foldable iPhones in 2023. Kuo believes the phone will have an 8-inch screen.
At present, the product position of foldable smartphones is mainly to integrate the smartphone and tablet. But we believe that the foldable smartphone is only one of the applications of the foldable design. We predict that foldable devices will blur the product segmentations between smartphones, tablets, and laptops in the future. With its cross-product ecosystems and hardware design advantages, Apple will be the biggest winner in the new foldable device trend.
Apple has tasked its top supplier, Foxconn, with producing two different prototype designs for a foldable iPhone.
Foldable phones are considered the next evolution of modern smartphones. Foldable designs allow for phones that can more easily be carried in a pocket, yet expand to offer the screen real estate of a small tablet. While Microsoft, Motorola and Samsung have released foldable phones, Apple has yet to embrace the trend. Many believe Apple has been working to perfect the design and avoid the problems other companies have faced.
Apple’s plans may be closer to fruition, if the rumors are to be believed. According to TechRadar, citing Taiwanese website United Daily News, two prototype designs have passed the necessary durability tests to be considered for production.
One design is evidently the traditional clamshell style, such as those sold by Motorola and Samsung. The other design is reminiscent of the Microsoft Surface Duo’s dual-screen design. It’s unknown whether Apple will eventually release both designs, or consolidate around a single one.
Obviously, Apple testing foldable designs doesn’t provide a lot of concrete information, but it’s further evidence that Apple will likely enter the market once they are convinced they can do so with their usual panache.
Microsoft’s foldable device powered by Android was originally slated for release during the 2020 holidays, but a new report says it could be available as early as summer.
Windows Central’s contacts say the software and hardware for the device are both done, and “Microsoft is currently focused on finalizing the top-level OS customizations and in-box app experiences specific to Surface Duo.” Microsoft is supposedly planning on having those customizations done by early April, with a summer release date planned.
The report also says the Duo will ship with a Snapdragon 855 processor. While the chip was last year’s flagship, and therefore no slouch when it comes to performance, it does not support 5G. That may well be factoring in to the earlier launch plans, as it would allow the phone to hit the market before 5G becomes more widespread and the phone is seen as outdated.
Even without 5G the phone should be a hit with businesses and consumers alike. Its innovative design, Android operating system and deep integration with Microsoft’s ecosystem should help the company score a big win.
Samsung has announced the Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone, the company’s first with a glass screen.
Samsung’s previous attempt, the Galaxy Fold, was plagued with issues leading Samsung to redesign a number of elements to improve the phone’s reliability. Now the company has announced the Fold’s successor, the Galaxy Z Flip.
Closed Galaxy Z Flips – Image Source: Samsung
According Samsung’s statement, the new phone “features a 6.7-inch display that folds into a stylish and compact form factor that fits in the palm of your hand1. Designed with an innovative Hideaway Hinge and custom-built UX, Galaxy Z Flip provides elegant new ways to capture, share and experience content. From its stylish design to its flexible camera experience, Galaxy Z Flip opens up a new decade of foldable mobile innovation.”
In a company first, the “Galaxy Z Flip features an Infinity Flex Display with Samsung’s proprietary bendable Ultra Thin Glass (UTG), making it slimmer with a sleek, premium look and feel that has never been seen with a foldable device before. The centered in-display camera cutout at the top also means there’s no notch and no distractions, with Samsung’s first-ever 21.9:9 ratio, so you can enjoy even more of your favorite content such as cinema-ratio 21:9 shows and movies.”
Two Galaxy Z Flips – Image Source: Samsung
The new form factor does a good job of splitting content and controls between the two halves of the screen. The phone runs Android 10, has dual 12 MP rear cameras, a 10MP selfie camera, a 3,300 mAh (typical) dual battery, wireless charging, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage.
Samsung’s second attempt at a foldable phone is an innovative design that is sure to win over customers.
CNET is reporting that Motorola is recommitting to the premium phone market, after years of making budget and midrange phones.
Motorola made headlines in November with an updated version of its iconic Razr phone. The new model keeps the old-style, flip-phone form factor, but reimagined as a folding touchscreen smartphone. The new design has the advantage of a relatively small footprint, while still being able to unfold into a full-size 6.2-inch smartphone.
At Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Tech Summit in Maui, Hawaii, the company made it clear the new Razr is just the beginning. According to CNET, Sergio Buniac, Motorola Mobility president, credited advancement in new technologies as part of the reason for the brand’s return to the premium market.
“Thanks to the new technologies announced today, we’ll have new premium products to announce in early 2020,” Buniac said.
The move is perfectly timed, as the mobile company has finally turned a profit after years of struggling, being sold to Google and finally Lenovo. In addition, with the cell phone market in a transformative stage—with 5G and foldable devices being the two hottest trends—companies that focus exclusively on entry-level phones risk becoming marginalized as the industry continues to evolve.
If Motorola can bring back the sense of quality and style it was once known for, it should be a welcome readdition to the premium phone market.
