Foldable phones are the newest and fastest-developing type of mobile computer right now. Growing out of the desire to put the largest possible amount of screen inside the user’s pocket, they represent the cutting edge of technological innovation, with Samsung and Huawei offering the most notable early examples. A good foldable is one that combines the greater usability and potential of a large-screen tablet with the effortless portability of an everyday smartphone. We can expect foldables and their hinge designs to keep evolving at a breakneck pace, as hardware companies work to figure out exactly how to fold and market this new breed of portable computer.
8
Verge Score
The thinnest foldable in the world might mark the start of diminishing returns.
Head of customer experience Jay Kim mentioned “multifold” devices during his section of the keynote, though we didn’t get any more detail than that. So far only Huawei has released commercial hardware that can fold more than once, but Samsung has demonstrated the tech in concept devices, and is rumored to have a launch planned this year.
Smartprix believes a budget version of Samsung’s folding flip phone could arrive later this year, after showing up in an industry database in recent days. Display analyst Ross Young corroborated the report, adding that he expects the phone to use the same screen as the current Z Flip 6.
I’m not talking about the fragile Samsung Galaxy Fold — but rather the “charmingly awful” Royale FlexPai that kicked off the entire foldable-screen craze in 2018! (Royale released a decent sequel, but by then Samsung found its stride.)
By 2019, folding phones had captured our imagination: I showed you how they were the stuff of science fiction, and we did a wacky field guide!
The Special Edition of Samsung’s flagship will be released on Monday, according to perennial know-it-all Ice Universe who shared a Samsung teaser announcing the date (but not the device). Rumors suggest it’ll be thinner and feature a host of improvements throughout.
When it launched on Android in June, the app only supported the Samsung Galaxy S23, S24, and the Google Pixel 7/8 lineups. Compatibility with OnePlus and Xiaomi phones running Android 13 was added later, but Blackmagic has released another update adding features like recording timecode, plus support for the Samsung Galaxy Flip 5/6 and Fold 5/6 phones.
Wildly popular fashion designer Sandy Liang designed a Galaxy Z Flip 6 phone case and sent the device to influencers during New York Fashion Week.
Flip phones are experiencing something of a tech Renaissance among young people. This collaboration hits on the nostalgia and trendy aesthetics — but will it make anyone ditch their iPhone?
The full reveal isn’t coming until September 10th — a date surely chosen to upstage Apple’s event that finishes just hours before — but here’s a teaser posted to Huawei’s Weibo account. It briefly shows the Mate XT Ultimate Design unfolded and folded, but mostly shows actor and singer Andy Lau being extremely cinematic.
Importantly, it doesn’t answer our biggest question: how thick is this boi?
In a Weibo post announcing an event on September 10th, Huawei’s head of consumer devices Yu Chengdong says (via machine translation) that the company will be revealing its “most leading, innovative, and disruptive product” yet.
According to Bloomberg and reputable leaker Ice Universe, that’s a reference to the unnamed triple-screen folding device that Yu has been photographed using over the last few weeks.
Reliable leaker Evan Blass shared a pair of images of what he says is the Galaxy Z Fold Special Edition. The device supposedly has a 10.6mm profile when folded shut — potentially making it thinner than the 12.1mm Galaxy Z Fold 6.
9to5Google and Android Central point out that after Google announced its new Pixel 9 lineup with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold, its store listing for the original foldable Pixel phone went away.
However, Android Central has heard from Google that it will return after the Pixel 9 Pro Fold’s launch, which is scheduled for September 4th.
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Verge Score
It’s not the most fun, but reliability goes a long way.
This teardown of the new Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 has a similar feel to Allison’s Z Fold 6 review — things inside are mostly the same as the previous generation. There are bigger batteries and other tweaks, but the similar layouts show how Samsung is iterating on the existing design, so hopefully, you think it’s already good enough.
7
Verge Score
Samsung’s flagship foldable is as good as ever, but it feels anything but fresh.
The Galaxy Z Fold 6, Galaxy Z Flip 6, Galaxy Watch Ultra, Galaxy Watch 7, Galaxy Ring, and Galaxy Buds 3 revealed at Samsung’s Unpacked event went on sale globally today, though some regions / carriers may vary.
The exception is the Galaxy Buds 3 Pro, which are delayed (until August 28th in the US) due to quality issues with the removable ear tips.
Samsung gave 17,000 of its Galaxy Z Flip 6 phones to athletes and others around the Olympic and Paralympic games, and here’s one more unboxing.
The phone itself isn’t more impressive than anyone else’s, but British rower Imogen Grant chose a tough upgrade path — the phone she’s replacing was another freebie from Samsung that she picked up at the Tokyo Olympics.
