Best foldable smartphones 2022

Foldable smartphones come in two types. The first are two interconnected screens. Unfolding, they turn into one, while in the middle you can see the border of the connection, which divides the image with a vertical stripe. The second – with a flexible solid screen, folding in half. 

And in those, and in others, the screens are rotated by special hinges by 180 degrees, and in some models by 360 degrees. In all these smartphones, you can expand one application to two screens and get a large image or use multi-window mode – up to three applications at the same time. Some of the latest models come with a digital note-taking pen that mimics writing with a regular pen. It should be noted that devices with a flexible OLED display have low battery life due to high power consumption.

Foldable smartphones are a new category of smartphones on the market, and the choice of them is still limited. Healthy Food Near Me presents a rating of the best available for sale, based on user reviews and expert opinion.

Editor’s Choice

Motorola Razr 5G

В сложенном состоянии смартфон выглядит, как классическая «раскладушка», он тонкий и компактный. В раскрытом виде его внутренний экран имеет диагональ 6,2 дюйма. Когда телефон сложен, на внешнем маленьком экране видны уведомления. У смартфона две камеры: основная и фронтальная. При сложенном экране основная камера становится фронтальной, и можно делать селфи. Для хранения информации есть 256 ГБ встроенной памяти, а для быстрой работы приложений 8 ГБ оперативной. 

With the My Interface feature, you can customize the phone controls in a way that is convenient for the user, such as gestures for managing applications and the size and shape of desktop icons. On the back panel there is a fingerprint scanner for identification of the owner. The battery is not very capacious – 2800 mAh, but holds a charge for 24 hours, and with the help of the fast charging function, battery life is restored for 4 – 5 hours in a few minutes. 

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Top 6 best foldable smartphones in 2022 according to KP

1. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 256GB

When folded in size, it is an ordinary smartphone with a screen diagonal of 6.2 inches, when unfolded, it is almost a tablet (7.6 inches). The display does not have a hole for the front camera, which interferes with watching video. The main and secondary cameras work in selfie, night, portrait and cinema modes. The user interface is intuitive, reminiscent of working on a personal computer. The smartphone is equipped with an electronic pen S Pen, which realistically imitates writing with a regular pen.

Flex mode (flexible) splits the screen into two parts, while at the top you can view content, and at the bottom you can take notes. On the big screen, you can open up to three applications at once and do several things at the same time. The necessary applications are installed on the smartphone, however, if you wish, you can install additional ones. The manufacturer claims that the main screen can withstand up to 200 openings and closings.

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2. Microsoft Surface Duo 6/256GB

The smartphone consists of two separate screens, combined with a hinge into one with a diagonal of 8,1 inches. On such a large screen, you can run one application or simultaneously different programs on each of the displays. When viewing video on two screens, a vertical strip is visible at the junction. The hinge rotates up to 360 degrees so that the device can be folded in half with the screen facing out. At the top of the right panel there is a rear camera, which, when you turn the device towards you, can be used for selfies. 

The battery holds a charge up to 15 hours, with the help of the fast charging function it is fully restored in 90 minutes. There is a fingerprint scanner at the end of the case, but the contactless payment function is not supported. The smartphone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 processor, supports the Surface Pen (digital pen) function for taking notes.

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3. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 256GB

This smartphone has an original design, it is similar to the first clamshell phones. It’s small, light and fits in your pocket. The smartphone is equipped with two cameras: the main one with phase detection autofocus and optical stabilizer and wide-angle. The front camera is located in the middle of the screen at the top, which interferes with video viewing. The cameras have a night mode, a blurry background, but there is no macro mode. There is a protective film stuck on the display, which cannot be removed, it gathers in a crease in the middle of the screen when the phone is opened. 

The smartphone has a tight hinge that allows you to fix it in any position. The fingerprint scanner is combined with the power button, there is also user identification by face. There is 256 GB of internal memory for storing information, there is no slot for an additional memory card. The device is energy-intensive, the battery cannot maintain high autonomy, and the device is very hot in the upper part of the case.

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4. ZTE Axon M

Эта модель состоит из двух экранов, соединенных шарниром, способных работать в режиме многозадачности: одно приложение на два дисплея или разные приложения на каждый из них. У разложенного экрана диагональ 6.75 дюйма, у сложенного 5.2 дюйма. Устройство удобно для просмотра карт или чтения книг в режиме планшета. Смартфон комплектуется одной камерой с автофокусом и оптической стабилизацией, а встроенная память 256 ГБ сохранит все нужные файлы. 

The fingerprint scanner is built into the power button located at the end of the case. The phone supports 4G LTE, which provides excellent quality and speed of mobile Internet. A powerful battery guarantees battery life up to 24 hours, there is also built-in wireless charging. However, the Android 7.1 operating system is installed, which is not updated in the future.

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5. HUAWEI Mate Xs

This smartphone is an improved version of Huawei Mate X and is similar in design to its predecessor. The screen when unfolded has a size of 8 inches, which makes it look like a tablet. When folded, it is equal to the area of ​​​​the main screen – 6,6 inches, it is convenient to carry it in your pocket. The screen is protected from scratches and stains by a two-layer polymer. The flexible OLED display delivers vibrant and rich colors. The smartphone runs on the Kirin 990 processor, and in combination with 8 GB of RAM, resource-intensive applications and games run almost instantly. 

The cooling system efficiently removes heat, so that even during intensive work, the performance is constant. Two independent interfaces allow you to work with two applications at the same time, for example, make recordings and view videos or social networks. A powerful quad camera can be used both as a main camera and as a selfie camera. The 40 MP lens will take a high-quality photo even in the dark, preserving all the smallest details. Thanks to the new Huawei SuperCharge technology, two batteries are charged in 30 minutes to 85%, the battery holds a charge for up to two days, but wireless charging is not provided.

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6. ROYOLE FlexPai 6 GB + 128 GB

This device is the world’s first foldable smartphone, and preceded similar phones from Samsung and Huawei. Its hinges rotate 180 degrees, withstand up to 200 thousand openings and closings (the manufacturer says this). Unlike newer models, this smartphone folds with the screen outward, because of this, the likelihood of damage to the screen is higher. The size of the unfolded screen diagonally 7.8 inches. This phone is power hungry, but one of the screens can be turned off to conserve battery power. 

The device is equipped with the Water OS operating system developed by Royole, which is a modified version of Android 9.0. Android apps work with the new OS, but not all of them open to full screen. The smartphone has a 16MP wide-angle camera and a 20MP telephoto lens. There is a fingerprint identification function, slots for two SIM cards, but there is no 3.5 mm headphone jack.

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How to choose a folding smartphone

Foldable smartphones are quite expensive devices. Before buying, you need to determine what tasks it should solve. If the whole point is to increase the screen area, then it may be worth buying a regular smartphone with a large display or a tablet. If you need to expand the user experience while maintaining the portability of the gadget, buying a foldable phone is justified. 

When choosing a particular model, you should pay attention to the following main points:

1. How many opening and closing cycles withstands the hinge of the phone. In the latest models of the company – manufacturers guarantee up to 200 thousand screen rotations without breakage. This is approximately equal to five years of trouble-free operation at 100 cycles per day.
2. Availability защиты экрана from damage. Most flexible screen phones have the small screen facing outward, so a quality anti-scratch coating is a must.
3. Battery life. Since foldable phones are energy consuming, you need to pay attention to battery capacity, having a separate battery for each screen, and the ability to turn off one screen to save battery.
4. Available small screen features. In some models, only notifications are displayed on this screen, on others, you can launch applications.
5. Camera Location. Камера для селфи бывает встроена в середину верхней части основного экрана и при просмотре видео закрывает часть изображения.

According to user reviews, the fingerprint and face recognition function, the possibility of contactless payment, the presence of a headphone jack and slots for a memory card matter.

Popular questions and answers

For professional explanations about how foldable smartphones work and how to choose the right one, the KP editors turned to Daria Kosheleva, UX researcher, UX consultant, author of scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, jury member of professional international competitions.