A Guide To Folding Phones in Australia

After years of billowing anticipation and enticing leaks, folded phones have officially made a comeback. Once upon a time, these edgy premium devices were nothing more but slim, compact, hinged mobile phones, whose most exciting features were text messaging and maybe a classic game of Snake. Fast forward several years later, flip phones have evolved into foldable phones with actual bending screens. These phones still aren't mainstream devices, primarily because they are too pricey. But as more players enter the folding smartphones market and better technology emerges, prices are expected to drop gradually. This, along with Google's commitment to providing Android support for these devices, may have you saying goodbye to your old rigid handset pretty soon. Long story short, prepare for a future of relatively larger screens that fold up for convenient portability. Here are the folding phones that are currently available for purchase.

Samsung Galaxy Fold

This was Samsung's first foldable phone. Released in April 2019, this device features a stunning, pliable 7.3-inch QHD plus Dynamic AMOLED display that makes scrolling through Instagram or binge-watching Netflix a lot more fun. It also has a 4.6-inch plus Super AMOLED screen at the front for easy viewing of notifications. The Galaxy Fold is a bit bulky and heavy compared to its successors, and thus it's not the most practical phone for everyday use. Despite its shortcomings, we must recognize the Galaxy Fold for ushering in an innovative design. Getting this phone will set you back a whooping AU$2,999 for a new one, however, you can buy refurbished Samsung folding phones in Australia for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

Samsung Galaxy Fold 2

Samsung improved a lot on their first foldable phone with the creation of the Galaxy Fold 2. Despite having a vertical hinge like its predecessor, this Samsung fold phone was redesigned to support different viewing angles. It unfolds to a 7.6-inch tablet, and when folded, you get a 6.23-inch screen. Featuring a Qualcomm Snapdragon 865+ process and 12GB Ram, the Galaxy Fold 2 performs better than the Galaxy Fold. The primary camera sits at 12MP. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip

Unlike the Galaxy Fold and Fold 2 models, the Z flip has a horizontal flip. Its design is classic Samsung as it sorts of looks like an older Galaxy model that is foldable. The price of a refurbished Samsung Flip phone in Australia starts at $1.099 AUD.  When compared to its direct competitor, the Motorola Razr, Samsung's 12-mp wide-angle and ultrawide-angle sensors take better photos. The Z-Flip also takes great selfies with its interior 10-mp shooter. Under the hood, you will find a top-tier Snapdragon 855 Plus Processor, 8GB Ram, and 256GB storage. The Infinity Flex AMOLED display is 6.7 inches with a 21.9:9 aspect ratio. The 5G version of the Z Flip was recently released, which will cost you a few extra dollars. Click here if you'd like to read more about Flip smartphones.

Motorola Razr (2020)

The Motorola Razr is a re-make of the "cultural icon" Razr flip phone, initially released in late 2004. It maintains the classic look and feel of the original clamshell, downright to the curved edges and protruding chin at the bottom. However, Motorola switched out the numerical keyboard for a flexible 6.2-inch OLED panel and a secondary external display. It features 5G connectivity for faster speeds, a 48-megapixel camera for image quality, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor for outstanding performance. If you are concerned about the fragility of a foldable screen, this is the handset for you as it comes with strong and sturdy hinges.

Microsoft Surface Duo

The Surface Duo is a pretty impressive make given that it's Microsoft's first-ever Android phone. With two 5.6-inch 1,800 x 1,350 displays joined by a metal 360-degree hinge, this device will render your Tablet useless. Together, the screens form one large 8.1-inch display, perfect for watching cat videos on YouTube or getting some office work done when you are out and about. Technically, this phone does not have an actual AMOLED display. The Surface Duo is fitted with a Snapdragon 855 processor, 6GB RAM, and either 128GB or 256GB storage. Each side of the screen has its own battery that combines to form a 3,577 mAh cell.

Huawei Mate X

Huawei took a different approach with their foldable phone models. Unlike Samsung's take on these gadgets, the Mate X folds the other way such that the screen wraps around the outside. You get an 8-inch tablet when you fold out the phone and a 6.6-inch full-screen smartphone when snapped shut. It has two batteries like Microsoft's Surface Duo, which have a combined capacity of 4500mAh. The Huawei Mate X goes for about $4,770 AUD.

Huawei Mate Xs

As you might have deduced from the title, the Huawei XS is the successor of the Mate X. It looks very similar to the original version. Like the Mate X, this phone also folds into a 6.6-inches full-screen smartphone and unfolds to an 8-inch tablet. Huawei upgraded the phone with a Flacon Wing hinge structure, aiming to make it much more robust. While the Mate X has the Kirin 980 processor, this Huawei folding phone comes with the Kirin 990 5G chipset.

Royole FlexPai

While everybody was looking on to big names like Samsung and Apple to reinvent flip gadgets, Chinese company Royole beat everyone to the punch by releasing the world's first foldable phone. The FlexPai is not the most impressive device out there, but it's still quite usable. Its successor, the FlexPai 2, showed some major improvements, including an all-metal hinge and a completely flat foldable screen. The hood comes fitted with a Snapdragon 855 processor and 6GB RAM. The FlexPai 2 is bulky. However, it's more manageable compared to its predecessor.

Wrapping Up

2020 and 2021 have been great years for the foldable phone market, and this trend is expected to continue in 2022. Several manufactures like Apple and Oppo have already hinted that they plan to penetrate this market. Oppo has distributed several concept videos on their take of the foldable phone, while Apple has filed a patent for a foldable iPhone. Therefore, you should expect the display craze to continue in the next couple of years. Love them or hate them, foldable phones mark the next generation of smartphone technology.
Check Out the New Samsung Galaxy Z fold 3 vs Z Fold 4. 

If you're still confused, you can read more here.