With Samsung set to unveil its next foldable flagship on July 10 (here’s a quick rundown of what was released last year), it feels like a good time to reassess the appeal of phones that bend in half. They usually cost more than standard flagships, but do they offer enough to justify that extra cost?
The answer may be yes, but not for everyone. Before you decide to shell out a significant amount of money for a foldable phone, you need to make sure you’ll get enough out of it. What follows are use cases where a foldable phone can really make a difference, and if they make sense to you, a foldable phone could be your next upgrade.
This list focuses mainly on book-style foldables — like the Galaxy Z Fold 5, Google Pixel Fold, and OnePlus Open — but there are also mentions of flip-folders, like the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Motorola Razr, at the end.
Improved multitasking
This is one of the more obvious ones: with a screen twice the size of a typical phone display, you can very easily place one app next to another. Whether this is really useful depends on the specific apps you’ll be spending most of your time in – you don’t have a lot of room on either side, so it can feel a bit cramped at times.
Get apps side by side.
Credit: Lifehacker
Note that you can split the screen both vertically and horizontally. It’s great for watching videos while checking your email or searching for articles on the web while taking notes, or catching up on social media while updating your calendar. Over time, you’ll likely come up with your own useful split-screen combos.
Watching videos
A foldable phone gives you a screen that approaches the size of a mini tablet when open, which means videos play at a significantly larger size. It can have heavy letter boxes, but the extra screen space at the top and bottom can also be useful – it means you can watch YouTube videos while scrolling through the comments below the video, for example.
Watch videos with comments.
Credit: Lifehacker
The previous tip mentioned watching videos in split-screen mode, and if you’re using your phone folded in half, that means you have the video screen propped up for easy viewing (like having a stand on your phone, without the stand). The bottom half of the screen can be repurposed to display comments or playback controls for what you’re watching.
I’m playing games
Another scenario where all that extra screen space can come in handy is with games. Most Android titles will happily expand to fill the extra space without any problem, and that means you can see more of the game’s setting: a racetrack, a space station, a dungeon, or whatever. It’s great for everything from basic puzzle games to open world adventures.
Look at all that screen space…
Credit: Lifehacker
The controls can also often be easier to use, although this can vary from game to game. Remember, with a flip phone, you’re holding it with two hands when it’s open – so you have thumbs on both sides ready to take action. And if you want the traditional experience for any of your games, you can always hang up the phone.
Faster typing
Most of us spend a lot of time typing on our phones, and it’s a vastly different experience on a foldable phone – and one that’s improved in many ways. You have more room for the on-screen keyboard and you have two hands to type with, so a lot of the time your typing speed will increase (although it takes some getting used to).
A bigger screen can make you more productive.
Credit: Lifehacker
If you need to type a lot on your phone, a foldable can mean you’re significantly more productive. Emails, documents, comments, texts – whatever, you can view them faster with a foldable. Keyboard options, including autocorrect options and the phone’s clipboard, are also easier to access when the phone is unfolded.
Compact form factor
Flip phones (like the Z Flip 5) go in the opposite direction of book-style flip phones (like the Z Fold 5) — they’re the size of a normal phone when unfolded, not when folded. This makes them easier to carry and perfect if you don’t have room in your pocket, bag, desk drawer or wherever you normally keep your phone.
A flip-fold may work better for you.
Credit: Samsung
These flip phones are still quite usable when folded in half. The latest models have decent-sized roof screens, so you can check incoming messages, control media playback, take photos, set timers, check the weather, and more. You get a lot of functionality from a screen about half the size of a standard phone display.
