Items tagged with folding smartphone
It is easy to take for granted that our premium-designed smartphones just work as expected, and won't fall apart like some cheap gadget picked up from the clearance bin at the local thrift shop. And for the most part, they do dutifully operate to expectations. It takes a lot of design chops and testing to achieve the kind of durability necessary for daily use, and providing a rare glimpse of what goes into the latter, Samsung has partially lifted the curtain to reveal some of its testing procedures. Companies don't often provide behind-the-scene looks at how the sausage is made. Or in this case, how it is deemed ready for public consumption. Samsung chose the perfect time to make an exception,...
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There have been some reliable leaks suggesting Google intends on launching at least one and perhaps even two folding smartphones in the not-too-distant future. We'll have to wait and see, but as we do, an early build of Android 12.1 adds credibility to the leaked info, as it contains a handful of enhancements designed for folding form factors. That doesn't necessarily mean a folding Pixel device is for sure in the works. There are other folding phones that run on Android—see our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review, and while you're at it, check out our review of the Galaxy Z Flip 3 as well, to name just two examples (both from Samsung). The form factor has stuck around so far, and so we'll see...
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I am in total agreement that I shouldn't quit my day job and pursue a full-time gig manipulating images in Photoshop, as the above example makes painfully obvious. But let's not get distracted from the intent at hand—to show a folding Pixel phone. Preposterous? Perhaps not—rumor has it Google is working on at least two folding smartphones. Rumors of Google getting into the folding phone game have been around for quite some time, but are now gaining steam with some new information and leaks. And it probably doesn't hurt that Samsung is seeing some success in the area. Enough so that it recently added a couple of new folding phones to the mix (see our Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 review,...
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Based on past prototypes it showed off, TCL had the potential to shake up the folding phone market in a major way, bringing some interesting competition to the likes of Samsung with its Galaxy Z Flip and Galaxy Z Fold product lines. And perhaps TCL still will make a splash. However, it will not be this year, and probably not next year as well. TCL's chief marketing officer, Stefan Streit, put out a statement saying the company made the "difficult decision to suspend the launch of its first commercially available foldable smartphone." There's no mention of exactly how long the plans are being put on hold, just that TCL won't pursue the market until the technology comes in down price. Here is the...
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Once again, word from the rumor mill is that Apple is working on a foldable version of its popular iPhone, though it will not be ready for release this year or even next year. Instead, it bound for a launch sometime in 2023, according to notorious Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. No announcement has been made, but Kuo has been somewhat reliable in the past. Folding smartphones are a new concept, though the segment is in its relative infancy. They can also be tricky to build, as Samsung discovered with its first attempt at making one—issues plagued the original Galaxy Fold, prompting Samsung CEO DJ Koh to admit, "I pushed it through before it was ready." The Galaxy Z Fold 2 was a better attempt....
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As technology matures, prices tend to decrease over time, leading to further growth. In 2020, Samsung dipped its toes once more into the folding phone market with high prices, but excellent specs and features on the Galaxy Z Fold 2. The price did limit the growth of the market, however, but if Samsung could bring prices down, perhaps we could see more foldables in the future? That is what analysts at Display Supply Chain Consultants (DSCC) seem to think, and it would line up with past information. While foldables seem more like a novelty to most, it could be the future "standard" design of cell phones or mobile devices. This would especially be true if Samsung continues developing and pushing...
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Bop it, twist it, fold it? Among the trends of folding phones, Samsung could be entering the folding phone foray once more. New rumors are floating about that Samsung has a “3rd foldable family member” in the chamber next year as the Z Fold S with a flexible OLED screen and a 360-degree hinge. Back in August, we reported on a possible budget line of folding phones from Samsung, but now it seems some new rumors are afoot. Twitter user @folduniverse dug into the rumors of this new folding phone from Samsung in his tweet below. Samsung rumored to have a 3rd foldable family member next year, tentatively known as Z Fold S.It has got 360° hinge that enables outfold and infold and works...
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Today is a big day for fans of the next-generation Razr. Motorola has just opened up pre-orders for the folding Android smartphone, which has a starting price of $1,499. The device will officially start shipping on February 6th. In the meantime, Motorola has posted a new video on its YouTube channel entitled "Caring for Razr" in which the company talks about how to... well... care for your Razr. In the video that runs for less than a minute, Motorola explains that the Razer is water repellant and can be wiped dry with a cloth. But then, the company goes on to state that the "screen is made to bend; bumps and lumps are normal." The Motorola Razr uses a complex hinge mechanism to...
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After months of countless leaks, Motorola’s modern take on the Razr V3 is finally official, and it’s simply called the Razr. Like the Samsung Galaxy Fold that came before it, the Razr is foldable smartphone with an intricate hinge system – but that’s where the similarities end. While the Galaxy Fold is in essence a tablet that can be folded down to the size of a phone, the Razr has the form-factor of a slightly taller than average smartphone that folds down into compact and incredibly pocketable “puck” that fits into your hand. And unlike the Galaxy Fold and Huawei Mate X, the Razr is able to accomplish its folding trick without leaving an unsightly crease...
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Motorola's Moto Razr is almost here folks; and that point is even more evident by the smartphone's appearance at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). As is often the case with unreleased smartphones, these FCC "leaks" often give us a great look at what we can expect when the product begins shipping. The FCC images confirm all of the previously leaked renders that we've seen concerning the Moto Razr, including its clamshell design that harks back to the original Moto Razr flip-phone family. We can also see an elongated, unbroken portrait-style display that folds when not in use. Additional images from the FCC show the smartphone with its display unfolded from the right and left sides,...
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Samsung was so keen to be the first to market with a folding screen smartphone that it was met with disappointment with its first run of Galaxy Fold smartphones that failed in the hands of reviewers. Luckily for Samsung, no devices had actually been shipped to customers, so it went into re-engineering mode to deliver a much improved second revision. Now, Samsung is looking down the road to new form factors for folding devices, and at its developer conference this week, the company unveiled a fresh folding smartphone concept. While the Galaxy Fold had a book-like hinge that allowed the device to fold in half, the new form factor is more akin to an old-school flip phone. Rather than folding...
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Folding smartphones have proven challenging for hardware makers, but they have been forging ahead nonetheless with little sign of slowing down. It is not just Samsung and Huawei or getting in on the action either. Motorola, one of the most iconic brands in the cell phone space, is said to be gearing up to debut a folding smartphone of its own. Not to be confused with a flip phone, this modern day Razr handset would be in the general mold of a Galaxy Fold or Mate X (though obviously not a carbon copy of either model). A person who is apparently close to Motorola told CNET to expect the company to announced the folding Razr phone before the end of the year. This is presumably a dual effort—Motorola...
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Everything old is new again, including the iconic Motorola Razr. Motorola has confirmed that it has a folding smartphone in the works, and we've not only seen patent drawings of the reimagined Razr, but also supposed leaked renders of the incoming smartphone. We're now learning that the new Razr will actually launch in the United States this December and that it will have a price tag of $1,500. The smartphone's European launch will reportedly come "soon" after its initial debut stateside. It's also rumored that the Razr will unfortunately land -- at least initially -- as a Verizon exclusive. Interestingly enough, both the Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X were announced...
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LG has a new patent that was granted in China for a smartphone that goes beyond what the folding screen devices we have seen so far offer. The patent shows a device that has a folding screen in the middle with no seam, similar to what Samsung did with the Galaxy Fold. Things get quite different from there. LG's patent shows a Z-fold device, and as one of the images here shows, the third screen is a stand-alone unit and appears to fold back onto the front surface of the smartphone. The design would give a full front screen that looks pretty much like all the smartphones we are used to seeing today that can unfold into a device that has a screen three times as wide when needed. LG filed for the...
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Following the troubles Samsung has had in releasing its Galaxy Fold, a folding smartphone that proved to not be ready for prime time, rival Huawei has decided to delay the launch of its own folding Mate X. Huawei wants to perform some additional testing to ensure that its own version of the folding phone does not run into the same issues as the Galaxy Fold. First announced in February, Huawei at the time said the Mate X would launch in mid-2019 starting at €2,299 (around $2,600 in US currency). It is a similar device to the Galaxy Fold, in that the screen can be folded, albeit by wrapping around the front and back. This allows owners of the device to use it as a traditional smartphone when...
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If you thought the Mate X was the only folding smartphone in Huawei's stable, well, you thought right. Every other phone Huawei offers sticks to the standard blueprint for smartphone design, at least as it pertains to the form factor. But while that is the case right now, Huawei thinks the landscape could look very different in just a couple of years. The operative word there is "could," as in, it is certainly possible that Huawei could crank out a bunch more folding smartphones. Huawei CEO Richard Yu talked a little bit about folding phones during a question and answer session with the media, following a keynote in Paris. One of the members of the media asked specifically if half of Huawei's...
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As OEMs scramble to find ways to get people to upgrade to new and expensive devices, folding smartphones are seen as a way to do that. Samsung has one folding smartphone called the Galaxy Fold that will launch in April and sell for nearly $2,000. Now, a new report making the rounds claims that Samsung has two more folding screen smartphones coming after the Galaxy Fold launches. Reports indicate that Samsung is getting set to launch a folding clamshell device that folds similarly to the Huawei Mate X, which features a single large folding display. Huawei's folding device has a design that prevents any significant gaps in the device when closed, something that the Galaxy Fold has been criticized...
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Is 2019 the year of the “foldable” smartphone? It will be if Oppo has anything to say about it. Oppo’s latest patent reveals a foldable phone with no bezels and a unique pop-up camera. Rumor has it that Oppo will officially announce the device by the end of 2019. Renderings of Oppo's Foldable Smartphone-- Image from Let's Go Digital Oppo recently filed a patent with the European Trade Mark and Design Network (TMDN). Oppo has not disclosed anything about the device’s specs, but their patent reveals a few interesting features. First, the device includes an incredibly streamlined design and appears to be bezel-less. Second, the phone includes a pop-up camera. The device includes...
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Samsung's first foldable smartphone is now official. As expected, the South Korean electronics maker unveiled the Galaxy Fold during its Unpacked event today, alongside its new generation of Galaxy S10 handsets. Unlike the Galaxy S10 lineup, however, the Galaxy Fold fits into a new category with its 7.3-inch Infinity Flex display. "Today, Samsung is writing the next chapter in mobile innovation history by changing what’s possible in a smartphone. Galaxy Fold introduces a completely new category that unlocks new capabilities never seen before with our Infinity Flex Display." said DJ Koh, President and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division, Samsung Electronics. "We created Galaxy...
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Unless you've been living under a rock for the past six months, then you know that Samsung has a folding smartphone coming that will be unveiled in its production form at an event in New York City late next month. The smartphone, which many in the industry expect to be called the Galaxy F, will likely the first in a family of Galaxy smartphones with folding displays. With that in mind, Samsung just filed a patent -- which was originally discovered by LetsGoDigital -- for a folding smartphone that appears to be targeted primarily at gamers. Gaming phones have grown in popularity over the past year with entries fielded by Razer, ASUS, Xiaomi and others. What makes...
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It’s now Xiaomi’s turn to bask in the spotlight after Samsung showed off its foldable smartphone prototype back in November. Xiaomi has posted a video clip showing Bin Lin – the company’s co-founder and current president – using a prototype foldable smartphone. Unlike the Samsung prototype, which folds in half, the Xiaomi smartphone uses a tri-fold design (like you might see with a paper pamphlet). In its “normal” form, the smartphone looks like a standard rectangular tablet with small bezels. But then Lin turns the device into landscape mode and folds the two outer “wings” of the display under the larger middle...
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Before the rise of smartphone and especially the iPhone, the Motorola RAZR was THE smartphone that everyone wanted to have. It was stylish, it was thin (for its time) and it was an all-around good smartphone. The RAZR name has long since faded into obscurity, but a new report this morning indicates that Motorola could be bringing it back with a new smartphone. According to the report from the Wall Street Journal, Lenovo wants Motorola to deliver a folding smartphone to counter incoming entries from the likes of Samsung, Huawei, and LG. Motorola's standing in the smartphone world has eroded quite a bit over the years, and its sales don't come anywhere close to matching the like...
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