Foldables opened the door to a whole new world of smartphones just a few years ago, but somehow the entire Android market has settled into just two form factors – clamshell flip phones and book-style devices that just open up to double the width of a normal smartphone screen. As the inevitable “iPhone Fold” approaches, though, it seems Apple is looking to revive a form factor that Android brands, including Google Pixel, once tried, but failed to keep around, and there’s a clear reason why that happened.
New research predicts that the Android and iOS foldable markets will be dominated by book-style devices rather than smaller clamshell designs, and manufacturers are already placing greater emphasis on premium, productivity-focused devices.
Falling firmly in the new category of “games that will break your foldable phone” is a new open-source origami simulator called “Kami,” and it works exactly like you think it does.
Welcome to episode 4 of The Sideload, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Will is joined by 9to5’s own Andrew Romero, hot off a recent review of Honor’s new Magic V5 foldable. Together, Andrew walks Will through what makes Honor’s latest device so enticing, where the software falls short, and what draws him to foldables in the first place. The two also explore the future of folding phones following Samsung’s excellent Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the ever-evolving rumor of a folding iPhone.
There hasn’t been a flood of foldables in 2025, but several large competitors have released entries. Namely, the Motorola Razr (2025) lineup comes to mind. According to recent market data, Motorola wiped the floor with Samsung.
If you have a hazy recollection of a gold-plated Escobar-branded foldable from a few years ago, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. While the product announcement was very real (and very focused on a select group of popular tech influencers), the phone itself was every bit the scam it seemed to be on the surface — in fact, so was the entire company.
Foldables already feel stagnant despite having hit the market a mere 6 years ago, but one new device this week showed that there are still new ideas to be had. So, what do you want next?
Foldables phones are no longer a new concept; and they’ve reached a developmental point that puts them in the hands of more users. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, for example, are two high-end options, but they need to be maintained to last for years. This quick guide will lay out a few tips for caring for your foldable Android phone.
First launched in June, Zynga’s Star Wars Hunters has been a well-received and pretty fun multiplayer title, but the game has been blocking Android foldables such as the Galaxy Z Fold series since day one, and insists on going out of its way to do so.
Android foldables continue to grow and, for the second year in a row, we’re entering a Summer full of new releases. Here’s what’s around the corner for 2024’s ‘Foldable Summer’ and beyond.
Foldables are still a new concept, but they’ve been getting much better over the few years they’ve been on the market. Samsung has been the leader in foldables since the beginning, but the company has now officially lost its crown as competition heats up and Galaxy foldables stagnate.
Foldable smartphones are still pretty expensive, but prices have been coming down. MWC 2024, though, was the place where it became abundantly clear that cheap foldables are coming, as several made an appearance.
Foldable smartphones aren’t “new” at this point, but 2023 was easily the most impactful year yet for the form factor. Two devices in particular stand out amongst the new releases – the OnePlus Open and the Google Pixel Fold.
One of the trademark features of book-style foldables like the Pixel Fold is that there are screens both inside and out but, for the most part, only one screen can be used at once. Soon, though, that may change, with expanded support for dual display mode for foldables in Android 14.
Samsung pulled the plug on its Galaxy Note lineup in 2022, pushing the best aspects of the beloved phones into its “Ultra” flagship, as well as giving the foldable Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip into the Note’s old release date. For anyone still hopeful the Note would return, though, those hopes have certainly been dashed at this point.
Foldable smartphones are full of promise, but so far, they’ve also been full of compromise. With the Galaxy Z Fold 5, though, Samsung really nailed it in one aspect by finally delivering on the promise of stellar battery life.
One of the biggest criticisms of foldable smartphones from Samsung and others over the past couple of years has been durability, as stories of spontaneously broken displays have made their way through the web. More torture tests of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, though, continue to show that Samsung’s devices are more durable than they’re given credit for.
Foldable smartphones have reached their fifth major generation, as heralded by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, and the major expansion of brands that are stepping up to the plate. With so many options out there, what’s stopping you from getting a foldable?
I think foldable screens are flawed as every fold wears out the display, but I do admit that the tech is getting good enough for that to not matter over the average lifespan of a phone. That said, I think there’s a more fundamental and conceptual question to be asked about today’s Android foldables: Does most large-screen content have to span the screen, and be physically connected when going from one half of a fold to the other?
Google’s large-screen push that started with Android 12L culminates with the launch of the Pixel Tablet and Fold. Now that it’s on shipping hardware, I think the tablet benefited much more than the foldable, with another Android optimization drive needed for the unique hardware form factor.
With the promise of a Chrome refresh coming to desktop sometime this year, we’re already seeing signs of a redesign on foldable devices, as subtle as they may be.
It still feels like foldables are a brand new technology, but it’s been four years since Samsung first launched its Galaxy Fold that pushed the form factor into the mainstream. Now, according to a new report, foldable smartphones are expected to ship over 20 million units in 2023, with even bigger numbers in the future.
Android Foldables
Why ‘iPhone Fold’ can revive the foldable that even Google Pixel couldn’t make work [Gallery]
Foldables opened the door to a whole new world of smartphones just a few years ago, but somehow the entire Android market has settled into just two form factors – clamshell flip phones and book-style devices that just open up to double the width of a normal smartphone screen. As the inevitable “iPhone Fold” approaches, though, it seems Apple is looking to revive a form factor that Android brands, including Google Pixel, once tried, but failed to keep around, and there’s a clear reason why that happened.
Expand Expanding CloseAndroid book-style foldables expected to dominate in 2026, report says
New research predicts that the Android and iOS foldable markets will be dominated by book-style devices rather than smaller clamshell designs, and manufacturers are already placing greater emphasis on premium, productivity-focused devices.
Expand Expanding Close‘Kami’ is another unhinged game that will break your foldable phone
Falling firmly in the new category of “games that will break your foldable phone” is a new open-source origami simulator called “Kami,” and it works exactly like you think it does.
Expand Expanding Close‘Foldy Bird’ uses your foldable hinge to play Flappy Bird, and it hurts my soul
You can play Flappy Bird and speedrun wearing out your foldable phone’s hinge at the same time.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Sideload 004: The fantastical world of foldables
Welcome to episode 4 of The Sideload, a podcast by 9to5Google. This week, Will is joined by 9to5’s own Andrew Romero, hot off a recent review of Honor’s new Magic V5 foldable. Together, Andrew walks Will through what makes Honor’s latest device so enticing, where the software falls short, and what draws him to foldables in the first place. The two also explore the future of folding phones following Samsung’s excellent Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the ever-evolving rumor of a folding iPhone.
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Expand Expanding CloseMotorola’s Razr overshadowed Samsung foldables in Q2 2025 shipments
There hasn’t been a flood of foldables in 2025, but several large competitors have released entries. Namely, the Motorola Razr (2025) lineup comes to mind. According to recent market data, Motorola wiped the floor with Samsung.
Expand Expanding CloseRemember that gold-plated Escobar foldable? The man behind it is headed to jail
If you have a hazy recollection of a gold-plated Escobar-branded foldable from a few years ago, your mind isn’t playing tricks on you. While the product announcement was very real (and very focused on a select group of popular tech influencers), the phone itself was every bit the scam it seemed to be on the surface — in fact, so was the entire company.
Expand Expanding CloseFoldables have finally remembered how to not be boring – what do you want next?
Foldables already feel stagnant despite having hit the market a mere 6 years ago, but one new device this week showed that there are still new ideas to be had. So, what do you want next?
Expand Expanding CloseHow to take care of your foldable phone – Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold care guide
Foldables phones are no longer a new concept; and they’ve reached a developmental point that puts them in the hands of more users. The Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Pixel 9 Pro Fold, for example, are two high-end options, but they need to be maintained to last for years. This quick guide will lay out a few tips for caring for your foldable Android phone.
Expand Expanding CloseStar Wars Hunters insists on blocking Galaxy Z Fold and other foldables
First launched in June, Zynga’s Star Wars Hunters has been a well-received and pretty fun multiplayer title, but the game has been blocking Android foldables such as the Galaxy Z Fold series since day one, and insists on going out of its way to do so.
Expand Expanding Close2024’s ‘Foldable Summer’ has some missing faces – what to expect
Android foldables continue to grow and, for the second year in a row, we’re entering a Summer full of new releases. Here’s what’s around the corner for 2024’s ‘Foldable Summer’ and beyond.
Expand Expanding CloseSamsung has officially lost its crown in the foldable market
Foldables are still a new concept, but they’ve been getting much better over the few years they’ve been on the market. Samsung has been the leader in foldables since the beginning, but the company has now officially lost its crown as competition heats up and Galaxy foldables stagnate.
Expand Expanding CloseHands-on: The era of cheap foldables is upon us [Gallery]
Foldable smartphones are still pretty expensive, but prices have been coming down. MWC 2024, though, was the place where it became abundantly clear that cheap foldables are coming, as several made an appearance.
Expand Expanding ClosePixel Fold and OnePlus Open are opposites – that’s why they’re the best foldables
Foldable smartphones aren’t “new” at this point, but 2023 was easily the most impactful year yet for the form factor. Two devices in particular stand out amongst the new releases – the OnePlus Open and the Google Pixel Fold.
Expand Expanding CloseFoldables will be able to show apps on both screens at once with Android 14
One of the trademark features of book-style foldables like the Pixel Fold is that there are screens both inside and out but, for the most part, only one screen can be used at once. Soon, though, that may change, with expanded support for dual display mode for foldables in Android 14.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy Note is definitely dead; Samsung foldable sales have passed the beloved series
Samsung pulled the plug on its Galaxy Note lineup in 2022, pushing the best aspects of the beloved phones into its “Ultra” flagship, as well as giving the foldable Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip into the Note’s old release date. For anyone still hopeful the Note would return, though, those hopes have certainly been dashed at this point.
Expand Expanding CloseThe Galaxy Z Fold 5’s battery life is one of the biggest foldable wins to date
Foldable smartphones are full of promise, but so far, they’ve also been full of compromise. With the Galaxy Z Fold 5, though, Samsung really nailed it in one aspect by finally delivering on the promise of stellar battery life.
Expand Expanding CloseGalaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5 torture tests prove they’re way more durable than you think [Video]
One of the biggest criticisms of foldable smartphones from Samsung and others over the past couple of years has been durability, as stories of spontaneously broken displays have made their way through the web. More torture tests of the Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Galaxy Z Fold 5, though, continue to show that Samsung’s devices are more durable than they’re given credit for.
Expand Expanding CloseSo, what’s stopping you from getting a foldable? [Poll]
Foldable smartphones have reached their fifth major generation, as heralded by Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 and Fold 5, and the major expansion of brands that are stepping up to the plate. With so many options out there, what’s stopping you from getting a foldable?
Expand Expanding CloseOpinion: Most apps on Android foldables don’t need the folding screen
I think foldable screens are flawed as every fold wears out the display, but I do admit that the tech is getting good enough for that to not matter over the average lifespan of a phone. That said, I think there’s a more fundamental and conceptual question to be asked about today’s Android foldables: Does most large-screen content have to span the screen, and be physically connected when going from one half of a fold to the other?
Expand Expanding CloseGmail for Android adds new nav rail for foldables [Gallery]
Gmail appears to be rolling out a new UI update on foldables, adding a useful navigation rail to the app.
Expand Expanding CloseComment: Optimizing Android for foldables by elevating the notification shade
Google’s large-screen push that started with Android 12L culminates with the launch of the Pixel Tablet and Fold. Now that it’s on shipping hardware, I think the tablet benefited much more than the foldable, with another Android optimization drive needed for the unique hardware form factor.
Expand Expanding CloseChrome for Android gets a tab redesign on foldables and tablets
With the promise of a Chrome refresh coming to desktop sometime this year, we’re already seeing signs of a redesign on foldable devices, as subtle as they may be.
Expand Expanding CloseFoldable smartphones set to surpass 20 million units shipped in 2023
It still feels like foldables are a brand new technology, but it’s been four years since Samsung first launched its Galaxy Fold that pushed the form factor into the mainstream. Now, according to a new report, foldable smartphones are expected to ship over 20 million units in 2023, with even bigger numbers in the future.
Expand Expanding Close