The first foldable phones that are hitting retail, are proving to demonstrate the most novel design ideas in years, have the price tags to match, and still couldn't be more different from each other.
Samsung's Galaxy Fold was the first one to be released, and it sports a 7.3" display when unfurled over the vertical axis. The screen aspect ratio, however, makes it nearly square to look at when open, and the extra paraphernalia that Samsung welded into its flagship makes it one unnaturally thick device when folded, especially for today's standards.
Huawei's Mate X, on the other hand, while again opening over the vertical axis, has the 8" display on the outside, and an even larger footprint than the Fold, albeit much thinner when closed.
Enter Motorola with its Razr 2019 phone that is almost 40% shorter when closed, thin enough and much narrower. All because it folds over the opposite, horizontal axis, compared to the first such efforts from Samsung or Huawei. The Razr, however, comes with its own set of disadvantages stemming from this design decision, chief among which is the smallish 6.2" display, made even smaller areawise by the tall aspect ratio.
In this day and age of 6"+ phones with rigid displays, a 6.2-incher foldable can raise an eyebrow or two in a "what's the point" arch. The point seems to be a very, very compact phone when in your pocket, and that's not a small feat to achieve nowadays, when driving stick shift with the giant handset in your jeans pocket is becoming a chore.
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Not to mention that the choice of a cheaper BOE (instead of Samsung) flexible display, and the pick of midrange specs, allowed Motorola to offer its Razr at a much lower price point, compared to its earlier competitors in the field, so there's that as a consideration as well.
Both Samsung and Huawei are rumored to work on a similar "flip phone" foldable concepts for their next efforts in the nascent market niche, so this design may not stay Motorola-exclusive for long.
The Mate X approach is rather different, too. indicating the range of possibilities with foldable designs
In the end, each of those design decisions has its own advantages and drawbacks, that is why we wanted to ask you whose approach do you personally prefer, now that the Razr is finally official, and looks every bit as the leaked renders and rumors that have been circulating since the spring.
Daniel, a devoted tech writer at PhoneArena since 2010, has been engrossed in mobile technology since the Windows Mobile era. His expertise spans mobile hardware, software, and carrier networks, and he's keenly interested in the future of digital health, car connectivity, and 5G. Beyond his professional pursuits, Daniel finds balance in travel, reading, and exploring new tech innovations, while contemplating the ethical and privacy implications of our digital future.
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