Can a foldable replace both my phone and tablet?

Foldable phones have come a long way since their initial introduction to the world. Remember the OG Galaxy Fold? This phone needed to be revised immediately due to reliability issues and people not knowing how to use such devices.

Well, it’s now been almost three years since that rocky first foldable phone, and such tech has come a long way. We now have reliable enough and very practical foldables, like the Oppo Find N and the Galaxy Z Fold 3.

I personally always thought that foldable phones are just a phase and not the future of smartphones. I see the future smartphone being rollable, extending its screen size from its sides while staying relatively slim and light.

But now that we have good foldable devices, I had to ask myself: are foldable phones now good enough to fulfill their original purpose? Can the most advanced (in my opinion) foldable phone replace both my tablet and smartphone? Well, let’s take a look at what I’ve stumbled upon over the last couple of weeks of using the Oppo Find N instead of my iPhone and iPad.

Why did I pick the Oppo Find N?

I have to admit, I had no previous experience, at least not a big one with foldable phones prior to this experiment, so this is a fresh perspective on the matter. When I had the idea for this article, I knew I was looking for a device that’s both advanced, but also practical and intuitive.

So I did what any other PhoneArena writer would do. I went to our office and played with all the foldable devices we have. Some didn’t really make sense for me to take. These were the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Huawei P50 Pocket. The clamshell-style foldable phone.

These are very good-looking but felt more like a trade-off compared to my iPhone 13 mini, as in actuality, they were less pocketable and pleasant to use due to that very tall screen and big crease. They were also not nearly as comfortable as a regular phone.

That’s when I knew I would probably like the foldable with the least irritating crease. This was the Oppo Find N. I held this phone in one hand, and Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 3 in the other. For me, the Oppo felt superior in terms of design and technology. It is more pocketable, the crease is almost non-existent, and compared to the Z Fold 3, it also feels lighter.

I knew the risks, the Oppo comes from the Chinese market, which means it has Chinese software that’s not the most suitable for Europe and the USA. Samsung has none of these issues. However, for some reason, I didn’t see an advantage in terms of usability and practicality due to its bigger size.

That’s why I chose the Oppo Find N. This is a wonderful phone in every aspect. It has a nice camera setup, a fast processor, and a premium build. But was it good enough to replace both my tablet and phone?

Foldable phones are weird

If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times. Foldable phones look weird, especially when they are folded. The same applies to the Oppo Find N too. It looks as if you have two phones on top of each other. One might even think you’re acting like Paris Hilton in the 2000s when she was carrying multiple BlackBerry phones to further strengthen her ‘rich aesthetics’.

Truth is, foldable phones are bulky. Even though the Oppo is the best in terms of design, it is still way too thick and heavy. At first, you even have to get used to which part houses the charging port, and which the power and volume buttons, as these are actually separated by the foldable screen. I often mistake the power button, which is also a fingerprint scanner, for the volume buttons, and vice versa. This gets annoying pretty quickly.

Also, there is so much space on the rails of this phone, and Oppo couldn’t include a headphone jack or a microSD slot? That’s a bummer.

I have to admit that when unfolded, the Oppo Find N makes more sense. It looks less like two phones and more like a strange small tablet someone bought from eBay in 2012. Of course, that’s not a look that everyone will like. Also, while the crease on this phone might be one of the smallest there is, its foldable screen still feels very plasticky, which could be a problem to some considering how expensive of a device this is. Especially for people with long nails.

What’s good about foldable phones

Of course, there are advantages to having a foldable device. For example, if you travel a lot via public transport, this form factor is more than perfect. It is practical when you want it to be, but also a decent size when you want to read an article or watch a video. This way you don’t need to carry two devices. The battery performance is also surprisingly good.

Foldable phones do well in other scenarios too. For example, any friend of yours would find them interesting. When going somewhere public, people often stare at your phone, which is something that hasn’t happened to me in a long time, as regular smartphones have gotten so alike.

This phone receives plenty of attention when you put it on a restaurant table. Trust me, most people express a desire to play with your foldable phone. Of course, this interest only lasts a couple of minutes, but it’s still something non-foldable devices can dream of achieving.

The almost square form factor of the foldable screen could be useful too. When you multitask, apps appear less weird opened side by side. They have a more natural aspect ratio than you get on a 4:3 tablet screen or a 20:9 phone display.

I was never a fan of more than one app on the screen at a time, but the foldable phone experience is superior, and much more intuitive and user-friendly compared to other devices, at least for me.

Foldable phones are also said to hold their value better. Of course, this isn’t a fact that I’m stating, but you have to admit that the rarer and more expensive a type of device is, the better it usually holds its value over the years. This makes foldable phones a good investment.

You have to be rich to afford a foldable phone

I know this sounds pretty controversial, especially now that foldable phones have gotten cheaper, but hear me out. Even though prices of foldable tech have fallen, the least money you can spend on a foldable phone is $1,000 retail. That’s still a lot if you ask me.

Many regular phones cost the same, but these aren’t as fragile. See, even though foldable phones have come a long way in terms of reliability, they still feel very fragile, and one is scared almost to death not to drop one. This limited my usability of the ~$1,600 Oppo Find N compared to my iPhone.

I often second-guessed whether I should bring my phone to another, more scary place, like the bathroom. I was also very anxious about taking it out of the house, putting it in my car’s storage places instead of my pocket. This made me want to use the phone less, and I became impatient to go back to my regular non-folding devices.

For me, in order to overcome this fear, I have to feel very comfortable financially to take such risks. I bet most of you aren’t filthy with money either. So yes, you have to be rich to enjoy a foldable phone, at least for now.

Finally, are foldable phones good enough to replace both my regular phone and tablet

It is quite unfortunate what conclusion I made after this experiment, but the answer at the end of the day is no. See, the Oppo Find N, like most other phones, wasn’t able to replace my iPhone 13 mini.

The biggest reason for that is its feel. This phone is both slippery and heavy. This is a disastrous combination for someone with butterfingers like me. I am someone who often drops their phone, and with its curved display (on one side), the Oppo makes the task of carrying it safely very hard. And have you tried carrying one in your pocket? If you don’t have a belt, your pants are falling off for sure.

The outer screen of the Oppo Find N also isn’t nearly as bright as my iPhone’s. When you are in your house it’s okay, but the minute you go out, one struggles to read the display, especially considering how reflective the glass is.

Give me back my tablet