An Eye on Mobile - The Foldables

All of the big names in the smartphone industry have produced some incredible flagship devices, but this doesn’t mean you should only consider some of the “top tier” innovations out there. Here are some of the more interesting and innovative devices on the smartphone market today.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G

Regardless of whether or not you think foldable OLED screens are a fad, Samsung believes they are here to stay. Their latest addition is the Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, a device with an aluminum frame and Gorilla Glass Victus on the front and back. While folded up, the device has a 6.2-inch, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 832 x 2,268px display that refreshes at a rate of 120 hz. You can essentially do whatever you need from the outside of the phone.

The Z Fold3 runs a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chip, 12 GB of RAM, and either 256 or 512 GB of built-in storage, and it can be upgraded to the Android 12 and Samsung One UI operating system right out of the box. This device’s camera is also quite impressive, as it features a 12 MP wide-angle lens with Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), a 12 MP telephoto lens with 2x zoom and OIS, and a 12 MP ultra wide-angle lens. The front-facing camera on the large display is a 4 MP in-display wide-angle lens, while the cover camera is 10 MP wide-angle lens.

All of this display power comes at a cost, and its battery is only 4,400 mAh with 25W fast charging, a battery life of about 7.5 hours. Other features include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor, iPX8 water resistance, Samsung’s DeX capability, and 5G. The Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is available in Phantom Black, Phantom Silver, Phantom Green, Thom Browne Edition, and an exclusive Wooyoungmi Edition. As for the price, the Galaxy Z Fold3 costs nearly $2,000 from Samsung and most major cell carriers. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
Body:  Aluminum Frame, Gorilla Glass Victus front and back, plastic large display
Display: Closed - 6.2-inch Super AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz,  832 x 2,268 (~374 ppi); Open - 7.6-inch Super AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz, 1768 x 2208
OS: Android 11; upgradable to Android 12, One UI 4.0
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Memory: 12 GB RAM; 256-to-512 GB onboard storage
Expandable Memory: No
Cameras: Rear - 12 MP, 26mm, OIS; 12 MP 52mm 2x optical zoom OIS; 12 MP 123º ultrawide. Front of device - 10 MP 26mm; Front of folded display - 4 MP under-display
Sounds: Stereo Sound
Battery (battery endurance rating): 4,400 mAh (7.5 hours)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Miscellaneous: Samsung DeX, IPX8 water resistant, 24W fast charging

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3

The classic flip phone makes its return with Samsung’s Z Flip3, which sports an aluminum frame, plastic front, and a Gorilla Glass Victus back. The screen is a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with a resolution of 1,080 x 2,640px and a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen is neat because it folds in half for protection, and it has a 1.9-inch Super AMOLED screen for notifications, the time, and other quick-view information. This device uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chip with 8 GB of RAM and 128 or 258 GB of storage, running the Android 11 operating system by default (it can be updated later) with Samsung’s One UI 4.0.

Some of the other features for this device include a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and the (admittedly lacking) camera. It has a 12 MP wide-angle lens and a 12 MP ultrawide angle lens, so it’s not incapable, while the selfie camera is a 10 MP wide-angle lens. The battery itself is not particularly impressive either, sitting at 3,300 mAh and 15W fast-charging with a 69-hour endurance rating. Available in a litany of colors including Phantom Black, Green, Cream, Pink, Dream White and more, the Z Flip3 runs about $1,000 from your friendly neighborhood cell carrier or from Samsung directly. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
Body: Aluminum frame, plastic front, Gorilla Glass Victus back
Display: 6.7-inch Foldable Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 120 Hz, 1,080 x 2,640px
OS: Android 11; Upgradable to Android 12, Samsung One UI 4.0
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G
Memory: 8 GB RAM; 128 GB-to- 256 GB of onboard storage
Expandable Memory: No
Cameras: Rear - 12 MP 27mm OIS; 12 MP 123º; Front - 10 MP 26mm
Sounds: Stereo sound
Battery (battery endurance rating): 3,300 (69 hours)
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint sensor
Miscellaneous: IPX8 water resistant, 15 W fast charging

Microsoft Surface Duo 2

The Microsoft Surface Duo 2 does not have an external display; instead, it has two 5.8-inch AMOLED panels that total an 8.3-inch screen when it is folded out, including some large bezels. Considering its build quality, application development could yield some interesting results in the future and enable lots of productivity.

This device runs on a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 5G chip with 8 GB of RAM and has up to 512 GB of internal storage, along with a side-mounted fingerprint scanner for security and a 4,449 mAh battery and 23W fast charging. For its cameras, the rear-mounted cameras have a 12 MP wide-angle lens with OIS, a 12 MP telephoto lens with 2x optical zoom and OIS and a 16 MP ultra wide-angle lens. The front-facing camera is a 12 MP wide-angle lens. 

Available in Glacier and Obsidian, the Microsoft Duo 2 is currently being sold for $1,500 online at microsoft.com and some other retailers.

Microsoft Surface Duo 2
Body: Plastic frame, Gorilla Glass Victus front and back
Display: 8.3-inch AMOLED, 90 hz, 1,832 x2,688 (~401 ppi)
OS: Android 11
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 888
Memory: 8 GB RAM; 128-to-512 GB onboard storage
Expandable Memory: No
Cameras: Rear - 12 MP 27mm OIS; 12 MP 51mm telephoto 2x optical zoom OIS; 16 MP 13 mm; Front - 12 MP 24mm
Sounds: Stereo sound
Battery (battery endurance rating): 4,449 mAh
Security: Side-mounted fingerprint reader
Miscellaneous: Stylus support

What are your thoughts on foldable OLED technology? Let us know in the comments below.