The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is official, but really, were there enough updates to get excited about? I’m not so sure.
Samsung may have fallen asleep at the wheel a little when it came to designing its latest generation of foldables. In spite of there being a new processor inside them, they sure are a chip off the old block in terms of pretty much everything else.
I’m not blown away, that’s for sure. I’d hazard a guess I’m not the only one either. If you’re a little antsy over what Samsung defines as fancy, I say we let the Galaxy Z Flip 5 fulfill its nosedive and take a look at three foldable phones with everything needed to thrive.
Forget the Galaxy Z Flip 5: Buy these 3 phones instead
Samsung might’ve been the king of the hill when it came to foldables in recent years, but competition for the top spot is heating up all the time with more and more manufacturers looking to toss their hat into the ring and take their chances in this growing market.
Samsung might be the best at what they do right now, but if this year’s showcase has been anything to go by, they’re by no means untouchable. If you’re itching to “join the flip side,” but aren’t exactly wowed by what Samsung had to unpack, check out our selection of three foldable devices that are the flip to Samsung’s flop.
1. Motorola Razr+
Available for the exact same price as the Galaxy Z Flip 5, the Motorola Razr+ is a phenomenal alternative to Samsung’s flip-foldable that pairs all the performance of the Z Flip 4 with a design that the Z Flip 5 lacked the ambition to aim for.
A revival of the mid-2000s era flip phone that put the world into a frenzy, the Motorola Razr+ feels like a homecoming of sorts rightfully taking its place in the spotlight during the clamshell comeback. Backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor with 5GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, Motorola’s Razr+ is a well-equipped device with plenty of performance on hand.
Add to that a larger 6.9-inch internal OLED panel with a 165Hz refresh rate and a stunning 3.6-inch, fully-realized, 144Hz edge-to-edge cover display and you have one of the best-looking foldables on the market today.
If you already own a foldable device then this phone might not be top of your list when it comes to an upgrade. Owners of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 are more likely than most to feel this as a side-step than anything else, though in all fairness, you’ll at least gain a better display and camera array than if you upgraded to the Z Flip 5.
2. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Sure, Samsung just announced the Galaxy Z Flip 5, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay a blind bit of attention to it. And why would you? It’s essentially just this phone but a little faster and with a different cover screen and available at full price. Just save yourself the expense and pick up the phone that puts foldables in the spotlight once again?
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is going to tumble in price, which grants you a chance yet to lay your hands on a foldable device without breaking the bank. Not only will you save a decent sum of money but you’ll also be granted an impressively capable phone backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of storage.
It’s a beautiful piece of engineering and it has fantastic photo capabilities — also a great battery life considering the brightness and vividness of its dual screens. You will forgo the Z Fold 5’s larger cover screen and extended functionality, but the smaller 260 x 512-pixel cover screen of the Z Fold 4 is still a small-scale widget-wonderland when it comes to snaring information at a glance.
Already own a Galaxy Z Flip 4? Stick with it. If there’s one thing we can guarantee from Samsung’s unveiling of the Z Flip 5 at this year’s Unpacked event it’s this: You’re not missing out on much.
3. Oppo Find N2 Flip
Oppo’s Find N2 Flip is the “budget-friendly” foldable flip phone that’s been turning heads with its stylish looks, vertical cover screen, and plucky photography skills almost the world over. Almost, because the device’s global launch seemingly covered everywhere except the U.S., annoyingly.
You can still bag one online, but you’d best be sure that your carrier will support it before splashing the cash, as even though it’s one of the more affordable foldables on the market, an affordable foldable is still generally quite expensive.
The Oppo Find N2 Flip is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ processor, which might not be a name you’re too familiar with outside of certain Chromebooks. However, while not as recognizable as an Apple Bionic, Tensor, Qualcomm Snapdragon, or even an Exynos chipset, the MediaTek processor is impressively capable. Backing up the CPU is 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The Find N2 Flip features a 6.8-inch, AMOLED, FHD+ (2520 x 1080-pixel) internal display with a rapid 120Hz refresh rate and a 3.26-inch, AMOLED, 720 x 382-pixel cover display at 60Hz. That means bright and vibrant images and the perfect way to show off your Hasselblad snaps from the foldable’s 50MP main shooter, 8MP Ultra-wide camera, and 32MB front camera.
Outlook
If you’re no fan of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 5 offerings then worry not. While the flip-foldable market is still relatively small there are other options out there to choose from, even last year's models are still fantastic choices that shouldn’t be overlooked.
With more competition than ever, the lineup of available foldables looks set to grow and grow with more variety and potentially lower, more accessible prices. Are we witnessing the death of the static smartphone? Unlikely, but these bits of engineering wizardry are impressive bits of tech all the same — with some even finding their way into our list of best smartphones.
