Following a leak that claimed an upcoming Razr-branded foldable from Motorola would sport a huge cover display, leaker Evan Blass shared images of the device on Twitter.
Blass, whose account is currently private, shared four images of what he says will be called the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra. The images mostly highlight the cover display, though a couple also showcase some personalization options.
The images show a cover display that takes up almost the entirety of the lid of the flip phone. It’s a stark difference from previous Razr foldables and even Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip line, which have offered — by comparison — minuscule cover screens.
Perhaps the most interesting part is that the cover display extends down around the dual camera lenses and the flash, creating a little area for notifications and weather information and leaving a larger portion to show the time and presumably for interacting with notifications — such as reading incoming messages or for call display.
Beyond the images, Blass didn’t share much else about the device. He did, however, note that Motorola plans to launch a second, “down market” flip phone in 2023. The device, codenamed ‘Venus,’ reportedly won’t sport the name Razr Lite has some have reported. Instead, Blass says it will be called the Razr 40.
Previous leaks said the Razr 40 Ultra’s cover display would measure 3.5-inches, beating out the rumoured 3.4-inch cover screen that will reportedly ship on Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Z Flip 5.
It’s also worth noting that Motorola’s previous foldables haven’t had great Canadian availability. The first Razr foldable launched in the U.S. in February 2020 but didn’t arrive in Canada until April — when it did show up, it was only available at Telus and its subsidiaries, and Freedom Mobile. Motorola’s subsequent foldables haven’t come north of the border.
OnePlus appears to have taken a page out of Samsung’s playbook when picking names for its upcoming foldable devices.
The company reportedly trademarked the names ‘OnePlus V Fold’ and ‘OnePlus V Flip’ in China, as shared by Mukul Sharma on Twitter (via Android Police).
Along with the names, Sharma said that OnePlus had begun internal testing of at least one of the devices in several regions, including Europe.
OnePlus V Fold OnePlus V Flip monikers have already been trademarked by the brand. The internal testing of (at least) one of these has begun in several regions, including Europe, as per my source.#OnePlus#OnePlusVFold#OnePlusVFlippic.twitter.com/f3jMgoQ89x
Assuming OnePlus took inspiration from more than just Samsung’s names, the two devices in question here will likely be a handset that folds out into a tablet-size devices (the V Fold) and a handset that flips open into a smartphone-size device (the V Flip). Moreover, the ‘V’ arguably better represents how these devices fold than Samsung’s ‘Z.’
Anyway, it’s worth keeping in mind that these are rumours and, even if OnePlus did trademark the names, it doesn’t mean the company will launch foldables anytime soon. Companies have a tendency the nab trademarks and patents for things even if there aren’t immediate plans to make those products.
Microsoft’s plans for the Surface Duo 3 reportedly include ditching the dual-screen design in favour of a foldable display and cover display design similar to other foldables, like the Galaxy Z Fold 4.
The details come from Windows Central, which cites sources “familiar with the company’s plans.” Moreover, the change came after Microsoft finalized a dual-screen Duo 3 design intended to ship at the end of 2023 — that design reportedly was scrapped and the Surface team is focusing on the new “true” foldable design.
Other details reported by Windows Central include that the Surface Duo 3 would sport a 180-degree hinge. Microsoft is also working on a larger software effort intended to help differentiate the Duo from other Android foldables. The software effort is reportedly called ‘Perfect Together’ and hopes to offer a similar level of integration between the Surface Duo and Windows PCs as you’d get with an iPhone and a Mac.
Moreover, Microsoft is reportedly interested in expanding it line of Android-powered smartphones and is looking at different form factors beyond foldables. Windows Central notes that nothing is set in stone, but apparently Microsoft has prototyped several traditional slab smartphone designs.
Are you thinking about getting a Samsung foldable this year? Both the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 are great options, but each is likely for a different type of person.
Both phones run the latest Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipsets and feature great camera systems. The Fold 4 has a bit more camera versatility and a larger internal screen, but it also has a heftier price and weight to account for all that.
The Flip 4, on the other hand, seems like a very good deal compared to the Fold 4 since it costs half the price, but when you then compare it to other devices in the $1,300 range in Canada, the Flip 4 can start to look a little less enticing.
However, if you must have a foldable, or you just want a phone that’s going to make you feel something, one of these models might do the trick.
Specs
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4
Display
Main Screen: 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity Flex Display (2640 x 1080) | Cover Screen: 1.9-inch Super AMOLED Display (260 x 512)
Main Screen: 7.6 inches 120Hz AMOLED 2x, Infinity Flex Display (2176 x 1812) | Cover Screen: 6.2 inches 120Hz Dynamic AMOLED 2X Display (2316 x 904)
Processor
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus
RAM
8GB of RAM
12GB of RAM
Storage
128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage
256GB, 512GB and 1TB of storage
Dimensions (in.)
Unfolded: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm | Folded: 84.9 x 71.9 x 17.1mm (Hinge) – 15.9mm (Sagging)
Folded: 67.1 x 155.1 x 15.8mm(Hinge) ~ 14.2mm(Sagging) | Unfolded: 130.1 x 155.1 x 6.3mm
Samsung got almost everything right with the new Galaxy Z Flip 4. The foldable hasn’t changed significantly over last year’s model, but features that were underpowered in 2021, are boosted this year.
Whether that’s enough to solve the Flip’s problems will depend on how much you use your phone and what you want to get out of it.
This is the closest Samsung has come to flipping perfection. The tech giant still has a lot of work to do next year, especially as competition in the folding phone market heats up, but for now, it’s the best small foldable in Canada and the most interesting phone I’ve used in years.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3
Samsung Galaxy S22+
Display
Main Screen: 6.7-inch FHD+ 120Hz display, Dynamic AMOLED 2X, Infinity Flex Display (2640 x 1080) | Cover Screen: 1.9-inch Super AMOLED Display (260 x 512)
6.7-inch Foldable FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X, 2,640 x 1,080 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate | Cover display 1.9-inch Super AMOLED 260 x 512 pixels
6.6-inch Flat Dynamic AMOLED, 1,080 x 2,400 pixels, 20:9 aspect ratio, 120Hz display, HDR10+, 240Hz Touch Sampling in Games
Processor
Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
Snapdragon 888
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM
8GB of RAM
8GB of RAM
8GB of RAM
Storage
128GB, 256GB and 512GB of storage
128GB/256GB of storage
128GB, 256GB
Dimensions (in.)
Unfolded: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm | Folded: 84.9 x 71.9 x 17.1mm (Hinge) – 15.9mm (Sagging)
Unfolded: 166 x 72.2 x 6.9mm | Folded: 86.4 x 72.2 x 17.1 mm
Colours: ‘Phantom Black,’ ‘Phantom White,’ ‘Green’ and ‘Pink Gold’ as well as Samsung exclusive colours ‘Gray,’ ‘Cream,’ ‘Violet’ and ‘Light Blue.’
What it’s like using a folding phone in 2022
When fully unfolded, this is one of the tallest phones around.
My folding phone experience began with two days folding the big boy, the Z Fold 4, before handing the device off to Dean Daley for his review. Then I unfolded the Flip 4 and haven’t let it go since.
My first impressions of the Flip were positive overall. Was I really living in the future of smartphones? For a few days, it felt like it. I was having a blast folding, and unfolding, and folding, and unfolding the phone. Being able to prop it up at a 90-degree angle and watch YouTube videos while lying down was novel. Somehow Samsung even added a tiny trackpad and mouse pointer to the Flip 4, though once again, Dex didn’t make the cut.
“I was having a blast folding and unfolding, and folding, and unfolding …”
I used the foldable sideways in camcorder mode like Samsung shows in its ads, and to my surprise, I loved it. Even Toronto’s coolest nerd Shevon Salmon wanted to try out my phone. The Flip 4 is hype, and after years of stale slab-like phones, it felt so good to have a cool™ foldable.
However, roughly a week into folding and unfolding the Flip 4, the process started to become more tedious. Once when I was walking around and my group chat started to pop off, I truly wondered how many folds I’d put this phone through over a year or two if it were my daily driver. At home, I found myself leaving the Flip 4 unfolded a lot since it’s impractical to hide away the large screen unless I wanted to jam the device into a pocket.
There’s no denying the Galaxy Flip 4 is cuter when folded and easier to place onto wireless charging pads since there’s less room for error within its compact frame, but the tiny front screen is so limited I didn’t use it for more than checking the time, weather and play/pause controls.
The new hinge on the Flip 4 is a little slimmer than on the Flip 3.
You can reply to a text with voice dictation without unfolding the phone, and this feels like talking into a futuristic communicator, but it was more of a hassle than just texting.
I don’t know how possible it would be without making the phone thicker, but it would be great if Samsung added a Cover screen large enough to text on. After seeing tiny phones like the Unihertz Atom over the years, it would be great to see the full front of the Flip 5 be a screen running a very condensed, but still usable version of Android.
Imagine a world where the full front of the phone was all screen…
A small note worth mentioning is that the folding aspect of the Flip 4 makes it double as a fidget toy, for better or worse, and over the course of my review, I found myself absent-mindedly folding and unfolding the smartphone and turning over the small square shape of it in my hands way more than I expected. Slamming it closed after a call is also as satisfying as you imagine.
Regardless of its ability to fold, the Flip 4 is IPX8 water resistant, so it can be submerged in shallow water for 30 minutes. I never took it that far, but the phone survived a few showers and getting soaked at Niagara Falls and still functions fine. While a dustproof rating would be nice to have, the fact that this phone folds and can be submerged in water is mindblowing.
At the end of the day, it’s a fine foldable, but not a fast phone
The folding aspect of the Flip 4 may be a feat of engineering, but there’s no getting around the thermal management issues Samsung had to include. During quick one-off tasks, the foldable is flagship levels of fast, but after a bit of stress testing, it can slow down and get warm. You can game on it, but if Android gaming is your number one priority, I’d look at the OnePlus 10T instead.
The Flip 4 also seemed to be closing apps in the background a bit more than I was used to, but that’s probably for the best since Samsung needs to pull every software trick in the books to get passable battery from this phone. This averaged out around 3-4 hours of screen on time, which is a lot less than I’d get from other phones at this price point.
That means while it does have a 120Hz display, you’ll probably want to limit that to 60Hz to give you a chance of getting past that three and a half hours of screen-on time wall. We do live in modern times, so a top-up while driving or at your desk isn’t that hard to do, but compared to the phenomenal battery life I was getting out of the OnePlus 10T, the Flip 4 doesn’t hold up.
Samsung has a power-saving mode that limits CPU power to 70 percent, decreases brightness/refresh rates, and turns off 5G. I used that for most of my testing. It didn’t help enough to convince me that this is a flagship battery.
25-watt fast charging feels slow after using the OnePlus 10T.
It’s still a usable battery, but you’re going to be tied to a charger more than you would be if you had a phone that cost this much and didn’t fold. There’s no brick included in the box, and it can only fast charge at 25 watts. So from zero, it still takes over an hour to fill. Everything about this phone feels so futuristic it feels bad to see it held back like this.
The screen feels more like glass this year which is nice, but the foldable features such a tall aspect ratio that reaching the top corner with one hand is pretty difficult. Even the volume buttons are placed strangely high, making it a feat of finger gymnastics to crank a tune.
The other issue with this tall screen is that you can’t use it with polarized sunglasses. This issue doesn’t affect the Fold 4 luckily, but the Flip gets a distracting rainbow tint on it when you view it through polarized lenses. It’s usable, but I found myself taking off my sunglasses to use it more than any other phone, so it’s worth noting if you’ve got a pair of prescription/polarized sunglasses that you’d rather not part with.
All of that being said, it’s 2022 and even phones that might not be the fastest, are still fast enough. I never really had any complaints with the Flip 4 in day-to-day use. It’s modern, quick in most use cases, and more than powerful enough.
Underdog cameras
The new camera sensors can capture a bit more light and have improved stabilization.
One area that impressed me about the Flip 4 was how fun it makes taking videos. Maybe I’m a sucker for vintage-inspired design, but holding the device folded at 90 degrees and using it like a camcorder is too much fun. Everyone I showed the feature to loved it as well.
The stabilization from the primary lens is also fantastic. Combine that with Samsung’s stellar colour processing, and you’ve got a great video camera. I don’t know how Samsung has done it, but the true-to-life colours with cool/magenta undertones and really pleasing yet subtly stylized reds have me wishing I could add this colour style to my Fujifilm camera.
Photos from the primary lens and the ultra-wide are clean and the 12-megapixel sensors perform perfectly. There’s an argument to be made that until phone lens can get larger, 12-megapixels is the ideal photo size and I have no complaints with the sensor’s performance here. I haven’t been a fan of Samsung cameras in the past but this year’s S22 series and now the Flip 4 have brought me on board.
Beyond the great photo experience, there are a few quirks that take advantage of the folding nature of the phone. Depending on how often you film or take photos of yourself or your friends, these may be very handy.
The most useful is the Cover screen feature which acts as a viewfinder to take selfies, portrait mode photos or videos. This is a huge perk and can help anyone setup up their selfie game. The front-facing camera is mid so having access to the tremendous main sensor for selfies is a huge win. If you film yourself, it’s also beneficial to frame up shots. Not to mention that you can fold the phone and set it up like a little tripod. This is undeniably useful for content creators, but likely not for everyone.
You can also fold the Flip 4 to 90 degrees and shoot with it in waist-level viewfinder mode. I didn’t get a ton of use out of this, but it’s an exciting concept for street photographers. However, the lens choice doesn’t lend itself super well to street shooting. If this phone had a telephoto lens like a $1,300 phone should, this mode would be awesome.
The camera is the only area where I liked the ultra-wide aspect ratio of the phone’s screen. I’m a sucker for panoramic XPan shots, and you can use this phone's full display to take very wide 9:22 shots that definitely help scratch that ultra-wide itch for me. Like XPan mode on OnePlus phones, this is just cropping the sensor, but it's still enjoyable to shoot with and a nice perk.
Compared to the 50-megapixel shooter on the Fold 5, the Flip captures slightly less detail, but under most circumstances, the device’s shooters are equally as good. It’s a bit annoying to see Samsung market the Fold as a much better system, which in turn, makes the Flip appear to be lacking, when in reality it’s really not.
Google’s Pixel 7 and 7 Pro are right around the corner, and while most are focused on those devices, some leakers are dredging up details about other upcoming Pixels. The latest: Google will use China-based Foxconn to manufacture two Pixel phones, possibly a foldable and another device made of ceramic.
The information comes from leaker ‘Digital Chat Station’ on Weibo, who details some of the specs of the ceramic phone (but not the foldable). Foxconn is the same company that manufactures the iPhone and has manufactured Google’s Pixel flagships since the Pixel 3 — the Pixel 1 and 2 were HTC and LG (for the 2 XL only). Google’s lower-cost A-series are manufactured in Vietnam.
Digital Chat Station describes the ceramic phone as a “Pixel flagship” with a 2K “flexible screen” sporting a centred selfie camera and a 50-megapixel primary camera and periscope camera on the back, plus a Sony IMX787 “sub-camera.” Moreover, the phone would sport Google’s second-gen Tensor chip and a ceramic body.
Digital Chat Station’s Weibo post | Image credit: 9to5Google
From what we already know about Google’s upcoming Pixel 7 series, the device described by Digital Chat Station doesn’t sound like any of these. 9to5Googlesays the camera details line up with previous leaks about a Google device with codename ‘Lynx,’ rumoured to be either a high-end third Pixel device (perhaps the Pixel Ultra people have dreamed about for years). Others suggested Lynx could be a prototype for testing new hardware before bringing it into the Pixel line, but bringing manufacturing to Foxconn suggests it could see a public release.
Further, 9to5 reports that the IMX787 appears to be a telephoto camera with a 64-megapixel sensor, higher than the 48-megapixel sensor used in the Pixel 6 Pro’s 4x telephoto camera. The IMX787 is also about the same physical size as Samsung’s 50-megapixel GN1 sensor used for the Pixel 6 and 6 Pro primary camera (and the upcoming Pixel 7 series).
As for the Pixel foldable, Digital Chat Station described it as having a “conventional large-screen internal folding” screen, which isn’t particularly new information. Previous rumours suggested the foldable, possibly called ‘Pixel Notepad,’ would work similar to Samsung’s Galaxy Fold but use Google’s old 12-megapixel cameras like what was used in the Pixel 5 and 4. However, as 9to5 notes, the Pixel Notepad has been rumoured for so long that it’s hard to tell what’s accurate at this point.
I don’t try to hide that I’m a huge fan of foldable smartphones. The Galaxy Fold 3 is one of my go-to daily drivers because I love to take notes, use a big screen to watch content and I’m a sucker for gimmicks. So when I got the opportunity to go hands-on with the Mate Xs 2, I was pretty excited.
Why talk about a phone that’s not coming to Canada? Mostly because the Mate Xs 2 shows how much foldables have improved over the years, and some of you might still want to purchase the phone through other methods — such as Alibaba or somewhere of the like.
I spent only two to three minutes with the device, so this is mostly some quick impressions of the hardware. The device uses EMUI 12’s Harmony OS, and I would require a lot more time checking that out before writing about it.
Hardware feels solid
Huawei’s foldable is ultra-light and ultra-thin. When I held it I could immediately tell it was lighter than my Fold 3 even though the difference is only about 20g. And while the size wasn’t completely noticeable when unfolded, when folded you can tell there’s a difference of about 5mm.
I appreciate this because, as I noted in my review of Samsung’s phone, it’s definitely a foldable monster. Still, Huawei’s handset is quite large, and if you’re not used to foldables, you’ll definitely feel like you’re holding a miniature tablet.
It seemed like the Mate Xs 2 sported a much larger display than the Fold 3 for some reason, but the difference in size is actually negligible. The Xs 2 uses a 7.8-inch panel, compared to the 7.6-inch screen on the Fold 3. The Xs 2’s screen looks nice, but I didn’t spend a lot of time looking at much on the display other than the phone’s home screen. Specs-wise, the Xs 2 has a better pixel resolution than the Fold 3 as it sports a 2200 x 2480-pixel resolution and Samsung’s device offers a 1776 x 2208 resolution; therefore, the viewing experience should be better. This screen also features a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate.
A touch sample rate or touch-sensing refers to the frequency at which the smartphone tracks the movement of your finger. Typical devices have a 60Hz touch sample rate, which tracks the screen every 16.6ms, while the latest iPhones have a 120Hz touch sample rate that cuts the time by half. The S22 Ultra also has a 240Hz touch sampling rate.
The Mate Xs 2’s folding mechanism is kind of weird to get used to. The Fold 3 folds like a book, which always made sense to me. However, the Mate Xs 2 only has one display instead of two like the Fold 3. So, the Mate Xs 2 folds outwards, the opposite of the Fold 3. An outward folding design leads to the Xs 2’s display being on both sides of the device. This method makes it seem very easy to accidentally damage the phone’s only screen. And while most handsets only have one display that can be wrecked, the Xs 2’s screen is on both sides.
Even though I found the outward folding design odd, the handset felt pretty solid in hand, even after folding and unfolding it over and over again.
The Xs 2 also features a 50-megapixel primary camera that I, unfortunately, didn’t get to try out very much. The shot seemed good and, from previous devices, I have good faith in a Huawei phone’s camera, but I can’t say definitively without further testing. I also couldn’t test out the phone’s battery, but it sports a 4,600mAh power cell. The Z Fold 3 uses a 4,400mAh cell and has an extra display, so the battery life might be comparable or a bit better, but that’s impossible to say without testing.
A foldable future
Whenever someone asks me about my opinions on a smartphone, my go-to thing to say is “if it doesn’t fold, it doesn’t matter.” I don’t actually believe in this, but I really find foldable handsets interesting. This smartphone is for sure not coming to Canada, so don’t get your hopes up.
But it’s another glimpse at what foldable hardware can do. I don’t think there will ever be a day when foldable smartphones will take over and be for everyone but seeing different form factors, like the Mate Xs 2 and the Z Fold 3, brings hope to my foldable-shilling heart.
Given the popularity of Samsung’s Galaxy Fold and Flip line, it’s not surprising to learn that Apple is reportedly experimenting with a similar foldable design.
According to notable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple is working on a foldable smartphone/tablet that features a secondary Electronic Paper Display (EPD) cover screen. Kuo goes on to say that the technology is also being tested in “tablet-like applications.” Apple is reportedly exploring the technology because of its “excellent power-saving” capabilities.
Apple is testing E Ink's Electronic Paper Display (EPD) for future foldable device's cover screen & tablet-like applications. The color EPD has the potential to become a mainstream solution for foldable devices' must-have cover/second screen thanks to its excellent power-saving.
Reports regarding Apple’s plans for a foldable smartphone/tablet plans have surfaced several times over the past few years. In May 2021, Kuo reported that Apple could have plans to drop its foldable in 2023 and that the tech giant expects to ship 20 million units in its first year. Then in December of the same year, display analyst Ross Young said that Apple won’t release a foldable smartphone until 2023 or 2024 at the earliest.
It’s unclear if Apple’s foldable device falls under the iPhone or iPad line since Kuo’s latest prediction doesn’t mention a display size for the device.
Whatever the case, Apple’s foldable device is likely still years away from release.
OnePlus might be working on a foldable, and according to a new rumour, the foldable might be based on Oppo’s Find N hardware.
The news shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. OnePlus and Oppo are both owned by BBK Electronics, which encourages sharing of hardware designs between the companies. Oppo released the Find N foldable in China back in December.
The report comes from Pricebaba and leaker Yogesh Brar (via Android Police), and says that OnePlus plans to base its foldable on the Find N. Moreover, the OnePlus foldable may even be a rebranded copy of the Find N.
Android Police notes that another BBK brand, Vivo, is set to launch its first foldable in China on April 11th. Like OnePlus, Vivo’s foldable could be similar to the Find N.
Considering Oppo and Vivo don’t typically come to Canada, the OnePlus foldable will be an interesting device to watch. Depending on how similar it is to the Find N, it could be our first chance in a while to check out a new foldable not made by Samsung.
Unfortunately, the Pricebaba leak didn’t include any details about OnePlus’ timeline, so we have no idea when to expect the phone. Still, if the company really is working on a foldable, we should learn more soon.
LONDON, UK – FEBRUARY 20, 2020: Samsung tech brand leterring logo in Harrods shopping mall.
This summer Samsung will likely have another Unpacked event unveiling its new foldable lineup. We’re expecting to see the successors to the Galaxy Z Flip 3, and Galaxy Z Fold 3, but this August might have another surprise in store. Leaks indicate there’s a new foldable on the horizon.
The news comes from Galaxy Club, which confirmed the third device on the way. Galaxy Club found three new codenames, B4, Q4 and N4. We know that B4 is the Z Flip 4, and Q4 is the Z Fold 4, so what’s left is this mysterious N4.
At CES 2022, Samsung unveiled some of the flexible displays it’s working on, including a ‘Flex S’ tri-folding phone that can fold both in and out of an S form. This allows a smartphone to fold into a large tablet. The Flex G, on the other hand, is more compact, but is also a tri-folding and folds inwards so that no part of the display is visible when fully folded.
Additionally, on Samsung’s OLED website, the company showcases other foldable glass displays it’s working on. The South Korean company’s site shows the Flex Square which is the Z Fold 3 foldable display method, the Flex Bar, which is the Z Flip 3’s style of folding. There’s also a Flex Note, which looks like a foldable tablet.
Samsung is also working on other flexible displays as well, such as rollable screens and slideable panels.
Leaker Ice Universe, on the other hand, confirmed that the Fold 4 and the Flip 4 will feature a Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Plus processor. This chipset hasn’t been announced yet, which means that these handsets will be even more powerful than the smartphones currently on the market.
