Dominated by Samsung, the sector of cell phones with folding screens will become fiercer throughout 2023. It is the objective of the Honor, Huawei, Oppo and Tecno brands, which took five new models (between commercial versions and prototypes) to the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2023, the world’s largest mobile technology conference, in Barcelona.
The perception after getting to know the phones up close is that companies want to establish a new era of foldables. To do so, they will try to convince consumers with the “we do better than Samsung” speech – in things like structure, hinge and features.
The forecast is also that Chinese manufacturers expand the offer of their folding cell phones to emerging markets, such as Latin America, according to some reports. Tilt.
Honor Magic Vs: Closes so well it traps paper
A well-known complaint among users of the Galaxy Z Fold and Z Flip lines, pioneering and only foldables sold in Brazil so far, is the deep bump in the middle of the screen and the thick hinge, which leaves a “V”-shaped gap.
In the latter case, in addition to giving a less delicate look, it allows for greater accumulation of dirt over time. The proposal for the foldable phone Honor Magic Vs is to solve this — the phone belongs to the Chinese manufacturer Honor, which was once a subsidiary of Huawei.
The model was my favorite among those displayed at the event. According to the company, the number of components in the structure went from 92 to 4. That’s why it manages to have a more efficient closure, capable of holding a sheet of paper.
In terms of configurations, it is a powerful smartphone, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ processor and three configuration options for internal storage and RAM memory (which helps performance):
- 256 GB; 8 GB
- 256 GB; 12 GB
- 512GB; 12 GB
Magic Vs has been sold in China since December last year. Now it has been announced in Europe from 1,599 euros (R$ 8,900 in direct conversion and without taxes).
The company reported that the model should also arrive in Latin American countries in the coming times. However, he did not want to say whether Brazil will be one of them.
Tecno Phantom V Fold: good suave on the body
the chinese brand Tecno is less known to Brazilians, but it is interesting to know that it has launched cell phones that surprise (with innovations in screens and cameras, for example). She was another highlight at the event with her MWC.
O good guy Phantom V Fold is visually similar to Honor’s. What pleased me when using it was the fact that it is thin, leaving no space when closed, in addition to having an extremely smooth fold on the screen.
It is the first of its kind equipped with a rival processor from Qualcomm, the MediaTek Dimensity 9000+ chip. This means a cheaper product — one of the barriers to this type of cell phone is the high price.
The version with 12 GB of memory and 256 GB of internal storage costs US$ 1,099 (R$ 5,700 in direct conversion), and the 512 GB one costs US$ 1,220 (R$ 6,300). It should reach markets in Africa and Latin America, according to the manufacturer.
Oppo Find N2 e Find N2 Flip: war against Samsung
Oppo, a giant brand also from China, is now trying to reach new markets. During the fair she did not hide that she wants to clash with Samsung.
Its foldables are similar to the Galaxy Fold and Flip: respectively, the Find N2 (when opened, it looks like a small tablet) and the Find N2 Flip (when closed, it is small and fits in your pocket).
In Find N2, the company explains that the display technology is called “water droplet” (water droplet), as it does not form a large crease in the middle and allows for a smooth transition when folding and unfolding.
Just like the Magic Vs, it is equipped with a Snapdragon 8+. The rear cameras were developed by the Swedish photography company Hasselblad. For now, it is only sold in China.
Already Oppo’s most portable foldable, the Find N2 Flip, should reach other global markets — there is still no information about Brazil, where the brand sells only one model, the Reno 7.
I really liked the smaller version, which is very portable and looks good when folded. At the same time, it has big screens. They are larger than those of the Samsung Galaxy Flip 4, which has impaired usability on the minimal 1.9-inch front screen.
With it closed, in addition to receiving notifications, you can interact with the applications in other ways, including seeing very well how a photo that is being taken will look — according to the exhibitors, very useful “for lovers”.
To cost less, the company used the MediaTek processor Dimensions 9000+. Cameras are also Hasselblad. It will reach Europe and other global markets this year.
Huawei Mate Xs 2: fold out
The Mate Xs 2 also has the smoothest crease. However, it opens differently from the others: it has only one large screen, which is folded to the outside.
When opened, the back is a smooth surface with no display — it looks like a clipboard, very straight and thin.
Behind, there is only a raised area where the cameras and sensors are located. This makes it lighter. According to the company, this also allows for greater strength than other foldables.
The processor is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 (the same one present in the top-of-the-line Galaxy S21, launched two years ago).
A powerful and interesting cell phone from what you can tell. However, limited to China. There are no forecasts for other markets.
Challenges to popularize foldables
The folding market is not yet consolidated in the world. In Brazil, then, don’t even talk about it.
According to the IDC consultancy, only 1.1% of total smartphone sales in 2022 were within this device category; it is expected to reach just 2.8% in 2026 — a low growth if we think about advances in technology.
This is due to several factors:
- They are very expensive phones.
- There is the challenge of convincing people to pay for them. There are still many people (myself included) who see these models as an unnecessary type of cell phone.
- Phones with a more common design manage, for now, to offer a more robust set of technical specifications than the foldable ones currently sold.
Future may involve “scrollable” screen
Parallel to the discussions about the future of foldables, another type of cell phone stole the show: a model with a “rollable” screen (rollable) from the Motorola brand, which Tilt saw firsthand:
It’s still a prototype, with no release date or configuration information. Therefore, it clearly needs to undergo improvements and tests before becoming a product.
But seeing it in action gives us a glimpse of what could be enticing in this industry. The model was dubbed the Rizr (a play on the classic Razr).
Lenovo — Motorola’s parent company — also highlighted a “rollable” notebook at MWC, using the same proposal.
Last year, Samsung had already won the spotlight with its concept of “rollable” screens, called the Galaxy Z Roll. It is worth keeping an eye on this new possible trend in the cell phone market of the future.
*The journalist traveled at the invitation of Huawei
