I’m rarely shy about what I think; just ask my coworkers, who deal with my brutal honesty each day. But this is likely what draws me to writing: I have a big mouth, and today, I’d like to draw attention to the fact that after years of avoiding flip and folding phones as a perceived gimmick, I’m finally testing one with the Nubia Flip 5G for an upcoming review, and while it is certainly a mid-ranger at $500, I’m already sold on the overall flip/folding platform. Over the last week, I’ve had more fun than I’ve had with an Android phone in ages, bringing me back to the early days of Android when things were still exciting and new.
Best foldable phones in 2024
Whether you want a clamshell phone or a folding tablet, there’s something here for you
I was pretty trepidatious about testing a midrange clamshell device. Sure, Motorola managed well with the pricing for the Razr and Razr+ clamshells; it didn’t make me scoff like the prices of book-style folding devices out there. But I still wasn’t ready to take the plunge. That is until I saw the price point on the Nubia. It hits that sweet spot on price and interesting features, reminiscent of the Nexus days when cool gear was also affordable.
I just learned why flip phones are all the rage
They’re fun and exciting is why
So, what’s so cool about flip phones? Well, for one, the phones fold in half, and as much as a gimmick as that sounds, in practice, I love flipping my phone open like I’m living my Star Trek Communicator dreams. Honestly, there is something very appealing about folding a phone in half, perhaps satisfying our urge to play with objects like fidget spinners, which lines up for me as I love the tactility of folding the device. It just begs to be played with.
Of course, there is more to it. There is an actual benefit to folding a device, and number one on my list is that it saves room. And let me tell you, after years of mainlining gaming phone after gaming phone, these behemoths were getting on my nerves, or more so, caused constant worry that their top-heavy designs would lead to the phone falling out of my pockets, which has happened more than once. This problem is absolutely solved by clamshell folding phones like the Nubia, which stays firmly deep in my pockets. Refreshing.
The true benefits of a flip
Portability baby
Folding and flip phones tend to offer a secondary screen as well, which means you can use them for quick tasks without even opening the phone, much like using a WearOS device, but without the extra cost. This is good news since it can be challenging to open a flip one-handed, so it’s a workaround to a problem created by using a flip screen, but one that opens more avenues of use, easily getting alerts and answering notifications from the smaller outside screen.
It ain’t all sunshine and rainbows
But it’s hard to complain when the price is right
Still, while the added benefits of a folding smartphone are interesting, there are still plenty of things that need more polish, like hinges and the inherent crease in the screen. As cool as it is that a device can flip, once you run your thumb along the length of the screen, the crease makes itself known whether you want to acknowledge it or not. So, things aren’t perfect, especially if you go with a midrange flip designed to keep costs down. But I’m fine with these sacrifices, oddly calling back to my rooting and romming days when Android was hardly perfect, with an army of devs on XDA working out Google’s endless kinks. Those days may be mostly over, with Android offering more polish than ever, but luckily, companies like Nubia and Motorola are blazing the path of intriguing gear that doesn’t break the bank with their flip smartphones. So if you, too, have been hankering for a callback to simpler times when Androuid had rough edges, but that’s what made things exciting with interesting hardware making up the difference, I certainly recommend trying out an affordable flip phone like the Nubia Flip 5G. After years of feeling like Android is hum-drum and somewhat boring, flip phones are pulling me back into the fold, and I’m here for it.
