Samsung needs to rethink its foldables and reinvent its flip phones
Initially launching as an exciting novelty, foldable smartphones have attracted a lot of attention in recent years. Samsung's flip phones in particular have gained popularity due to their more affordable price compared to the foldables. The flip form factor also offers potential for improved ergonomics despite a comparatively large display.
However, the form factor of small flip phones seems to have stagnated, with almost all manufacturers following the current trend toward long 21:9 aspect ratios instead of experimenting with other formats. Flip smartphones are very narrow and long when unfolded, which doesn't offer any real added value in everyday use. The 21:9 format of the Galaxy Z Flip 7, for example, results in large black bars or cropped content when watching a YouTube video.
In addition, the increasing slimmed-down form factor of foldable phones has been lacking on flip phones so far, meaning that when folded, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is quite noticeable in your pocket with a case thickness of about 1.4 centimeters.
Is the current flip form factor optimal?
According to an industry report from South Korea, Samsung's 2024 foldables were not a success and sales figures appear to be declining. For 2025, Samsung expects overall low demand for the Galaxy Z Flip 7. The market for flip smartphones has become highly competitive, with many manufacturers opting for a similar design. Xiaomi's Mix Flip 2 also performs slightly better than the current flip generation in many areas in our review.
Perhaps Samsung should rethink the form factor of its Flip series. A Galaxy Z Flip 8 with a different form factor could stand out and appeal to new user groups. Huawei's Pura X is an interesting example of how the flip form factor can be reimagined.
With a 16:10 aspect ratio, the flip phone could be the better choice for the future for several reasons, as the outer panel would be a small "smartphone" and, when unfolded, transform into a small tablet. Due to the wider design, there would likely also be more potential for a thinner case without sacrificing a large battery capacity.
Source(s)
Review of the Galaxy Z Flip7
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