If you have been around for at least two decades, you must have some nostalgia about a catalogue of fantastic phones with extraordinary character that excited you. Some of these phones had rotating cameras, slide out keyboard, clamshell keyboard, stylus supported phones, and more.
However, as the world embraced touchscreens, the opportunities for interesting form factors and excitement dwindled. We largely ended with 99.9% of modern smartphones as slabs.
However, that just might be changing. If you want something different from the norm, if you want a smartphone that breaks the mild and offers excitement and functionality on a different level, here are two fantastic phones that will get you going.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 5G
The Galaxy Z Fold3 5G is the latest in Samsung’s new lineup of foldable devices. As far as I can tell, the Fold range is the logical path for road warriors who used to love Nokia’s Communicator series.
Samsung Galaxy Fold3 5G offers you a large screen for creative and professionals who need to work on the move. But it is also great for individuals who love to consume content everywhere they go.
Whether you want to watch videos, read, or swipe through Instagram pages, the Fold3 5G is perfect. In its folded state, it offers a 6.2-inch display for regular use. When unfolded open, what you get is a 7.6-inch Fluid AMOLED display in tablet territory.
If you have missed stylus support on smartphones, you will be happy to hear that the Fold3 5G has stylus support. And with a powerful Snapdragon 888 chipset and up to 12 GB of RAM, this is as powerful as it gets today.
There have been many Samsung Galaxy Fold phone reviews since the first Fold device released in September 2019, and if what they say is anything to go by, the Fold3 5G has improved greatly since then.
How much is the Fold3 5G? You will need to cough out US$1,500 to own one.
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3 5G
Like the Fold3, the Galaxy Flip3 5G is a foldable phone. However, it flips (pun intended) the concept in the other direction: instead of offering a big device that gets even bigger, the Flip3 5G is a cute, compact device that folds open to give you a regular-sized smartphone.
Folded up in its clamshell mode, the Galaxy Flip3 5G had a 1.9 inches external screen. You flip it open to reveal a 6.7-inch AMOLED panel.
The Galaxy Z Flip3 may be smaller, but like it’s foldable sibling, it uses the top-range Snapdragon 888 chipset, though RAM is limited to 8 GB. You won’t be having any problems with performance.
For about US$1,000, you can pick this fantastic phone up from Amazon or BestBuy, among other retailers.
Other Fantastic Phones To Consider
Samsung has built a strong footing in the foldable phone space, and has the largest market share of foldable phones. As far as I can tell, these are the best foldable phones on the market today.
However, if you want to look at what other foldable phones are available in the market, this section lists a few.
Huawei Mate Xs is an exciting take on foldable technology. However, it’s big weakness is the absence of Google Mobile services (GMS), because of the US trade ban. It is also not available in the USA and many other regions of the world.
If you love the flip form factor, another foldable phone to look at I the Motorola Razr 2020 (also called the Motorola Razr 5G). Its price has dropped over time and you can snap one up for between US$980 and $1,500 on Amazon and US carriers.
Lastly, if you prefer to spend less on a foldable device, you can consider one of the earlier iterations of Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold and Galaxy Z Flip portfolios. They are not as powerful or as up-to-date as our listed fantastic phones, but they still pack enough excitement to keep you on the cutting edge.