In recent years, several companies have started making foldable smartphones, and the ones that already had theirs on the market have started to fix some demanding issues that once turned away customers. The sudden interest and rise in volume in making foldable smartphones are due to the rising demand for this technology among customers. Bigger displays, the ability to multitask with ease, and chic design are other contributing factors that have made foldable models quite popular. We already have Part 1 for the best upcoming foldable in 2023; here in this article, we will mention a few more to wrap things up.
Apple iPhone Flip
Apple has already confirmed that it will bring the iPhone 15 series to market in 2023, while rumors about the iPhone Flip have also become quite rife. With rivals like Samsung, Motorola, and Google on their way with the Pixel foldable, expect Apple to release a flip model by the end of 2023 or at the beginning of 2024. Various displays from multiple reports have surfaced, including a 7.5 in OLED from LG, an 8 in display, and a 9 in display, among many others. But among them, the only one that seemed feasible was a clamshell model with a 6.8 in display when unfolded and an exterior for handling notifications, similar to the Galaxy Z Flip. It might be true that Apple will be using color e-ink displays for the external part of the device, which is great for low battery consumption. A special ceramic shield can be equipped for Apple’s foldable, which has 4 layers of support, one of which can even be composed of sapphire or glass. Telling about the price is probably one of the hardest things here; if the company goes for a larger screen, then the price can be around $2000 or more, but if it goes for a standard size similar to Samsung, Oppo, or Motorola, then they can set it around or above $1000 to stay in the competition. Nothing much is known about the specification of the device yet, but brace yourself for a surprise, as the company that eliminated bezels, abandoned the headphone jack, and introduced a notch would not come out with something petty.
Microsoft Surface Duo 3
As the foldable market was seeing growth, Microsoft also got into the game. But their innovations with Surface Duo and Surface Duo 2 did not appeal to the audience as they should have. Neglecting the conventional flip or foldable designs, they went with two dual-flat displays. Leaked reports suggest that they are going to change this strategy and follow foldable designs similar to Samsung and Vivo. Much about the specifications are not yet known, but the device is expected to come with Android 13. Microsoft has also said that they are trying to create an ecosystem like Apple and Samsung with the release of this device. The Surface Duo 2 is priced at $1499, and you can expect that the Surface Duo 3 will also have a price tag around that. Though we are referring to it as Surface Duo 3, but with the change in design it can also get a new moniker.
Vivo X Fold 2
The two Vivo foldable smartphones that were launched never made it to the market outside China. The same future might await for their next foldable, the Vivo X Fold 2 which is probably going to get launched in April 2023. Several rumors about specification details have come to light for the Vivo X Fold 2, and the first one among them is that the device might be equipped with a 2K resolution screen and have a 120 Hz refresh rate. Ultrasonic in-screen fingerprint scanners might be used for both the inner and outer displays of the device, and when it is unfolded, the screen will probably measure 8 in. Several leaked reports can confirm that the Vivo X Fold 2 will be powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset and run on Android 13.0 with a patch of Origin OS 3.0. Nothing about the capacity of internal storage is known, but the device will have a RAM of 16 GB. It can be anticipated that it will get replenished with 512 GB or 1 TB of storage. The Vivo X Fold 2 will be equipped with a 4800 mAh battery and will support 120 W wired and 50 W wireless charging. The primary camera is expected to be 50 MP with OIS support and has the Sony IMX866 sensor, while the ultrawide and telephoto lenses may be equipped with an IMX663 sensor. It is hard to gauge the price of the Vivo X Fold 2, but expect something between $1400-$1500.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 And Z Flip 5
Samsung is the only company in the foldable market that has perfected its craft over several releases of the Z series smartphones. At this moment, it can be said without any doubt that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Z Flip 4 are the best foldable smartphones that money can buy. It is imminent that the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 and Z Flip 5 are going to be released in 2023 and try to follow in the footsteps of their predecessors. If we look at the release pattern of the Samsung Z series, we can see that for the last few years, it has been releasing its foldable in the month of August and on Wednesdays. From this particular information, it can be anticipated that the Galaxy Z 5 series will also see its launch in August 2023. Pricing of both models is expected to be based on the predecessor of the Galaxy Z 5 series, and the Galaxy Z Fold 5 can cost around $1700-$1800 while the Galaxy Z Flip 5 can have a price tag of $1000-$1100. Both devices are expected to be equipped with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor and might have a water drop hinge, which will further increase their durability. Rumors suggest that the inclusion of the water-drop hinge can make the device waterproof. In the leaked reports, claims have been made that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 has only gone through 300,000 fold tests while most foldables go through 400,000. The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is also expected to be lighter and thinner than the Galaxy Z Fold 4. When it comes to the cover display, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will probably have the same 6.2 in display as its predecessor, but the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have a 3.4 in display, which is a bit larger than the Galaxy Z Flip 4. From the leaked reports, it can be confirmed that the Galaxy Z Fold 5 will have internal storage options of 256 GB, 512 GB, and 1 TB, while the Galaxy Z Flip 5 will have 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB. Information regarding battery capacity has not yet surfaced, but users do require more battery backup than the 3,700 mAh of the Galaxy Z Flip 4 and the 4400 mAh of the Galaxy Z Fold 4, along with fast charging options. For both models, it is expected that the camera modules will be the same as those of their predecessors.
Motorola Rizr
Moto Rizr is neither a flip nor a foldable model, but it is rollable. This is something of a fresh concept that has been introduced by Motorola in the world of smartphones. The MotoRizr was inaugurated at the MWC 2023, but the date for its mass production and the price tag are yet to be known. Yes, it is true that the concept seems like a breath of fresh air in the saturated smartphone design market, but a similar type of device by the name of BlackBerry Priv was launched back in 2015, where a QWERTY keyboard would slide from the back of its HD display. The Motorola Rizr comes with a 5 in flexible POLED display that is absolutely compact and has a great form factor to become a pocketable version. When you tap the power button twice, the engineered components help move the device upward, revealing a 6.5 in display with a ratio of 22:9. Much is not known about other specifications of the device, but tweaking the software in the rollable mechanism is going to be quite a challenge for Motorola. Though the rollable form factor looks chic, both sides of the screen are scratch magnets, and questions regarding the durability of the device also come into play.
Conclusion
Almost all the models mentioned in this list cost even more than some good flagship smartphones, and you then ask yourself, “Is it worth it?” Well, if you are looking for innovation with the ability to multitask on a large display, then the foldable is worth every penny. Yes, it is true that the battery life is a factor that often steers customers away, but with the evolution of foldable technology, we hope that this issue will soon be resolved. Last but not least, all the information is based on leaked reports and rumors, and it may tend to change at the time of the release of these foldable smartphones.
