Foldable phones: find out how they work and how much the devices cost

During the event Made by Google 2024 held this Tuesday (13), Google officially revealed the smartphone Pixel 9 Pro Fold the first foldable phone made by the company. The device is similar to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 from Samsung.

Although foldable models have gained popularity in several regions of the world, there are still few devices that truly fit into this category.

In Brazil, the only models available in national stores are devices from Motorola and of the Samsung . The others can even be found in some physical and online stores in the country, but they are generally the result of import processes.

Most Popular Foldable Phones

The foldable models were inspired by the old flip-style cell phones that were popular in the 2000s. Motorola Razr V3 was one of the most popular models worldwide, including in Brazil — in addition to being a foldable device, it also offered the classic snake game .

Currently, companies like Samsung, Motorola, Huawei Xiaomi, among others, have already launched foldable phones. The biggest difference with these devices is the possibility of using a conventional-sized phone, which becomes more compact when folded in half.

Due to their unique features, most of these devices are sold at high prices. It is also important to note that there are still many complaints regarding the durability of foldable screens.

Motorola Razr 40 Ultra

THE Motorola Razr 40 Ultra was launched in the second half of 2023 and is one of the few foldable smartphones on the list that is available in stores in Brazil — including in Motorola’s official store. The phone was built with a 6.9-inch main screen and a 3.63-inch secondary screen.

The model also features wireless charging, tri-band Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.3, 5G, wireless charging, Android 14 system and much more.

• Screen: 6.9-inch Full HD+ HDR10+ main screen (165Hz refresh rate) and 3.63-inch pOLED secondary screen with 1056 x 1066 pixel resolution (144Hz refresh rate);
• Battery: 3,800 mAh;
• Processor: 3.2 GHz Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1;
• Connector: USB-C;
• Camera: 12 Mp (f/1.59) and 13 Mp (f/2.2) main lenses + 32 Mp (f/2.45) front camera;
• RAM: 8 GB;
• Storage: 256 GB;
• Colors: peach, vivid magenta and black;
• Price: from R$ 4,949.

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6

In July 2024, Samsung launched its new line of foldable phones: Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 the thinnest foldables from the South Korean company. The Z Flip 6 has a 6.7-inch main screen and a 3.4-inch secondary screen.

One of the big differences between the new devices is that they are powered by Galaxy AI, Samsung’s new artificial intelligence (AI). In addition, the Z Flip 6 is equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.3, wireless charging, 5G, Android 14 system with One UI 6.1.1 and more.

• Display: 6.7-inch Full HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X main display (120Hz refresh rate) and 3.4-inch Super AMOLED FlexWindow secondary display;
• Battery: 4,000 mAh;
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy;
• Connector: USB-C;
• Camera: 50 MP (f/1.8) main lens, 12 MP (f/1.8) ultrawide sensor and 10 MP telephoto lens, plus 10 MP (F/1.8) and 4 MP (f/2.2) front cameras;
• RAM: 12 GB;
• Storage: 256, 512 GB or 1 TB;
• Colors: gray, blue and black;
• Price: from R$ 7,199.

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6

Just like the Z Flip 6, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 stands out for its integration with Galaxy AI, but is considered the most powerful version of Samsung’s new line of foldables. The phone has a 7.6-inch main screen and a 6.3-inch secondary screen.

The device also features Wi-Fi 802.11, Bluetooth 5.3, wireless charging, Android 14 with One UI 6.1, and more.

• Display: 7.6-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED main display (up to 120Hz refresh rate) and 6.3-inch HD+ secondary display;
• Battery: 4,400 mAh;
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 Mobile Platform for Galaxy;
• Connector: USB-C;
• Camera: 50 MP (f/1.8) main sensor, 12 MP (f/2.2) ultrawide and 10 MP (f/2.4) telephoto, the front camera offers 10 MP (f/1.8) and 4 MP (f/2.2) lenses;
• RAM: 12 GB;
• Storage: 256, 512 GB or 1 TB;
• Colors: gray, blue and black;
• Price: from R$ 14,419.

Xiaomi Mix Fold 4

THE Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 It was launched in July 2024 to compete with other foldable models on the market. The device is equipped with a 7.98-inch main screen and a 6.56-inch secondary screen; according to Xiaomi, the device is durable and supports up to 500,000 folds.

The Mix Fold also features Wi-Fi 7, 5G, Bluetooth 5.4, wireless charging, Android 14 with HyperOS, and more. For now, it is only available in China.

• Screen: 7.98-inch 2K OLED main screen (120Hz refresh rate) and 6.56-inch OLED secondary screen (120Hz);
• Battery: 5,100 mAh;
• Processor: Snapdragon 8 Gen 3;
• Connector: USB-C;
• Camera: 50 MP main sensor, 50 MP telephoto lens, 10 MP periscope lens and 12 MP ultrawide lens, and 20 MP front camera;
• RAM: 12 GB or 16 GB RAM;
• Storage: 256, 512 GB or 1 TB;
• Colors: black, white and blue;
• Price: from ¥8,999 (about R$6,905 at the current exchange rate).

Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Google’s new smartphone, launched this Tuesday, comes with an 8-inch main screen and a 6.3-inch secondary screen. Check out other specifications of the device below, which has no official release date in Brazil.

• Screen: 8-inch Super Actua OLED internal screen (1-120Hz) and 6.3-inch Actua OLED external screen (60-120Hz);
• Battery: 4650 mAh;
• Processor: Google Tensor G4 and Titan M2 security coprocessor;
• Connector: USB-C;
• Camera: Triple rear camera: 48MP wide-angle; 10.5MP ultra-wide-angle with macro focus; 10.8MP 5x telephoto lens. 10MP dual PD front camera;
• RAM: 16 GB;
• Storage: 256 GB or 512 GB;
• Colors: Porcelain and Obsidian;
• Price: from US$ 1,799 (approximately R$ 9,800.00)