Afoldable smartphone (also called afoldable phone or simplyfoldable) is asmartphone with a foldingform factor. While folding designs have been used previously inclamshell or "flip phone" models, the term "foldable" now generally refers to a newer style featuringflexible displays. Some variants of the concept instead usemultipletouchscreen panels connected by a hinge.[1][2] Concepts for such devices date back as early asNokia's "Morph" concept in 2008[3] and a concept presented bySamsung Electronics in 2013,[4] which was part of a broader set of ideas using flexibleOLED displays.
The first commercially available folding smartphones withOLED displays began to appear in 2018.[5] Some devices fold on a vertical axis into a wider,tablet-like form while remaining usable in a smaller, folded state. The display may either wrap around to the back of the device when folded, as seen with theRoyole FlexPai andHuawei Mate X, or use abooklet-style design, where the larger, folded screen is located inside and a smaller screen on the cover allows interaction without opening the device, as with theSamsung Galaxy Fold series. Horizontally folding smartphones have also been produced, typically using a clamshell form factor.
The first generation of commercially released foldable smartphones faced concerns over durability and their high prices, and they were largely regarded as agimmick.[6][7][8][9] In 2023, only around 1% of worldwide smartphone ownership were foldable smartphones.[10] In recent years this has begun to significantly change though, with Samsung'sGalaxy Z Fold 7 more than doubling (≈+2.5x) theGalaxy Z Fold 6's sales, with growth in the foldable phone category currently on an exponential direction.[11]
In 2006,Polymer Vision showed a roll-able concept and a foldable smartphone, theReadius(zh), at theMobile World Congress (MWC) which also serves as a reader.[12][13][14]
In 2008,Nokia presented animated concepts of a flexible device it dubbed "Morph", which had atri-fold design that could be bended into various forms, such as a large unfolded device, afeature phone-sized unit, and asmart wristband. In a 2019 retrospective on the concept,CNET noted that Morph could be considered a forerunner to the first wave of commercially produced folding phones, as well as a showcase of future possibilities.[15]
In 2011,Kyocera released adual-touchscreenAndroid smartphone known as theEcho, which featured a pair of 3.5-inch touchscreens. When folded, the top screen continued to face the user while covering the secondary screen. Two individual apps could be shown on the displays, a single app could span across them, while specific apps also featured "optimized" two-pane layouts.[16][17] Two years later,NEC released the Medias W in Japan. Unlike the Echo, the secondary screen could be folded behind the phone. The camera rotated with the screen so that the same sensor could face both forward and rear[18] In 2017,ZTE released the Axon M with a similar hinge to the Medias W. ZTE stated that the more powerful hardware of modern smartphones, and improvements to multitasking and tablet support on Android, helped to improve this experience.[19]
The development of thin,flexibleOLED displays enabled the possibility for new designs and form factors. During itsConsumer Electronics Show keynote in 2013,Samsung presented several concepts—codenamed Youm - for smartphones incorporating flexible displays. One such concept was a smartphone that could fold outward into a single, uninterruptedtablet-sized display. The first Youm concept to make it to a production model was theGalaxy Note Edge—aphablet with a portion of the screen that sloped over the right-hand bezel.[20][21][22][23]
Speculation surrounding the development of folding phones using OLED displays began to emerge more rapidly in 2018. In January 2018, it was reported thatLG Electronics had obtained adesign patent for a folding smartphone.[24] Later in June, it was reported thatMicrosoft had been developing a similar device as part of itsSurface line, codenamed "Andromeda" (itself a spiritual successor to a dual-screen booklet tablet prototype Microsoft had been exploring in the late-2000s known asCourier),[25][26] while Samsung was also said to be developing such a device.[27]
In November 2018, the Chinese startupRoyole released the first commercially available foldable smartphone with an OLED display, theRoyole Flexpai. It featured a single 7.8-inch display that folds outwards, leaving the display exposed when folded.[28] Later that month at its developers' conference, Samsung officially teased a prototype of its folding smartphone, which would be produced "in the coming months". The prototype used a booklet-style layout, with an "InfinityFlex" display located on the inside of the device, and a smaller "cover" screen on the front of the device to allow access when the screen is closed.[29] At a concurrent developers' summit, Android VP of engineering Dave Burke stated that the next version of the platform would provide enhancements and guidance relevant to folding devices, leveraging existing features.[30]
In January 2019,Xiaomi CEO Lin Bin published a video onSina Weibo, featuring him demonstrating a prototype smartphone with two flaps capable of being folded inward.[31] Samsung officially unveiled theGalaxy Fold during its media event atMobile World Congress in February 2019.[32] Alongside the Galaxy Fold, the convention also saw other foldable phones being unveiled or teased, such as theHuawei Mate X,[33] andTCL presenting various prototype concepts featuring its "DragonHinge" technology (including a bracelet-styled device).[34] LG did not unveil a folding device, citing a desire to focus more on re-gaining market share in the smartphone market. It did, however, unveil a "Dual Screen" case accessory for itsLG V50 smartphone—a folio-styled case containing a secondary display panel inside.[35]
Other companies expressed interest in the concept, or have received patents on designs (such as hinge implementations and overall designs) relating to foldable phones.Motorola Mobility had received patents for a horizontal folding smartphone reminiscent ofclamshellfeature phones.[36][37][38]
In April 2019, the impending launch of the Galaxy Fold was met with quality concerns from critics, after widespread reports of review units experiencing varying forms of display failure (in some instances caused by accidental removal of a plastic layer meant to protect the screen in lieu of glass, along with other failures). Samsung indefinitely postponed the device's release, stating that it needed time to investigate the failures and improve the device's durability.[8][39]Huawei also delayed itsHuawei Mate X, with the company citing its desire to take a "cautious" approach due to theSamsung Galaxy Fold.[40][41]
In November 2019, Motorola unveiled its horizontal-foldingRazr—inspired by its formerRazr feature phone line released on 6 February 2020.[42][43] Samsung also announced a similar device known as theGalaxy Z Flip.[44]
Huawei announced the Mate Xs on 24 February 2020 as a hardware revision of the original Mate X; it was released in "global markets" outside China in March 2020. The device features a more durable display, improved hinge function and a redesigned cooling system, as well as the newer Kirin 990 5G SoC andAndroid 10 withEMUI 10.[45] Samsung later revealed theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 in September 2020.
On 25 February 2021, Huawei released theHuawei Mate X2.In March 2021,Xiaomi Technology announced theXiaomi Mi MIX Fold.In August 2021, theSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 andSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 were released.On 15 December 2021,OPPO announced the OPPO Find N.
On 11 April 2022,Vivo introduced theVivo X Fold. On 11 August 2022, Xiaomi released theXiaomi MIX Fold 2.TheSamsung Galaxy Z Fold 4 andSamsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 were announced at the August 2022 edition ofGalaxy Unpacked. The Galaxy Z Fold 4 was released on 25 August 2022, and the Galaxy Z Flip 4 was released on 26 August 2022.
Motorola Mobility launched the Moto Razr 2022 on 11 August 2022. It was only available to the Chinese market but there were speculations that it could become available to other world markets at a later date.[46][47][48] In June 2023, Motorola Mobility announced the new Razr (2023) and Razr+ (2023) to the U.S. market.[49][50]
TheHuawei Mate XT is the world's first double-folding, or tri-fold[51][52] foldable smartphone, released in September 2024.[53][54][55] The device can be used with a case that has a kickstand, and a foldable keyboard with a built in trackpad to provide a desktop PC-like experience.[56][57][58][59] On 1 December 2025, Samsung announced theirSamsung Galaxy Z TriFold, a tri-folding phone that was released on 12 December 2025, and will release to the US market on Q1 2026.[60]
In the early days of foldable smartphones they typically used flexible,plastic OLED displays rather than glass (such asCorning'sGorilla Glass product, which is used in the majority of mid and high-end smartphones). Plastic displays are naturally capable of sustaining the required bend radius for a foldable smartphone, but they are more susceptible to blemishes and scratches than traditional glass smartphone displays. Although Corning does produce a flexible glass product known as Willow Glass, the company states that its manufacturing process requires use of asalt solution—thus making it unsuitable for electronic displays because the salt can damage the transistors used in OLED panels (which are built directly on the panel). Nonetheless, the company stated in March 2019 that it was in the process of developing a flexible glass suitable for smartphones, which would be 1 mm (0.039 in) thick and have a 5 mm (0.20 in) bend radius.[61]
Samsung marketed its Galaxy Z Flip as featuring 30 μm (0.0012 in)-thick "ultra-thin glass" with a plastic layer similar to the Galaxy Fold, manufactured by Samsung with materials fromSchott AG, which is "produced using an intensifying process to enhance its flexibility and durability", and injected with a "special material up to an undisclosed depth to achieve a consistent hardness". Astress test by YouTube channelJerryRigEverything showed the screen was scratched when rubbed with a pick with aMohs rating of 2 (in comparison, most smartphones tested by the channel begin to experience scratches with 6 and 7-rated picks), placing its scratch durability in line with other folding phones. However,The Verge did note Samsung's statement that the device contained a protective polymer layer similar to that of the Galaxy Fold on top of the ultra thin glass.[7][62]
Since the introduction of ultra thin glass (UTG) substrate foldable displays by Samsung in early 2020 with the Galaxy Z Flip, they rapidly took over the foldable phone market, with almost every foldable device since using such a display instead of the prior plastic substrate OLED's. While scratch resistance is still lower than a traditional glass display due to the required protective plastic polymer layer on top of the 30 micron thick glass, it has steadily improved over time as these plastic polymer layers have become significantly stronger. The benefits of an UTG substrate display are a significant improvement in both display feel and physical consistency (being a flat, hard surface with no bumps, divots, or "mushiness" endemic to plastic displays), optical clarity, and improved strength to impact damage.
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