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Digital Trends
12 hours ago
- Digital Trends
What's the best flip phone design? I tested several to find out
Over the past five years, every list of the best folding phones has had a plethora of book-style ones, most of which follow the same form factor and overall design concept. There's a big smartphone-sized front display, and when you unfold it, you get a tablet-sized screen. The design of book-style folding phones has mostly reached its final form — until tri-folds become popular — but the opposite is true for clamshell-style flip phones. Here, every phone maker is trying to solve a key problem — how to make a smartphone smaller — with wildly different approaches to the Cover Display. Samsung is launching the Galaxy Z Flip 7 in two weeks, and it's expected to feature a fuller front display that's more akin to the Motorola Razr Ultra 2025. It's unclear whether Samsung will make it as easy as Motorola to run any app or widget on the front screen, or if the company will stick to its current approach of offering a curated experience. Recommended Videos Is this the flip phone's final form factor? Or should Samsung have stuck to its existing approach, or even followed the vast array of different front designs found in Asia? To dive deeper, I tested several different flip phones; here are the phones I tested, along with their unique approaches to the flip phone format. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6: the big smartwatch The Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to have a better front display than the Galaxy Z Flip 6, as the latter features a folder-style design and a 3.4-inch cover display that's smaller than the competition. In contrast, the new one will feature a full-screen display on the front, likely measuring 4 inches. Samsung Galaxy Flip 6 specs Dimensions 72x165x6.9mm (unfolded) 72x85x14.9mm (folded) Cover display 3.4in AMOLED, 720×748 Main display 6.7in AMOLED, 2640×1080, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 12MP (rear), 10MP (front) Battery 4000mAh, 25W Wired15W wireless Weight 187 grams This approach to the design has necessitated that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 Cover Display offers a far more curated experience. This means that you can't easily run any app on the front screen, unlike the competition. Instead, you must use the Good Lock app and its modules to achieve an inferior experience. Samsung has developed a range of impressive panels and experiences for the front screen, but this remains a walled-garden experience that's far less flexible than it could have been. The various panels are optimized for the folder-style design of the cover display, which has proven to be a unique and elegant solution for accommodating the cameras. However, it's no surprise that the Galaxy Z Flip 7 is expected to signal a shift in strategy. Samsung's approach to the Galaxy Z Flip 6's cover display is more akin to the lack of customization and flexibility offered by a smartwatch, rather than the compact, full-Android experience provided by its biggest competitor. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025: the mini phone The Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 — also known as the Razr 60 Ultra — is the third generation of Motorola's current flip phone design language, and arguably the current gold standard for flip phones. The first flip phone to be branded the Ultra experience, it offers almost everything you can need from a flip phone. Motorola Razr Ultra 2025 specs Dimensions 171.5 x 74 x 7.2 mm (unfolded) 88.1 x 74 x 15.7 mm (folded) Cover display 4in AMOLED, 1272×1080, AMOLED, 165Hz Main display 7-inch AMOLED, 2640×1080, 165Hz Cameras 50MP + 50MP (rear), 50MP (front) Battery 4700mAh, 68W Wired, 30W wireless Weight 199 grams We recently tested the smartphones with the best battery life, and the Razr 60 Ultra outperformed virtually every phone, including top models like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Key to the Razr 60 Ultra experience is Motorola's approach to the front screen, which is also the gold standard for functionality. Motorola was the first to switch from a small, curated front screen to the expansive displays we have today. Along with this, the company has a clear strategy: the front screen is a compact phone that's always in your pocket. It has all the specs you could want from a flagship screen, including a 165Hz refresh rate that's market-leading. The Razr Ultra 2025 is the gold standard for flip phones This means that the Razr Ultra and the rest of Motorola's flip phones, including the Razr 2025, allow you to use every feature on your phone. Whether it's changing quick settings, reading and responding to notifications, playing games, checking widgets, or accessing any app, you can do it all on a Razr. It's essentially the same concept as a book-style foldable, except it goes from big phone to little phone instead of big phone to tablet. There are naturally some pitfalls to this, namely in how to accommodate the cameras, but even here, Motorola has optimized the experience specifically for the Razr. If you'd rather not have the screen overlap — or the many times you need to access bottom menu items that are otherwise covered by the camera — you can enable a black bar at the bottom. The screen becomes smaller, but it is the mode I use the most. One key advantage of the Razr's approach is that the front screen is ideal for many features where a large display is not necessary. Scrolling Instagram allows you to see one post at a time. Navigating with Google Maps is ideally suited to the screen's aspect ratio. Setting alarms, quickly triaging notifications, and using the cover display as a camera viewfinder are all ideally suited to the Razr form factor. The Razr Ultra 2025 is the gold standard for flip phones for good reason. Huawei Pura X: the small tablet Samsung and Motorola have primarily focused on flip phones designed to make smartphones smaller. At the same time, competitors like Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei have taken alternative approaches designed to rethink the front screen concept. As it turns out, there are benefits to all of these. One of the most interesting phones I've used this year is the Huawei Pura X. Huawei was one of the first to launch a book-style folding phone in 2019, and since then, the company has also released the Mate XT with a triple-folding screen, and is working on a rolling phone. Huawei Pura X specs Dimensions 143.2 x 91.7 x 7.2 mm (unfolded) 91.7 x 74.3 x 15.1 mm (folded) Cover display 3.5in LTPO2 OLED, 980 x 980, 120Hz Main display 6.3in AMOLED, 1320 x 2120, 16:10, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 8MP + 40MP (rear), 10.7MP (front) Battery 4720 mAh, 66W wired, 40W wireless Weight 194 – 196 grams It's not just those folding phones, however, as the company also unveiled the Pura X, which is a unique take on the flip phone form factor. Instead of a big phone that folds into a smaller one, the Pura X is a compact phone that unfolds to reveal a compact tablet. The display's 16:10 aspect ratio is designed for watching movies and video content, which is traditionally shot and released in a 16:9 aspect ratio. The Pura X does have its challenges. It runs a highly optimized version of HarmonyOS, which is also used in everything from regular phones and laptops to cars and smart home products. The Square Cover Display offers a few shortcuts to key apps, but swiping up allows you to access the full phone, including all of your apps. Imagine a 7-inch tablet experience in half the size, and you have the Pura X front screen. One added benefit of Huawei's approach is that the camera is separated from the display. As a result, instead of the dual camera setup of most flip phones, the Huawei Pura X has a quad-camera setup that's one of the best of any flip phone. It's a great all-around phone, made possible by the design approach. Oppo Find N3 Flip: the vertical display The majority of flip phones have featured a horizontal front display; however, before the industry shifted towards the current all-screen-on-the-front design language, Oppo demonstrated what is possible with a vertical cover display on a flip phone. Oppo Find N3 Flip specs Dimensions 166.4 x 75.8 x 7.8 mm (unfolded) 85.5 x 75.8 x 16.5 mm (folded) Cover display 3.26in AMOLED, 382 x 720 Main display 6.8in AMOLED, 1080 x 2520, 21:9, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 32MP (2x zoom) + 48MP (rear), 32MP (front) Battery 4,300 mAh, 44W wired Weight 198 grams The Find N3 Flip is almost two years old, but it remains one of the few phones that tried a vertical screen approach. The decision was understandable, especially since the logic was that the cover display could be a small phone, which we naturally use in a vertical orientation. The Oppo Find N3 Flip features a 3.26-inch cover display, and Oppo has built an optimized software experience that is more useful than a smartwatch and less distracting than a normal phone. It's the ideal experience for those times when you urgently need to perform a task, and don't want to be sidetracked by an errant notification on your phone. One of the biggest benefits of the vertical screen approach is that while the screen is smaller, apps don't need to be optimized to run on it. Instead, the phone can scale down an existing app, and it works fairly well. The horizontal orientation on the Razr 60 Ultra screen crops the display so you have to scroll more, whereas the Find N3 Flip can show more on the screen, albeit with smaller text. Huawei Pocket 2: the pocketwatch From the same company that brought us the mini tablet flip phone comes the modern pocketwatch flip phone. The Huawei Pocket 2 is unique, as its front display is a small circle, essentially a contemporary take on the traditional pocket watch. Used for hundreds of years, the pocket watch is a staple when it comes to telling the time, and the Pocket 2 is designed primarily with this function in mind. There's a selection of curated widgets for the cover display, and it is also in use when making payments. Naturally, you can also use it as a very small viewfinder when taking a photo. Huawei Pocket 2 specs Dimensions 170 x 75.5 x 7.3 mm (unfolded) 87.8 x 75.5 x 15.3 mm (folded) Cover display 1.15-inch LTPO OLED, 340 x 340 Main display 6.94-inch LTPO OLED, 1136 x 2690, 120Hz Cameras 50MP + 8MP + 12MP + 2MP (rear), 10.7MP (front) Battery 4520 mAh., 66W wired, 40W wireless Weight 199 grams Talking of photos, what is the biggest benefit of sacrificing on the cover display? The first-ever quad camera setup in a flip phone, as well as 40W wireless charging for the first time. The Pocket 2 front display won't be for everyone, but it's a worthwhile sacrifice for the other features that are packed into the Pocket 2. The best of the rest Of course, other flip phone designs are worth mentioning, but the above five offer the best flip phone experience. If you want a flip phone that oozes luxury, there's a strong chance that you'll consider the vast array of unique Razr Ultra 2025 colors, especially the pink or red leather or the reclaimed wood. However, if you want something more luxurious, the Vivo X Flip is the answer. The reason for this is the textured vegan leather finish, which looks stunning, especially in the purple finish. Then there are older flip phones, such as the Razr 2023 and the Galaxy Z Flip 4. These feature a pager-like design with a small display strip across the front of the phone. These offer limited features, and even the base Razr 2025 now offers a large 3.5-inch display, as the previous design lacked the utility we've come to expect. With fewer companies focusing on the flip phone market, just as the book-style folding phone market is fiercely competitive, it's no surprise that we're starting to see flip phones mostly adopt the same overall design. As the Motorola Razr 60 Ultra shows, that's not necessarily a bad thing. There's a reason it's one of the best phones you can buy, whether it's folding or not.
Phone Arena
13-05-2025
- Business
- Phone Arena
Selling at hefty discount, the Razr+ (2024) is determined to fight for its crown
New Razrs have arrived in the ever-glamorous clamshell foldable town, with Motorola just smashing the competition with its Razr Ultra pre-order deal. However, if you don't want to splurge on Motorola's latest flagship foldable, we suggest you go for its former flagship foldable. Right now, the Razr+ (2024) is selling at a massive $200 discount at the official store, allowing you to score one for $799.99, instead of its usual price of about $1,000. On top of that, Motorola is offering an additional $100 trade-in discount on most phones. Plus, you'll get a free matching Razr strap case, which would normally set you back around $50. Trade-in Gift $699 99 $999 99 $300 off (30%) Motorola's current deal lets you get the Razr+ (2024) for $200 off its price. On top of that, you get a free strap case that matches your chosen colorway ($49.99 value). The official store has awesome trade-in bonuses, too, including a $100 discount on most phones. Don't miss out! Buy at Motorola It's worth noting that this isn't exactly a new deal. However, the phone still delivers incredible value, and we believe it's an even bigger bargain at its current it may not be the top-of-the-line Razr anymore, but its powerful Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 chipset and 12GB of RAM still allow it to deliver fast performance and tackle demanding tasks without a hitch. In addition, it packs a gorgeous 6.9-inch inner screen with a 2640 x 1080 resolution and HDR support, delivering pleasant visuals, while its 165Hz refresh rate ensures smooth scrolling and responsiveness. And if that's not enough, the display has a peak brightness of 3,000 nits, making it easy to see even on the sunniest days. While it isn't among the best camera phones, our friend here can still capture beautiful photos with vibrant colors thanks to its 50 MP main camera and 32 MP front snapper. And with a 4,000 mAh battery on board, it also offers more than a day and a half of power on a single charge with regular use. So, yeah! We may have a new top-of-the-line Razr smartphone, but the Razr+ (2024) is still a solid choice, especially at its current price on Don't wait—save on one while you can!
Associated Press
08-04-2025
- Health
- Associated Press
Toxic Takeout? Your Foam Food Containers Could Be Putting Your Health at Risk
WASHINGTON, April 08, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Oceana released a new report, 'Plastic Foam Needs 'To Go,'' revealing the dangers behind single-use plastic foam products like clamshell takeout food containers, cups, packing peanuts, and disposable coolers. According to the report, plastic foam, which is also called expanded polystyrene, compromises our health and our oceans. Plastic foam is made with hazardous chemicals, like its main building block styrene, which is toxic to the human nervous system. Styrene is linked to cancer and considered a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Styrene and other chemicals can easily leach into food and beverages at all temperatures, but hotter temperatures heighten the risk. Food and drinks containing high levels of fat also increase the leaching of styrene and other chemicals. This raises the question: are foam takeout containers and cups risking our health? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents avoid giving their children plastic products made of polystyrene, which includes plastic foam. Adding to the concern, tiny pieces of polystyrene microplastic have been found in our bodies, including the brain, blood, lungs, kidneys, and reproductive systems. 'The more you learn about foam, the more troubling it is. This is scary stuff!' said Christy Leavitt, Oceana's U.S. Plastics Campaign Director. 'Consumers should be alarmed, and government leaders should be urgently working to get rid of plastic foam. It's unsettling that a bite of food or sip of a drink could threaten our health, simply because it comes in plastic foam. The bottom line is food and beverages served in plastic foam come with added, hazardous ingredients you didn't order. The big question is: why is plastic foam still being sold and used for food and drinks when it's linked to cancer? The evidence is clear that plastic foam threatens our health and our oceans, and we need government leaders to quickly act to get rid of it and support reusable and refillable products.' Plastic foam is also one of the most common types of marine plastic pollution, and was one of the first types of plastic discovered in the ocean. Threatened and endangered sea turtles, protected marine mammals (including porpoise, elephant seals, and Stellar sea lions), shorebirds, and crabs have all eaten plastic foam. For example, off Florida's Atlantic coastline, scientists found threatened and endangered sea turtles ingested polystyrene and other plastics shortly after hatching, and half of those turtles died. In a range of studies, wildlife exposed to polystyrene microplastics in lab settings faced complications, including harmful impacts to reproduction, growth, movement, and health. Some other report highlights include: More than 8 million metric tons, or over 17 billion pounds, of plastic foam are produced globally every year; Plastic foam contains toxic chemicals and attracts pollutants from the water, putting wildlife and people at risk; Plastic foam fragments, cups, and plates are among the top 10 most littered items found across the U.S.; The production of plastic foam releases hazardous emissions into the air, threatening the health of nearby communities; Only 1% or less of plastic foam waste is recycled each year in the U.S. National polling released in 2025 found that 78% of registered U.S. voters support national policies to reduce single-use plastic foam. Government policies to reduce plastic foam products are gaining momentum at the state and local levels around the United States and in countries around the world. To date, 12 states have passed laws to reduce plastic foam, including California, Colorado, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia. More than 250 cities and counties have also passed restrictions on plastic foam. Phasing out the production and use of plastic foam is the most effective way to tackle plastic foam pollution — and the evidence shows that these policies are working. After Washington, D.C. passed a single-use plastic foam ban in 2014, the Anacostia River that runs through the city saw a 50% reduction in plastic foam pollution during the first year the law was implemented. After five years, foam pollution fell by 88%. Similarly, Maryland's Baltimore Inner Harbor saw an 80% reduction in foam pollution collected by 'Mr. Trash Wheel,' a giant trash interceptor, following a statewide single-use foam foodware ban passed in 2019. After Charleston, South Carolina banned foam takeout boxes in 2018, the city saw a 20% decrease in this type of trash during beach clean-ups the following year. Background Plastic has been found in every corner of the world and has turned up in drinking water, beer, salt, honey, and more. It's been found in the air we breathe and the water we drink and it's even showing up in our bodies, including blood, lungs, heart, and breast milk. Plastic poses environmental and public health threats at every stage from extraction and production to use and disposal. It's also one of the greatest contributors to climate change. In fact, if plastic were a country, it would be the fourth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world. With plastic production growing at a rapid rate, increased amounts of plastic can be expected to flood our blue planet with devastating consequences. A 2020 Oceana report revealed evidence of nearly 1,800 animals from 40 different species swallowing or becoming entangled in plastic in U.S. waters between 2009 and early 2020. Of those animals, a staggering 88% were from species listed as endangered or threatened with extinction under the Endangered Species Act. Less than 6% of plastic in the U.S. is recycled, yet the plastics industry continues to tout recycling as a panacea while pushing new plastic products onto the market. Companies need to dramatically reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastic, provide plastic-free choices, and develop systems that refill and reuse packaging and foodware. Elected officials must enact policies to ensure they do so. In February 2025, Oceana released the results of a nationwide poll revealing that an overwhelming majority of U.S. voters support policies that reduce single-use plastics. Overall, 81% of U.S. voters support reducing the amount of plastic that is produced. The national online poll, conducted for Oceana by the nonpartisan polling company Ipsos using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, surveyed 1,111 registered U.S. voters from December 13 to 15, 2024. Included among the key findings: To learn more about Oceana's campaign to stop plastic pollution, please visit Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. Oceana is rebuilding abundant and biodiverse oceans by winning science-based policies in countries that control one-quarter of the world's wild fish catch. With more than 325 victories that stop overfishing, habitat destruction, oil and plastic pollution, and the killing of threatened species like turtles, whales, and sharks, Oceana's campaigns are delivering results. A restored ocean means that 1 billion people can enjoy a healthy seafood meal every day, forever. Together, we can save the oceans and help feed the world. Visit to learn more.
