Archive · 25 Aug 2026
Are Flip Phones Losing Fashion To Book-Style Foldables?
Flip phones with bendable screens became popular again after the Motorola Razr returned in 2019.
Several companies made similar phones.
These included Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi.
Now, the article says Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 8 appears to be the main prominent flip phone still available.
Samsung’s cheaper Galaxy Z Flip FE also has not received a new version.
This may mean fewer companies want to make flip phones.
The article suggests that book-style foldable phones could be drawing attention away from them.
However, it asks whether flip phones are out of fashion rather than proving that they are.
The 2019 Motorola Razr helped revive clamshell-style foldable phones.
Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi once competed in the flip-phone segment.
The article says Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 8 now appears to be the only prominent flip-phone competitor.
Samsung’s lower-cost Galaxy Z Flip FE has reportedly not received a successor.
The decline of competing flip phones may indicate changing consumer interest, possibly toward book-style foldables.
- Who
- Motorola, Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are identified as manufacturers involved in the flip-phone segment.
- What
- The article examines whether clamshell-style flip phones are losing popularity as competing products disappear.
- When
- The modern revival began with the 2019 Motorola Razr; the article describes the current market as having fewer prominent competitors.
- Why
- The article suggests that book-style foldable phones could be contributing to the decline of flip-phone competition, but does not establish this as fact.
- Modern revival
- The 2019 Motorola Razr is described as the first flip phone with a foldable OLED display panel inside and as a catalyst for the modern revival.
- Former competitors
- Samsung, Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi are named as companies that competed in the segment.
- Current prominent model
- The article says Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 8 appears to be the only prominent flip phone still competing in the segment.
- Lower-cost model
- Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip FE is described as a cheaper flip phone that has not received a successor.
- Possible cause
- The article raises the possibility that book-style foldables are partly responsible for the fading competition.