One year with a foldable phone: From innovation to irritation

Today, I write this on behalf of my wife—a recent convert to the foldable phone family who has looked over my shoulder in multiple reviews. She caught the end of 2022 OPPO Find N2 flip cover last year, but after less than twelve months of using the phone, people are starting to have second thoughts.

Okay, that might be a bit of an exaggeration; it’s more of a wobble than the display hanging on a hinge. It’s certainly not bad enough to try and argue a warranty claim. But that’s no comfort when you’re driven crazy by the “click” of the beat when your phone is on the navigation base. The sudden opening that was once reassuring and satisfying has been replaced by vulnerability and fear.

Worryingly, this premium clamshell is only about a year old and the hinges will only loosen in the coming months. I wouldn’t say she worked particularly hard on the phone during that time; it followed a pretty standard routine of being a sat nav at work, a video companion when wandering around the house, and asking me, always noncommittally, what I had for dinner. Opinion. Yes, it has the odd bump and scratch, but nothing out of the ordinary – the phone is otherwise in great condition. Sadly, there are growing doubts that the phone will be able to successfully complete its promised four years of operating system updates – and it’s almost worthless, even if it originally cost a little less than Samsung’s Flip. Annoyingly, this isn’t a potential issue you can spot when reviewing a phone, even after a few weeks of use.

Of course, even The best foldable phones The Find N2 Flip is nothing new, and the slightly older Find N2 Flip won’t be as sturdy as the improved models you can buy now. However, this isn’t OPPO’s first foray into the foldable space, as the company proudly claims that the display can be folded 400,000 times. Apparently, she doesn’t open her phone 1,000 times a day, so she’s far from that goal after just 12 months. Sadly, the hinge mechanism is clearly not as sturdy as that wonderful and nearly crease-free display, or at least not sturdy enough to survive a year with my wife.

This situation hasn’t unduly dampened my other half’s enthusiasm for flip phones; she still prefers the more compact, sleeker look and the nostalgic screen-off snaps of the ’00s. The camera isn’t bad either, and it generally makes the phone more interesting again. I asked her if she would choose a foldable again next time, and she hesitated for a moment before saying, “Yes, I would, but not if it doesn’t last $1,000.”

The fact that the device’s warranty is superficial at best doesn’t help matters like this, especially with these more refined form factors. Even for top brands like Samsung, a basic warranty of at least twelve months is still the standard in the US, but thankfully the minimum warranty in the UK and EU is two years. But I doubt you’re covered for this inconvenience; given that the hinge mechanism still technically works, I can imagine the manufacturer blaming this complaint on cosmetic damage or careless wear and tear. Even if you go for an expensive care package, it can be difficult to resolve such issues without paying extra again. Who wants to give away their phone less than a year after buying it?

Of course, my wife isn’t the only one facing foldable issues. Other complaints you’ll find online include dust in the hinges and broken display pixels in the creases on just about every foldable device on the market. Still, if you’re considering buying a flexible phone, don’t let this story put you off entirely. It’s just an experience that should be weighed wisely against the thousands of satisfied customers who trust the Flip to still work well. It’s more of a cautionary tale about adopting a more unique form factor, even if we might assume that all teething problems have now been ironed out. After all, more moving parts means more things that can go wrong, and foldable devices still aren’t as sturdy as classic tablets.

After all, my advice would be to try a more affordable foldable first to see if it can withstand the rigors of your life for a year or two. It may sound counterintuitive, since cheap often means poor quality, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on a solid foldable these days. Motorola Razr (2024) It offers a very compelling entry point at $700 and comes packed with new Moto AI features. That’s still not cheap by any means, but it’s significantly less than the $1,100 Samsung wants for its latest offering. Galaxy Z Flip 6. I know which one would give me more buyer’s remorse if there was a problem.