Smartphones

Oops! I was wrong about foldable phones

They’re here to stay in the years to come

Illustration by Migs Buera

Published

July 12, 2021

MJ Jucutan

When the first foldable phone came out, the words I blurted out of my mouth were “Who the F needs that?” At the time, no one really needed it. It was a showcase of what the future might hold; a glimpse of where we’re headed.

For someone whose work requires him to be appreciative of technology, I wasn’t particularly receptive to change. Inherently, I believe that necessity is the mother of the invention which is why I was hesitant about the whole foldable concept — and even called it a fad. Smartphones are doing fine, why change what’s not broken, right?

Yes, my thoughts are the same about the flip phones that resemble the phones of the distant past. An ex-lover and I were jokingly discussing how impractical these phones are, despite working in the electronics and technology industry.

But the same thing cannot be said to the most recent foldable phones anymore, especially in 2021. There’s a certain allure with the Galaxy Z Fold2 that you can only experience when you use it. And the same goes with the Huawei Mate X2 when Michael Josh decided to play around with it. And I couldn’t agree more.

Using the Galaxy Z Fold2 for quite a while now made me realize how it fills the gap in the smartphone industry, and how they can help keep the technology industry from pressing forward.

Not the usual smartphone, not yet a tablet

By now, you probably know this foldable’s form factor. So I don’t need to go into the technical details and let me speak from experience.

The first time I got my hands on the Galaxy Z Fold2, I was afraid. It felt like a delicate flower that evokes grandeur and beauty. When folded, it’s nearly the size of average smartphones that you’re familiar with. It’s just thicker to hold and quite slippery that you might want to strengthen your grip to be on the safe side.

Opening it requires a gentler approach, but this is where the magic begins. The Galaxy Z Fold2 offered a bigger screen that I can hold for a longer time, which a tablet can’t even provide. It gave me the ability to work elsewhere without carrying my laptop all the damn time.

Though you can’t do heavy work in it, I was able to keep my social platforms running and I was able to hop on a meeting, check my designers’ works, and coordinate with my team — even if I was outdoors eating at an al fresco restaurant.

It’s also a head-turning accessory, seeing how foldables are unique to the average consumer’s eyes. And honestly, I liked the attention I got from it.

Okay, enough with its allure. Let’s talk about what my issues were and how it’s relevant to the future of smartphones.

Pushing the boundaries of what a smartphone should be

One of the issues most tech reviewers had with the foldable phones is the creases that, frankly, make or break an experience. I can live with it, but not a lot of people can (probably). But my issue was how most apps aren’t optimized for a foldable phone, yet.

This is why depending on how it pans out, foldable phones can turn the wheels again and make the whole industry move forward. Smartphones are getting boring and obsolete.

When every smartphone manufacturer releases a smartphone every damn three months, we get bored seeing how all of them look similar or offer a minor reiteration of the common slab devices. Remove their brand and coating, and they all look the same.

Companies have nearly perfected the design and experience of flagship smartphones. Midrange and budget phones, on the other hand, need a little bit more refining.

Other companies like LG — whose mobile division already shut down — started working on different form factors like the LG Wing. And we love it. Even ASUS made the whole Zenfone 8 an engineering solution, packing heavy features in a compact smartphone by shrinking some of its components.

Although frankly, we can all agree and settle with foldable phones as the next form factor. It’s starting to make sense, at least when you get your hands on it. With Samsung and Huawei leading the race on foldables, it’s certainly a phone war we’d love to watch from beginning to end.

The next standard of premium phones… or the future of smartphones?

If more people adopt foldable phones, smartphone manufacturers will be forced to step up their game and go where the demand is. Except, foldable phones still aren’t made for general use.

It still is a phone for those who have the money to burn, who want to be on the cutting-edge of technology, and those who need a device that fills the gap between a smartphone and a tablet to augment their lifestyle.

But whatever the future has in store for us, I’m certain that foldable phones — if done right — can be the next standard of what makes a phone premium. That, or it could be the next generation of our smartphones. Nonetheless, my mind has changed thanks to the Galaxy Z Fold2. And now, I’m excited to step into the future.

Related Topics:ASUS ASUS Zenfone 8 Galaxy Z Fold2 Huawei Huawei Mate X2 LG LG Wing Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 specials

News

OPPO Find X9 now available through Smart Postpaid, Infinity

OPPO’s latest flagship has triple Hasselblad cameras, more advanced features

Published

December 6, 2025

GadgetMatch

The flagship OPPO Find X9 is now available through Smart Postpaid and Smart Infinity plans for customers in the Philippines.

Subscribers can get the device through Smart Postpaid Plans+ 1999 and Smart Infinity Device Plans 5000/8000.

Here are the inclusions:

Smart Postpaid Plans+ 1999 (PhP 32,500 one-time cashout)

15GB data
Unli 5G data for 12 months
Unli AllNet Calls & Texts
Unli Landline Calls
Access to Smart Postpaid Perks
Extra 30GB free data for 6 months
Free Landers Premium Membership (for eligible subscribers)
PhP 1,000 worth of shopping GCs (Dec. 6 to 12 only for new line)

Infinity Device Plan 5000 (PhP 7,200 one-time cashout)

Unlimited data
Unli calls and texts
PhP 1,500 monthly consumables for in-app purchases, content subscriptions, more
1GB roaming for 5 days/month
Personalized assistance
24/7 dedicated personal account manager
More exclusive lifestyle perks and privileges

Infinity Device Plan 8000 (device is complimentary)

Unli data, calls, and texts
PhP 3,000 monthly consumables
2GB roaming for 7 days/month
Personalized assistance
24/7 dedicated personal account manager
More exclusive lifestyle perks and privileges

As an exclusive launch offer, in-store subscribers will also receive a complimentary DJI Osmo Mobile SE stabilizer.

The Smart website also shows that the Find X9 is bundled with a free Enco Buds3 Pro.

Flagship find

The OPPO Find X9 features a triple Hasselblad camera system powered by OPPO’s all-new LUMO Image Engine.

It has three 50MP cameras at the back — one rear, one telephoto, and one ultra-wide — as well as a 32MP front camera.

OPPO’s latest flagship handset is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 9500 processor. It has a 16GB+512GB configuration and a massive 7,025mAh battery with 80W SUPERVOOC and 50W AIRVOOC charging.

In front is a 6.59-inch 120Hz AMOLED display with a remarkable 95.4% screen-to-body ratio, 1,800 nits HBM brightness, 100% DCI-P3, and 460ppi pixel density.

News

iPhone Air has the worst resale value for Apple in years, report says

One variant has reportedly lost 47.7 percent in value.

Published

December 5, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

An iPhone is not an easy purchase to make. After you spend your hard-earned cash on one, you’re also likely thinking about how much you can resell the phone for. Still, even if it’s used, an iPhone can still fetch a decent price… unless, apparently, if you own an iPhone Air.

The iPhone Air is the latest non-typical addition to Apple’s iconic flagships. Compared to the mainline series, the Air is much thinner but still capable of delivering the Apple experience. Unfortunately, the model might end up being the brand’s biggest misfire.

According to SellCell (via GSM Arena), the iPhone Air has had the worst depreciation in value after ten weeks. Averaging all three variants, the model now averages a 44.3 percent loss of value in the resale market. Worst of all is the 1TB variant which has lost 47.7 percent of its resale value already.

In comparison, the entire iPhone 17 lineup averages a loss of only 34.6 percent. The iPhone 17 Pro Max 256GB variant, in fact, only lost 26.1 percent.

Based on the report’s findings, the iPhone Air’s sudden drop is the worst one since 2022. This is unlikely to be a nitpicked chart, too. Previous reports have speculated that Apple is not bringing back the Air next year because of poor sales.

News

Infinix partners with Ferrari designer for NOTE 60 Ultra

Published

December 4, 2025

Luigi Leonardo

Smartphones always do well when they ink a partnership with a car-related brand. Remember how amazing it always looks when Porsche or BMW get involved with anything in the smartphone space. Today, Pininfarina is the next automative-adjacent brand to enter the smartphone space via Infinix.

Though you might not recognize the name “Pininfarina,” you will undoubtedly know all the big names they’re associated with. The Italian design firm is behind the designs of iconic Italian luxury cars like the Ferrari Testarossa and the Alfa Romeo Spider. Now, it’s coming to a smartphone.

Infinix, to be exact. Today, Infinix announced that it is partnering with Pininfarina for the Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra.

The brand has been on the rise lately, especially in Southeast Asia. According to IDC, the brand recently topped the quarter-on-quarter shipment increase in the region. The brand seesaws between offering affordable smartphone experiences to premium daily drivers. The NOTE 60 Ultra will be latest to join this thriving lineup.

Unfortunately, Infinix has not announced what the upcoming smartphone will look like. Pininfarina will, at least, add a nice veneer of luxury to the phone’s design.

The brand has confirmed, however, that the phone is launching in 2026. More details, including features and availability, will be released in the coming weeks.