Have flip-style foldable phones fallen out of fashion? Based on research data and sales figures, most of you are no longer willing to buy one of these trendy flip phones, and phone makers, as a result, are unwilling to launch new models.
It was in 2019 when Motorola debuted the flip-style (clamshell) foldable form factor with the Razr reboot – featuring a foldable main display and a cover screen. Soon after, Samsung joined in on the fun with its Galaxy Z Flip, and the others followed. Oppo, Huawei, Honor, Vivo, Xiaomi, Tecno – you name it, and there will be a flip-style foldable at your disposal. Every popular brand made a flip phone at some point in time, and then suddenly, they didn’t. Today, the only flip-style foldables you can buy come from Samsung. Even Motorola hasn’t announced a Razr flip this year – they too moved on to a book-style foldable.
So, what went wrong with flip phones? Recent data from market research firm Counterpoint Research indicates that both consumers and manufacturers are moving away from flip phones to prioritise larger, productivity-centric “book-type” foldables.
According to Counterpoint’s ‘Foldable Smartphone Market Forecast Q1 2026’, book-type foldables are expected to reach 65 per cent to 76 per cent of total foldable shipments, up from 52 per cent. The same can’t be said for flip phones, as the market is gradually upgrading to these large book-style foldables.
Interesting data, but what could be the reason? Since the smartphone manufacturers are shy to speak on the trends, we decided to sit down with Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint Research, for an in-depth rundown of the shrinking market share of the flip phone form factor. Trust me, some of the insights are astonishing.
1. It’s all about screen. More screen
One of the major reasons behind the change in preferences is the real-world utility. While clamshell foldables initially drew the kind of people attracted to fashion and compact dressing, everyday practicality is a key area these phones aren’t great with, especially when compared to the book-style foldable phones.
“At one point in time, the sales of flip were higher than the full-sized book type. Now, things have reversed—almost 67 per cent of users prefer the book type as compared to flip,” explains Pathak.
“When the flip category started, there was a clear split in demography and lifestyle dressing. But over a period of time, users realised that technically, you are not getting extra real estate on the display. It’s the same phone just being folded, but you aren’t getting any additional display space on top of it,” he added.
Pathak also noted that while brands like Motorola have attempted to innovate with larger cover screens, the overall footprint of flip phones does not offer expanded screen space for modern workflows, task execution, or multi-app multitasking.
2. The compromises
Beyond display limits, the engineering required to build clamshell foldables forces OEMs and buyers to accept notable hardware compromises.
“You have to trade off a lot of things,” Pathak highlights. “First, you are paying more. But at the same time, there are trade-offs from the cameras because of the form factor, and trade-offs from the battery—because the battery needs to be split into two halves, which limits your capacity,” he adds.
The financial burden extends beyond the retail store. High repair costs for damaged foldable screens continue to weigh down the clamshell value proposition, especially when consumers realise they are paying a premium without gaining extra display area.
“There is also a big factor of repairs—if your phone cracks or something happens to the display, the cost to clear or repair it is largely higher,” Pathak says.
“So, while people still appreciate the freshness of a new form factor, the clear use case within foldables has shifted towards the larger book type,” he adds, pointing towards rising demand for big-screen foldable phones.
AI workflows have dampened the demand for foldables
The rise of Generative AI tools and complex multi-window apps has accelerated the demand for larger screens. Book-type foldables act as smartphone-tablet hybrids, giving users more canvas to track AI deliverables, run parallel tasks, and cross-reference information seamlessly.
As a result, major Android OEMs and panel suppliers are concentrating R&D and supply chain resources on in-fold, book-type designs that support higher memory configurations, larger battery capacities, and premium camera systems.
The Apple factor
Ever since rumours of an iPhone Fold broke out, phone manufacturers are now increasingly trying to produce something similar to what the leaks suggest – a wide-screen full-size foldable phone. Hence, spending extra on R&D for a form factor that the market’s biggest name isn’t interested in makes little to no sense. In fact, Samsung just showcased its take on a widescreen foldable phone with the Galaxy Z Fold 8, celebrating a new widescreen form factor.
Will flip phones die?
It’s difficult to consider the death of flip phones this early, considering how AI is quickly evolving to change the use cases of flip phones. Despite the limited options available now, flip-style foldables continue to exist as entry-level lifestyle or complementary offerings, targeting young buyers or those who want something fashionable, instead of those seeking productivity. They still continue to be fun. While the hardware evolution might have peaked on these phones, flip phones may still have a lot to offer.