Whether you are looking to save money, reduce distractions, or simply are indulging a bit of nostalgia, it seems that flip mobiles are catching back on in 2022.
And manufacturers have noticed as well…
This means that if you’re looking to sport a flip mobile, you’re no longer left looking for used mobiles on eBay or dealing with cheap-feeling, budget-friendly prepaids.
In this roundup, we’re going to take a look at the best flip mobiles of 2022.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3
Best Modern Flip for Productivity, Best Flip Phone for Students, Largest Flip Phone Screen
The Samsung Galaxy Z Fold3 brings flip phones into the modern era. While Samsung's tried with previous models, there was always some nagging issue reviewers found that made the phones a questionable purchase. The Fold3 solves most concerns reviewers had while offering a design that folds more like a small book than a clamshell. This makes it ideal for notetaking, reading, and other media-related tasks. If you're a student looking for an excellent learning companion, a professional on the go, or simply want one of the largest screens available on a mobile phone, the Fold3 has you covered. Just know you'll likely need to spend more for an S Pen to unlock the phone's full productivity potential.
What's good
- S-pen support
- Water-resistant
- Unsurpassed multi-tasking
What's bad
- Still expensive
- Bulky
- Lackluster camera
- S-pen not included
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3
Best Compact Modern Flip Phone, Best Smart Flip Phone for Most Users
Samsung's latest phone release offers a modern take on the flip phone experience. It's addressed most of the shortcomings of previous releases, but the battery and camera life left reviewers wanting. Overall, the price is likely to be the biggest factor for many buyers.
What's good
- A modern flip phone
- Water-resistant
- Same price as other high-end smartphones
- Bigger cover display
What's bad
- Disappointing camera
- Slow charging
- Poor battery life
Motorola Razr (2020)
Runner-up Smart Flip Phone Pick
The Razr was one of the classic names in flip phones of yesteryear. While we're not sure their modern take on smart flip phones will have quite the same staying power, it's a solid enough flip phone for those who don't require top-tier performance or the absolute best display technology available. If you're looking to avoid Samsung's Flip or Fold phones, the Razr is a solid runner-up option.
Doro 6880
Best Basic Flip Mobile
The Doro 6880 is a simple, dependable option that won't break the bank. Its camera won't win awards and the screen is less than ideal for emails or web browsing, but it offers everything you need to keep in touch with a battery that will last for days and a headphone jack for anyone who prefers to use a headset to talk. There's also a display on the upper lid to help make it easy to keep up with notifications or screen calls.
Doro 6820
Best Basic Budget Flip Mobile
The Doro 6820 is an even simpler version of the phone listed above—shedding the notification screen and a few pounds off the price. However, if all you need is the ability to make and receive calls or send the occasional text, it will do so without compromising quality.
TTsims TT140
Best Ultra-Affordable Flip Mobile, Best Burner Flip Mobile
The TTsims Flip TT140 offers a ton of value for the price. Sure, its not a stunner in the design department and the screen is so-so, but at the price, it's nearly disposable.
Why Choose a Flip Mobile?
Sure, smart mobiles have changed the world forever.
But does that mean the classic designs and limited features of older mobile technologies are completely useless?
We don't think so.
In fact, we'd argue that flip mobiles (and their less bendy basic mobile siblings) have several unique benefits you won't find on a smart mobile.
If you're on the fence about choosing a flip mobile, consider these 7 perks:
1. Battery Life
Some flip mobile smight lack a few of the features of a smart mobile, but they also lack a big HD display, a high-speed data connection constantly streaming in notifications and updates, and an endless array of internal sensors gathering information about your mobile and how you use it.
This means that whether your mobile is on standby in your pocket or bag or you're talking all day with friends and family, there's a good chance that your flip mobile will last days if not weeks on a single charge.
We'd like to see the latest top-tier Samsung or Apple phone pull that one off!
2. Price
While the flip mobile prices vary depending on the model you choose, nearly every option on the market today comes in well below the price of even the cheapest mid-tier smart mobile.
Of course, as smart flip mobiles continue to evolve, that will change a bit. But if you're looking for a basic mobile with a flip design, there's always an option out there for 1/10th of the price of the latest top-tier smart mobiles.
Better still, most won't require lengthy contracts or financing agreements since you can probably afford to pay for them upfront.
3. Tactile Convenience
While touchscreens are great for reading, watching video, or using your mobile like a computer, we'd argue that they're not that great for using your mobile as a mobile.
Physical dial pads, the ability to flip your mobile open to answer a call, and flip it closed again to end a call, and other tactile ways of interacting with your mobile simplify the process of using the mobile.
4. Durability
Ask anyone you know old enough to have used the classic Nokia candybar mobiles of the 90s and 00s about how much they abused their mobiles.
Now think about how many smart mobiles you've replaced due to a shattered screen or had to gingerly handle due to a cracked backplate with sharp edges.
By design, flip mobiles and basic mobiles are simply more durable than smart mobiles. There is less to break, fewer delicate materials, and less weight when they come crashing down to the concrete.
Of course, if you're looking for something to withstand the elements, a dunk in the pool, or more rigorous abuse, you'll still want to look at ruggedized options. But for the typical perils of life on the go, a flip mobile will survive things a smart mobile won't.
5. Fewer Distractions
Think about the number of people you see walking down the street mindless staring at their mobiles. There's even a good chance you've committed some embarrassing blunder in public because you were peeking at your mobile.
I know I have...
Flip mobiles reduce the potential of this happening by getting rid of that endless stream of notifications, social media posts, and attention-grabbing content. You can still keep up with all those things on your tablet or laptop. But when you're out and about, your mobile allows you to stay more in the moment and less in the digital world.
6. Portability
Even the smaller smart mobiles today tend to sport 5+ inch displays. Some of the larger mobiles could be described as small tablets without much argument.
This means that slipping your mobile in your pocket, holding it in your hand, and otherwise interacting with it is often something you always have to be very mindful of unless you want a smashed paperweight you paid hundreds of dollars for.
Flip mobiles, on the other hand, will fit in the pocket of about any pair of jeans, hide easily in the palm of your hand, a weigh next to nothing while you're using it. Even better, they're designed for one-handed use.
7. Privacy & Security
This benefit has a few facets. At the most basic level, if you're hammering out a text you don't want others seeing, the smaller display on a flip mobile makes it much harder for people to snoop over your shoulder.
But at a software level, flip mobiles are much simpler than their smart mobile counterparts. This means that they're inherently less prone to security concerns. There are also fewer sensors, apps, and services reporting in on your every move and how you use your mobile.
This means that your mobile is a communications tool again instead of a spy feeding marketers a bunch of information about you. It also provides malicious people fewer opportunities to compromise your mobile or steal your information.
How We Picked
The picks in this buyer's guide are what we think are the best flip mobiles for most people.
We selected these models based on analysis of expert reviews from around the web, user feedback on sites like Amazon, forum comments on our site, social media discussions, and more.
We compared the things most people consider when purchasing a basic mobile.
In short, we did the research — so you don’t have to.
When answering the question, “What’s the best flip mobile for the average user?”, we considered the following primary criteria:
A Strong Battery
A mobile is only useful if it has a charge. While standby battery life is often better on basic mobiles, we wanted to make sure that you could get through a day or two without hunting for a charge.
Basic Features
Calling, texting, and picture messages felt like a great baseline for standard mobile use. This also means that unless noted in the description, these picks won’t sit and vibrate or chime all day and distract you.
Easy to Find
While you can buy a smart mobile just about anywhere these days, basic mobiles are getting harder to come by. For that reason, we chose picks that you can easily pick up online or that you might find at a local network store.
Solid Reviews
Let’s face it, most basic mobiles sit at the bottom end of the price scale. And when prices get that low, quality can get sketchy. We scoured online reviews for each of our picks to be sure that you won’t find weak hinges, dim screens, tinny speakers, or other surprises.