Are Fold Phones Really the Future of Mobile Gaming?

Folding phones are nothing new and if we go back to the mid-2000s there were foldable phones available on the market. However, these phones had a screen on one side of the device and the keypad on the other side. When opened, you had a small screen and below that was the keypad, touch screens were not available on that type of form. However, in 2022 we have new and exciting fold phones that could be the future of mobile gaming.

The original fold phone was made famous in television shows and movies, with 24 being a good example. However, they were limited and nothing like what we have available today. In 2019, we saw the release of the world’s first fully foldable phone. That means the phone is one large screen, like all the leading smartphones today but the screen folds completely to make the phone half the size when in your pocket or bag. Royole’s FlexPai was the first foldable phone to be commercially released and it was ahead of other leading brands, such as the Samsung Galaxy Fold.

The press surrounding the release of FlexPai was mostly negative and there was nothing to suggest it could be the future of mobile gaming. There were some issues with the phone involving the screen and the fact it could not fold entirely flat. There was a sizeable gap in the fold hinge but despite the negative press, there was plenty to like about the FlexPai and it was fantastic to see a genuine foldable phone in action.

So, the FlexPai was never going to lead the way in terms of mobile gaming but perhaps it served as the motivational tool for the bigger name mobile brands to produce a high-quality folding phone. 

At the time of writing, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is probably the best fold phone on the market. The screen on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 is made of flexible reinforced plastic and boasts a 7.6-inch panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. However, there are two screens on this phone and on the front, there is a smaller 6.2-inch display that can be used when the phone is closed. Powered by 12GB of RAM and the Snapdragon 888 5G SoC in addition to 512GB of storage, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3 has no problem running the latest mobile games. Whether you want to play Casumo online casino games or the popular multi-player online games, it is all possible with this foldable mobile phone.

In terms of gaming, the screens of the latest fold phones can outperform those of dedicated handheld gaming consoles, which is incredible. So, when considering if fold phones are really the future of mobile gaming, you have to say yes in terms of the display. The smoother frame rate and sharper display of the latest foldable mobile screens is superior to that of handheld consoles. As highlighted above, the power of the latest fold phones mean it can play even the most intensive games without an issue. 

Comparing the latest fold phones with standard smartphones and the increased display of the fold phones means the onscreen controls are better. For those who like to play competitive online games, this can lead to an advantage over someone playing on a smaller screen. 

The only negative of using a fold screen phone is that some games have not been designed to take advantage of the larger screen, meaning they do not look as good or there are frame rate issues. Nonetheless, there is plenty to like about fold phones and enough to suggest they could be the future of mobile gaming.