Compare Flip Phones
A flip phone is closed after use, and there are two ways to do this: a simple phone with buttons or a foldable phone with a screen that folds along with it. Below, both types are listed side by side, with prices from all providers compared independently. Click on a phone to see the models and current prices.
Which flip phone is right for you?
Whether you can install apps on it is the deciding factor: a flip phone with physical keys is designed for making calls and sending texts, while a foldable phone is a full-fledged smartphone that folds in half. That choice immediately determines the price range and which networks the device works on. Everything else is just a detail.
How do flip phones really differ?
- Keys or apps: you operate physical keys by feel and without looking; a touchscreen gives you WhatsApp, banking, and navigation
- Foldable screen or fixed screen: a foldable screen provides a large workspace in a device that fits in your pocket when folded; a fixed screen keeps the device simple and more affordable
- External screen: this ranges from a narrow strip showing the time and caller ID to a screen where you can reply to messages without unfolding the phone
- Network: flip phones with physical keys usually stick to 4G, foldable phones generally support 5G
- Price range: keypad models are at the lower end of this overview, foldable phones at the upper end, with little in between
Scratches on the main screen aren’t a deciding factor here: every device in this overview folds over its own screen, so it’s less prone to damage than a phone whose screen is always exposed. The real decision comes down to what you want to do with the device when it’s open.
Choose a flip phone with buttons if you mainly make calls and send texts, and want to go days without charging; also check out senior phones and dumb phones.
Choose a flip phone if you want a full-featured smartphone that takes up hardly any space when folded, and you’re willing to pay significantly more for it.
Choose a regular smartphone if the foldable design doesn’t offer you any benefits; for the same price, you’ll have more options among all smartphones.
What a flip phone offers, and what it costs
A flip phone needs to be opened before you can use it, and that’s both its advantage and its disadvantage.
What a flip phone offers
Many models have a setting that starts or ends a call as soon as you open or close the phone, so you never have to search for a button. When folded, the phone is about half as long and fits in a small pocket or bag, although it does become thicker.
What you sacrifice with a flip phone that has physical keys
Apps don’t run on it, so you can’t use WhatsApp, a banking app, or DigiD on it. Also, check whether the phone supports 4G calling, a feature called VoLTE: 3G has largely been phased out in the Netherlands, and 2G is being phased out as well, meaning a phone that only makes calls over those networks loses its most important function. Carriers determine whether VoLTE works on a specific device, so check the model on your own carrier’s list.
What you’ll be giving up with a foldable phone
The top layer of a foldable screen is softer than the glass on a regular phone and retains a visible crease down the middle. The hinge is a moving part and therefore an additional point of potential wear and tear, and the battery is often smaller than in a standard smartphone of the same class due to the space taken up by the hinge and screen.
Which brands make flip phones?
Among foldable phones, Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip is the most widely available in the Netherlands, followed by Motorola’s razr. Xiaomi, Oppo, and Huawei also make flip models with foldable screens, but not every model is available in the Netherlands; the models available here are listed in the overview above this text.
When it comes to keypad models, the main players are HMD (the maker of Nokia flip phones such as the Nokia 2660 Flip), Doro and emporia, as well as rugged exceptions like the Cat S22 Flip. Apple has not yet released a flip phone; you can follow rumors about an iPhone Flip on that product page, where you can also set up a release alert.
