Compare flip phones
A flip phone is folded shut after use, and this can be done in two ways: a simple handset with buttons or a foldable phone with a screen that folds with it. Below, both types are listed side by side, with prices from all providers compared independently. Click on a handset to view 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 a keypad is designed for making calls and sending texts, whilst a foldable phone is a fully-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, whilst a touchscreen gives you access to WhatsApp, online banking and navigation
- Foldable screen or fixed screen: a foldable screen provides a large workspace in a device that fits in your trouser pocket when folded; a fixed screen keeps the device simple and cheaper
- External screen: this ranges from a narrow strip showing the time and caller ID to a screen on which you can reply to messages without unfolding the phone
- Network: flip phones with physical keys usually remain on 4G, whilst foldable phones generally support 5G
- Price range: keypad models sit 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, meaning it’s less prone to damage than a phone whose screen is always exposed. The real choice comes down to what you want to do with the device when it’s open.
Choose a flip phone with keys if you mainly make calls and send messages, and want to go days without charging; also take a look at phones for older people and dumbphones.
Choose a flip phone if you want a fully-fledged smartphone that takes up hardly any space when folded, and you’re willing to pay considerably more for it.
Choose a standard smartphone if the foldable design offers you no benefits; for the same price, you’ll have more choice among all smartphones.
What a fold-out phone offers, and what it costs
A flip phone needs to be opened before you can use it, and that is both its advantage and its disadvantage.
What a flip phone offers
Many models have a setting where a call starts or ends 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 into a small pocket or bag, although this does make it thicker.
What you lose out on 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 handset can make calls over 4G – a feature known as VoLTE: 3G has largely been switched off in the Netherlands and 2G is being phased out, meaning a handset that only makes calls over those networks loses its most important function. Mobile network operators determine whether VoLTE works on a specific handset, so check the model against your own operator’s list.
What you’ll be missing out on with a foldable phone
The top layer of a foldable screen is softer than the glass on a standard 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?
When it comes to 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 produce 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 manufacturer of Nokia flip phones such as the Nokia 2660 Flip), Doro and emporia, as well as rugged exceptions such as the Cat S22 Flip. Apple has not yet released a flip phone; you can follow rumours about an iPhone Flip on that product page, where you can also set up a release alert.
