OPINION: Compared to just 12 months ago, the foldable smartphone market is absolutely booming, and while there’s no sign of it slowing down, 2024 could be the year foldables transition from niche to mainstream.

The only foldable devices available in the Western market this time in 2022 were the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4, as well as the newly announced Motorola Razr (2022).

But fast forward 12 months and the market is flooded with new entries from new players in the foldable space such as the Oppo Find N2 Flip, Google Pixel Fold, Honor Magic Vs and OnePlus. OnePlus Open is the most complete foldable smartphone ever.

This comes as Samsung is launching the 2023 variants of its foldable devices, the Z Flip 5 and Z Fold 5, while Motorola is diversifying its foldable lineup with the premium Razr 40 Ultra and the more affordable Razr 40.

This is a roundabout way of saying that there are a lot more options on the market if you’re looking for a foldable product, and that should have a knock-on effect on pricing. While the OnePlus Open is still pricier than the most premium candy bar alternative at £1,599, it represents a price cut compared to Samsung and Google.

It’s both cheaper and vastly better than most alternatives currently on the market, fixing long-standing complaints with its book-style form factor. In terms of hardware, the foldable has a nearly indistinguishable curve to its inner display, custom camera hardware designed for foldables, and flagship performance from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, along with the fastest charging we’ve ever seen.

Not like that Only Even though the hardware is; OnePlus has moved closer to cracking the foldable software formula with OxygenOS 13.2; It has unique foldable features like Open Canvas and offers an impressive alternative to the standard split-screen multitasking we’ve seen from most manufacturers up to this point.

This isn’t the only promising option hitting the market either. Announced back at IFA 2023, but set to launch for the first quarter of 2024, the Honor Magic V2 looks like the pinnacle of foldable design, with its delightfully thin chassis measuring 4.4mm thick when unfolded and 9.9mm thick when folded. With its lightweight structure of 231 grams, it is the first book-style foldable device to enter the candy smartphone field.

This isn’t the only foldable set coming out in 2024, either; I fully expect updates to the Pixel Fold, Razr 40 Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5, and Z Flip 5 to happen in 2024 at least. And if the big breakthroughs in hardware we’re seeing from some manufacturers spread more evenly across the industry, we could be in for a great year in the foldable market.

This means the final hurdle for foldables to become mainstream is price; and things are starting to look positive on that front as well. The OnePlus Open launched at a price of £1599, making it £150 cheaper than the Z Fold 5 and £200 cheaper than the Pixel Fold, and although Honor hasn’t confirmed the exact price of the upcoming V2, it has said that it will be available at £1599. Should be compatible with £1399 Honor Magic Vs.

Granted, this will make book-style foldables more expensive than premium flagships like the £1,249 Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, but the gap is definitely starting to close. This has been further improved by UK operators’ wider adoption of foldable phones; This allows consumers to spread the huge upfront cost of the phone over 2 or 3 years.

There is a similar story on the clamshell facade; New budget options like the Razr 40 and the Oppo Find N2 Flip in 2023 are dropping the price to under £900 for foldable tech. We hope this trend continues in 2024; Combined with improved foldable hardware, it could make flip-style foldables a viable alternative to the most popular flagship smartphones.

The foldable space has all the ingredients for a delicious 2024, and I can’t wait to sink my teeth into it.