My most anticipated upcoming phone isn’t this year’s iPhone, it’s a Chinese flagship filled with one-of-a-kind features

I always liked the idea of ​​a foldable flip phone. Since the reveal of the original Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, I’ve been enticed by the prospect of having a second, small screen – almost like a smartwatch built right into your phone.

Being able to see the time at a glance without picking up your phone is very convenient, especially if, like me, you sit at a desk for hours a day and don’t want to constantly be searching for your phone.

When you’re on the move, quickly switching between music is also a breeze and a crowd-pleaser if you’re taking photos at a social event. Seriously, I’ve never seen some of my friends more excited than when they realized they could use the small screen like a mirror to take the perfect photo. Unfortunately, living with the Motorola Razr 40 Ultra for several weeks dashed all my rose-tinted hopes.

It’s not a bad phone, don’t get me wrong, but the clamshell design leads to a lot of unavoidable compromises. Battery life was pretty poor, especially compared to my daily driver Honor Magic 7 Pro at the time, as there’s only so much stuff you can cram into such a small form factor. The screen itself also looks like a disaster waiting to happen, with a fragile hinge that could come to a violent, crunching end thanks to a single wayward grain of sand.