Folding and flipping phones are getting seriously good - The Verge

What the report says

The Verge’s David Pierce used the July 25, 2026 edition of the publication’s “Installer” newsletter to spotlight a group of new consumer-tech and entertainment recommendations, with foldable and minimalist phones as the main thread. Pierce said he has not yet handled Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 8, but noted that early reactions from people who have suggest the wider foldable design may be closer to the right size and shape. He also said the device remains too expensive to be broadly competitive, while arguing that Samsung is making a stronger case for foldables.

The newsletter also highlighted Light’s newly announced Light Flip, a $299 minimalist flip phone that Pierce described as intended to help users leave their main smartphone behind at times rather than fully replace it. The device is not expected to ship until early next year, according to The Verge. Pierce included a homescreen feature with Light CEO and cofounder Kai Tang, who said he uses a Light Phone III with basic tools such as phone, alarm, weather, directions, music and a custom “Language” tool tied to a past pgLang collaboration.

Other items in the roundup included the $99 Xteink X4 Pro tiny e-reader, Merriam-Webster’s word game Tagline, Nintendo’s Splatoon Raiders, the Peak Design Field Bracket camera accessory, and the film Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. The broader significance is that The Verge framed foldables, compact e-readers and intentionally limited phones as increasingly polished alternatives within a phone market still dominated by conventional smartphones.