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A book-style foldable phone is nearly twice as wide as a regular phone, and that makes more of a difference than you expect. Take a look at these apps, which really show what makes getting this type of foldable so worthwhile.
1Google Chrome
Even though I use Samsung Internet over Google Chrome, the latter is the world’s most popular web browser. Its foldable version is a big step up from what you’ve long seen on a regular phone.
Like other browsers such as Vivaldi and Samsung Internet, Chrome gains desktop-style tabs when opened on a larger screen. This makes it substantially easier to switch between multiple sites, expanding the kind of tasks you can do before you even feel the need to pull out a PC (if you ever feel compelled at all).
The larger screen also makes most websites readable, regardless of whether you’re viewing the desktop or mobile version of a site.
Download:Google Chrome(Free)
2Samsung Notes
Samsung Notes is plenty usable on a large phone like the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which comes with a built-in S Pen. Yet it feels much more like you’re holding a moleskin notebook on a foldable. You have a larger canvas to work with, which helps whether you’re making art, drawing an outline, or just writing notes.
Even while typing, the larger screen makes it feel like you’re working in a word processor that is more akin to Microsoft Word. The extra pixels also give you space to use Samsung Notes split screen with other apps. This way, you can take notes during a Zoom call or copy details from a website.
You can even shrink Samsung Notes down into a pop-up window while still having enough space to see most of another app. All these factors contribute towhy Samsung Notes is one of my most-used apps.
Download:Samsung Notes(Free)
3Obsidian
I use Samsung Notes to write things by hand and jot down quick reminders, but I turn to Obsidian when I need to type something more substantial. This is the app I’m using to write this article right now. It’s an excellent markdown-basednote-taking tool that goes toe-to-toe with Notion.
On a foldable, Obsidian has tabs just like a web browser. This helps me switch between documents quickly. I can write my draft in one tab while having my outline open in another. I can leave multiple assignments open so that I’m reminded of what I’m currently working on whenever I open the app.
I can swipe in side menus, navigate my file browser, and quickly jump back into what I’m doing since the text I’m working on never leaves the screen.
Download:Obsidian(Free)
4Moon+ Reader
Moon+ Reader is my favorite ebook reading app for Android, as it has all the formatting options I need. The interface doesn’t change when opened on a larger screen, but your books are larger. My Galaxy Z Fold’s screen is taller than it is wide, so it feels like I’m reading a page in a small paperback book. The screen is wider than a dedicated e-reader like a Nook or Kindle.
Moon+ Reader is also great for comics, which came as a surprise to me. I now save all of my digital comics as PDFs and scroll through them continuously like a web page. The panels connect together seamlessly, making this my new preferred way to read comics.
I’ve read comics before on a standard phone when something I wanted to read wasavailable from my local library through Hoopla. I wouldn’t call it pleasant. On a foldable, it is. Most comics are perfectly legible, and the screen size is absolutely perfect forone of the various manga apps on Android.
The downside? Moon+ Reader can only read books and comics that are free of DRM. I primarily buy books from companies and non-profits that don’t restrict their books, but sadly, this doesn’t include most of the largest publishers. On the flip side, you canremove DRM from ebooks using Calibre on your PC.
Download:Moon+ Reader(Free, premium version available)
5Samsung Gallery
Bigger screens make for larger photos. Showing someone a photo on your foldable feels much more like showing off images on a tablet. There’s less squinting involved, and you can see more details. I frankly enjoy sharing photography more with this device.
On my foldable’s inner screen, I can better gauge whether a photo is fit to publish without having to switch to a computer. I can work in an image editor and see enough details to know if it’s doing what I need.
The app interface may not differ all that much from what you get on a regular phone (and you cando quite a lot in Samsung Gallery), but the experience still feels different, for the better.
Download:Samsung Gallery(Free)
6Samsung Camera
It’s also more fun to take photos using a foldable phone. You can place a foldable on a table and fold the display, then walk away to take a timed selfie. You can take part in video calls without having to hold the device.
Foldables also don’t need high-quality selfie cameras since you may use the rear camera while still seeing yourself using the cover display.
Foldables may not yet offer the most high-end cameras, but the other perks may make up for that. I think the photos I get out of mine are gorgeous, and, for the first time, I actually enjoy taking selfies.
Download:Samsung Camera(Free)
7Google Maps
You probably won’t want to use the larger screen for turn-by-turn directions, but it’s great for browsing maps. You can see more of an area at once. You can tap on a location and pull up information while still seeing most of the map in the background.
This isn’t just true for Google Maps. I enjoy using PlugShare more to find EV chargers, and browsing homes on Zillow is also more pleasant. There’s a reason physical maps unfold to be as large as possible. The less you have to squint, the nicer a map is to use.
Download:Google Maps(Free)
8KeePassDX
I like using KeePass to manage passwords, so I don’t have to worry about database leaks or getting locked out of my account. It’s fine since I do virtually all of my computing from a single device. With Samsung DeX, my phone is my PC, and my passwords are always available.
Managing passwords on a foldable requires much less switching between screens than on a regular phone. You can open your password manager alongside another app in split-screen mode. This makes it painless to copy and paste passwords and quickly log into apps.
Download:KeePassDX(Free)
Book-style folding phones aren’t yet mainstream, but they’re getting there, bit by bit. Seeing them in stores or online is one thing, but using them is another. Mobile computing is easier when you have enough screen real estate to work with, and you don’t have to carry around the device in a bag.
