A Flip-Style Foldable Is the “Minimalist Phone” You’ll Actually Enjoy
Some people want a "minimalist" phone without all the distractions of a full-blown smartphone—until they use one. The problem is you're stuck with whichever essential apps the manufacturer chooses. That's why a flip phone with a small outside display might be the perfect compromise.
Choose Your Own Limitations
Just to be clear, I'm specifically talking about phones such as the Moto Razr 2025 and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. Unlike the bigger book-style foldables, like the OnePlus Open, these phones are essentially "normal-sized" phones when opened fully. But on the outside, you get a secondary screen that's about half the size. That's where the magic happens.
Minimalist phones are all about intentional limitations. However, not everyone wants to be limited in the same way. For some, it might mean literally only a messaging app and a phone app. However, for others, it could include a few niceties such as Spotify and Google Maps. The latter group is where I fall, and it's what has kept me from fully embracing minimalist phones.
A Smaller Screen, Not a Separate Phone
Moto Razr 2025 4-1Joe Fedewa / How-To Geek
While I was reviewing the Moto Razr 2025, I realized the outside Cover Screen is a limitation that works for me. Unlike dedicated minimalist phones, you're in control of which apps are available on the Cover Screen. Motorola makes you specifically enable each app individually. You can start with the bare basics and slowly add apps as you need them.
So, I was able to create my own custom "minimalist" phone on the Cover Screen. Only the apps that I personally considered essential. I don't have to give up Google Home, Spotify, or my friends' Discord server in the name of staying off Instagram and Reddit for a few days. My smartphone is still, well, smart.
But here's the thing: using an app on a small screen isn't super enjoyable. Even if you don't limit the app selection like me, it's not as easy to wander off onto Facebook if you just wanted to check the weather. The small screen helps you get in and out as quickly as possible, and that's ultimately what most people are looking for in minimalist phones—less screen time.
The best part of all of this is that the full smartphone experience is just a flip away. It's as if you have a minimalist phone taped to the back of a smartphone. You don't have to carry around two devices or swap SIMs when you want a distraction-free weekend. However, as I've learned, some self-discipline is needed. The full phone is right there at all times—you have to be able to avoid opening it.
