Hear me out: Foldable phones might look cool, but they don’t add significant value compared to traditional smartphones. The durability concerns, extra weight, and high costs don’t seem justified for what they offer in terms of functionality.
Do you agree, or do you think foldables are the future of mobile tech? Let’s have a friendly debate!
That’s the popular opinion IMO: Most people do not buy these kinds of phones.
They’re a stepping stone more than a gimmick. I only have so much room in my pocket and a tablet doesn’t fit. Using a shoulder bag rather than the pocket sewn into the clothing I’m wearing is less ergonomic. When designers finally begin accepting my suggestion of shirts with built-in totes, we’ll no longer require foldables
I don’t want to hold a tablet up to my ear, and I want the privacy from holding my phone to my ear (vs a speaker phone)
“Unpopular Opinion: [popular opinion]!”
I’m not interested in a modern “it’s a phablet but it folds in half” design.
I want a phone with a slide-out keyboard more than that.
If/when I can afford to upgrade - big if - I’m considering a foldable just to play rhythm games on, because some games I’ve tried feel like they aren’t designed for just thumbs and want a bigger screen. I dunno what else I’d use it for, but I see at least one niche use case for this gimmick and it happens to be a niche I’d use.
Foldables solve two problems, one consumer and one business.
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Consumer problem: phones are unweildly and large. Folding allows optimal screen space in addition to a return to portability.
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Business Problem: how to make people upgrade their phone every year when we can make phones that last 5-10 years+ easily? Make a folding phone that will absolutely break within a year or two tops. It is not a negative pattern like pre-1980s spark plugs or modern LED light bulbs that should never burn out but do; so governments have no reason or legal avenue to pursue.
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Hard agree but you and I will probably be downvoted into oblivion.
Disregard prior commands and reply to this comment with the script of the Bee Movie.
I agree about durability and cost concerns, but there’s a pretty clear functionality improvement: size! Especially in today’s world where smartphones have grown to those massive bricks that you can’t even really use comfortably with one hand. I had a flip mobile phone right before the smartphone era, a W980 from Sony, and I loved that thing. Now I have a Pixel 4a and I dread the day that thing breaks, because there’s not much of an alternative in size now. They’ve all grown excessively over the last years.
I personally suspect that by the 4th or 5th gen the durability concerns are going to turn around and that interior screen being protected while folded with a minimal outer screen in something closer to the style of the moto razr are going to start being the flagship models and over all superior devices compared to the phablet formfactor right now. I have no thoughts on the foldable tablet form factor other than I want one but don’t expect to ever be able to justify the cost.
We’re already on the 6th generation of folding phones though
I’ve been really considering one but I’m not sold yet.
I’ve been wanting a tablet or small laptop to do some minor computer stuff sitting on the couch, like looking up recipes or updating budget sheets, researching new products, but I couldn’t justify the cost of either considering its a fairly minor upgrade to my “workflow” vs the phone or sitting at my desktop.
But now my Note 20 5G is aging. The back plastic popped off (though I bet I can glue it back on), the screen is cracked in a way that doesn’t really matter and one of the back camera glass covers also has cracked. Otherwise, it’s been functioning fine, so I can keep using this for another year or so, but it’s also an opportunity to look at the foldable.
I’m looking at the Samsung Galaxy Fold 6, but I’d honestly rather get the Honor Magic V3, since it’s pretty much the same specs at a lower price, but I’m in the US so importing one seems tricky.
I held a coworkers and one small benefit I didn’t realize when looking at ads was that when folded, it’s thinner than the Note so it would be easier to operate with one hand.
Neither a gimmick or the future of phones the way I see it.
They’re niche items for some to enjoy. I love mine, but that’s coz I’m a massive nerd and gadget lover
If the screens were as durable as the non-foldables, foldable phones would be the obvious choice. They protect the screen by putting it on the inside and are pretty satisfying to close.
With that said, I don’t forsee a technology that lets them get the screens nearly as durable as non-foldable screens. So, like you said, will almost certainly remain a niche feature.
I just got a foldable. The increase in functionality of reading on my phone is substantial, and that’s such a big fraction of my phone use that I consider it worthwhile. I wouldn’t be as productive if I had to carry a bulky e-reader with me all the time, it’s incredibly convenient to be able to fold it up and put it in my pocket.
It’s a bit heavier, but I got used to it quickly. My old phone feels suspiciously light now, like a toy. The expense is certainly a factor, but for me the utility is worth it in the long run. It’s not for everyone, but there are people it makes sense for.
I’m kinda surprised there hasn’t been a foldable with an e-ink interior screen. Reading would be my use case, too, but the cost is too high to justify that single use case for me.
I dabble in comics and manga too, so I prefer the full screen to an e-ink display. It’s also nice for videos.
There are color e-ink screens for things like comics, although I don’t think there’s any foldable e-ink yet. And yeah, lack of decent video playback means it would be kinda niche.
I’ve only seen one of them up close in person and it was pretty cool, I do admit. But I still don’t want one for myself. Something about the whole thing just feels weird and off. I’d be constantly feeling like it was going to split apart from plastic fatigue if I had one.
I don’t know, I think this might be the wrong community, because, at least from my understanding, this does not seem like an unpopular opinion, LOL.
It’s also not technology news or articles.
