How does everyone here feel about foldable phones?

Previously on Lemmy:

Past Discussions:

Well, as promised, we are talking foldable this week. The excitement is palpable, and it looks like the rest of our mod team have already started the conversation here. Go check it out.

I honestly don’t know very much about foldable phones, so I’ll let the rest of our (very smart and knowledgeable) mod team handle this one this week. :)

Last thing for future reference at the end of the week, we also have a great thread discussing foldables here too, go check it out if you want more great discussions.

zerosignal,

I'm interested but am waiting to let the technology mature some more, and let the price come down.

001100010010, (edited )
@001100010010@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Never used a foldable phone. Looks cool, but too bad its not dust resistant and the curved display is very weak against scratches. A hinge in a phone just further shorten it’s lifespan. I wouldn’t use them until it’s not only water-resistant, but also dust proof, and the hinge better outlast the lifespan of the rest of the phone. Considering the high price and also comes with so much drawbacks, they aren’t for the average person. It’s a rich person’s toy.

jordanlund,

Foldable screens, to me, seem to be a recipe for disaster. Another point of failure.

Flip phones like from Star Trek are awesome though!

MargotRobbie,
@MargotRobbie@lemmy.world avatar

I really need to go watch Star Trek. Seems popular here.

Jarmer,

Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks. Both amazing! Especially SNW. Absolutely loving this season, I honestly want to go back and rewatch all the current eps as they release.

visak, (edited )

“His Delta is also a communicator. You just tap it.”

“But flipping it open is the best part.”

Jarmer,

Love it so much!!!

Holodeck_Moriarty,

I’m personally loving how much Trek is on Lemmy. There’s even a star trek based instance.

jordanlund,

Original Recipe is still the best...

https://youtu.be/l6wDG360HX4

Tippon,
@Tippon@lemmy.world avatar

A foldable flip phone would be much better than most of the book type foldables that seem to be the trend :)

Semi-Hemi-Demigod,
@Semi-Hemi-Demigod@kbin.social avatar

If it doesn't make a neat noise when I flip it open like a Star Trek communicator I'm not interested.

giantfloppycock,

I think it’s one of the dumbest new “features” I’ve seen on a phone since… I actually can’t remember anything worse right now.

GunnarRunnar,

Notch?

snarf,
@snarf@kbin.social avatar

deleted_by_author

    •
    essteeyou,

    I can’t remember the last time I had that specific use-case though. So maybe it is great for that, and for you, but editing photos on the go is not worth another $1000 on top of the $1000 I spend on a non-folding phone.

    snarf,
    @snarf@kbin.social avatar

    Maybe not worth it for you, and that's fine!

    AlmightySnoo,

    Just remembered one cool thing about the Nintendo DS. Thanks to its dual screens and the stylus there were lots of “games” that made it serve as an electronic Japanese dictionary and Kanji learning tool and many Japanese learners used it for that exact purpose (I bought mine just for Kirby Canvas Curse though 🙃):

    https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/6d114c0d-b467-4afb-a78b-05c08e188cb8.png

    There were also lots of games exploiting that setting and they offered unique gameplays that you couldn’t find on other hardware.

    What would be really cool is if we had a similar software offering on Android that exploits the foldable nature of those phones in a similar way to the Nintendo DS, that would definitely win me over.

    squaresinger,

    But, what would you need a foldable phone for that purpouse? You can do the same with a regular phone in portrait mode.

    AlmightySnoo,

    I’d say for the same reason you’d prefer a writing tablet on your lap or on your desk while the screen is in front of you, and it’d feel more like an electronic dictionary:

    https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/ac12873e-5c60-4f55-9c6b-6cb85a86e822.png

    sup,

    I am really interested in getting one, but I’m planning to hold off until the cameras improve and reach flagship levels. Right now, that’s the only drawback, and the price of course.

    tree1000,

    I really like the idea of of a flip smartphone, but I'm too careless with my phone to have a plastic screen instead of a glass one

    Fubar91,

    Just another possible point of failure with no real upside, beside the ability to slam it shut while on a call when angry like it is 2005 again.

    Cosmetically the screen creases would anoy me.

    Only use case I see valuable would be easier portability of larger screen formats. But I really never use a tablet to begin with.

    I’m sure the tech will go towards better curved displays like monitors,tvs, and VR headset optics. Which are some things i maybe interested in using.

    But at this point I feel it’s more gimmick than anything.

    MrJameGumb,
    @MrJameGumb@lemmy.world avatar

    I have not personally used a phone with a folding screen, but I work in customer service and I know our tech team has replaced a lot of them where the screen gets a crease in the middle or comes unlamented.

    Honestly though the foldables seem kind of pointless to me. It gives a slightly larger screen that’s really of no use unless your phone is the only thing you use to watch movies/game on. It’s really more of a status symbol than anything else.

    I’m sure someone will eventually come up with a more useful and innovative way of using foldable screen technology, but this is not it.

    Nutteman,
    @Nutteman@lemmy.world avatar

    Had a Z Fold 4 for a couple of months now and i dont ever want to go back. It feels great in the hand when closed and it is awesome to have a much larger screen available at any time. Crease isnt very noticable on it

    robotrash,

    Had one since launch, first foldable. Zero issues with the interior screen/crease. People need to remember you’ll hear about the issues, you won’t hear about people just enjoying their device normally.

    I disagree with people who say the inside screen is useless. For one, I use it to share pics with family because it’s easier for multiple people to view. I also use it for watching videos, it’s quite nice.

    I am also a remote sys admin. I use the inside screen for RDP/ssh sessions to remote machines for quick weekend maintenance. I will never go back.

    flipht,

    My husband has a zfold. Same feedback after a few months, but recently the screen has finally started having issues at the crease. He's extremely careful with it, so this is definitely a phone thing and not just a use thing.

    L3s,
    @L3s@lemmy.world avatar

    It’s probably something he’s already checked, but the screen protector ends up coming off inside the crease after a while. Have had to replace mine and my wife’s twice so far, but it’s an easy fix.

    flipht,

    Oh good to know. There's truly no telling if he checked that, so I will :p

    Mojojojo1993,

    Not interested in expensive gimmicks. How does it improve the experience? Now a phone that is a snap bracelet. Lives on my wrist. Sign me up.

    everythingsucks,

    Just make a snappable smartwatch band.

    Mojojojo1993,

    No. That’s not what I want nor need.

    Poob,

    They have much larger screens. I’m vision impaired, so any chance I get a larger screen I’ll take it.

    Mojojojo1993,

    that exists a laptop or tablet why make a huge phone

    Aosih,

    These are all different options on the sliding scale of portability vs usability/screen size. Folding phones lie between a slab phone and tablets on this scale. I’d say slab phones > folding phones > tablets > laptops > desktops etc… You also of course have further subdivisions such as the iPad mini vs the iPad.

    This is like the people saying, at the launch of the iPad, that tablets would fail because laptops exist.

    Mojojojo1993,

    Yup. I get that. Always a niche and people buy unnecessary products. I still don’t get tablets at all. Wouldn’t buy one. See no reason for their continued existence. I’m wrong. Like most things people baffle me.

    Tablet is a larger screen. That’s it. It’s an inferior laptop and inferior phone. Only use I could think of would again be game or watch films. However once again a tv fulfils that role by a country mile.

    Only reason would be as you said portability, however in that sense I’d expect most adults would require a laptop for work and so would be able to dual purpose that.

    If you didn’t have a laptop and had to travel frequently then tablet would be a cheaper alternative.

    frozen,

    How does it improve the experience

    On a Pixel Fold,

    • I can browse two social media apps.
    • I can play two idle games.
    • I can play a game and watch a stream.
    • I can play one game or use one app with a large screen.

    I actually use the inside screen much more than I thought I would. Is it worth it? Probably not, but goddamn is it fun.

    Mojojojo1993,

    You can use a laptop or a tablet. A big phone doesn’t bring anything new to the table. It’s just a sub category. Most people don’t need a tablet a laptop a phone and a large phone. Some might get something from it.

    Only situation I’d see would be watching on a larger screen and maybe gaming. However I’d never need that as I have a tv. So why would I use a small screen? I’m sure it’s fun but I can never see it as something worth dropping 2k on.

    Gaming laptop or a TV for gaming on. I wouldn’t play on my phone as it’s just a massive downgrade. But each to their own. Now a screen projected on my glasses. Sure.

    Why would you ever play two idle games ? Sounds like an awful thing to do.

    frozen,

    All valid points (especially about the idle games, I probably need psychological help, lmao), except that I can now do all of those things with a single device that fits in my pocket. Of course I’d prefer to play games on a monitor or TV, but I don’t have those on the go. Except maybe a laptop, but that’s much less portable than a phone.

    It’s not for everybody, that’s definitely true. But it works for me, much to my surprise.

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