Google Plans to Launch $1,700 Foldable Smartphone in June

izzle22 said:
I have no use for a foldable phone and see it only adding another something to go wrong or break. In the current form factor as others have said they are still way to thick and bulky. Making them thinner would only decrease their durability I would think. All that said I'm sure there are plenty of people who would want or need such a devise. Just Just not for me.

Now...If they made a foldable iPad that could be say 8" normally and unfold to 16" I may go for that!
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I recently went overseas on a study trip and one of my friends was using a galaxy fold (not sure which model). The screen is great for viewing photos and reading pdf documents and it was neat being able to use the outside display and rear camera for better-looking selfies.

Oddly enough, just as I was ready to start singing its praises, it would start getting black screen issues right after we returned from the trip, and getting it replaced was extremely costly. She's now using an older S21 phone while she contemplates if she could get another phone.

So well, that's that. 😛
 
Dark_Omen said:
My personal experience. We rarely sell the Folds and Flips, yet, they're the phone I see customers come in with the most insurance claims/inquires because the screen broke.

We probably sell 1 of these flips and folds for every 50 iPhone and yet, the fold and flip replacements are 60% of our customer's insurance claims.
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While I'm not contesting your stats, I wonder if those Flip/Fold owners had screen protectors or cases on. The selection of protection for foldables is pretty limited and I literally tried 6-7 cases before finding one I liked, and that amounted to all the available case designs. Also, are the majority of the claims you see for the earlier generations of the Filp/Fold? I skipped the first three generations of the Fold until I felt Samsung got it right with design, durability/reliability, and functionality with the Fold 4.

The market is also flush with easier alternatives to repairing iPhone displays, with even DIY options. On a new design like a Flip/Fold, there are not a lot of places you can go to repair a cracked display so that can factor into more claims because that's the main or only option.

In a folded state I don't think a Fold 4 is any more prone to a cracked display than an iPhone or S23, and I've accidentally dropped my Fold 4 onto the kitchen tile or it's fallen off my car mount after hitting a particularly bad pothole. A Fold 4 is heavier than a slab design but the latest Fold feels solid and not fragile. The Fold 4 isn't waterproof like many other slab phones, but in the event I crack my outer display then at least I can still continue using the larger inner display. A foldable is not for everyone but I love mine.
 
Given the questionable display durability of foldable phones, no wonder why Apple expresses no interest in selling such a device (yet).
 
In my personal opinion the form factor for smartphones has already been perfected. The slab/bar phone is fine. I imagine it will remain the standard until such time that AR devices replace it, but I have a tendency to be wrong with tech predictions...

In the interim, I do know some people with Samsung foldable that love them, but they do require an extra amount of babying it seems. They will probably be niche regardless of who puts them out, and I suspect being Google they will drop it after a few years. Maybe come back a few years later again, then who knows. Google has the tendency to make things disappear and then come back under different names.
 
flyingember said:
The major problem with foldable phones is they think people want thicker phones. Once you fold it the thickness doubles.

They don't take standard cases, so some part of the phone isn't protected whole folded.

You can fold something into the screen, damaging it.

50% of the population isn't a good customer, have they seen how small women's pockets are?

I predict foldable screens get their biggest use for curved surfaces like signs, not for phones.
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I owned the Z Fold 4 for about 10 days before returning it. I can assure you that the Z Fold 4 and the Pixel Fold fits better and is more comfortable in short pockets than my S22U and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
 
contacos said:
I appreciate that the outside screen appears to be wider than the Galaxy Fold. That device had promise but unfortunately still too narrow with a strange aspect ratio
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The outside screen is expected to be 17.4:9 which is wider than most phones today. It's actually closer to the old days of 16:9.
 
SanderEvers said:
I absolutely don't "get" foldable phones. They easily get damaged on the screen where the hinge is. (I've seen this by friends who own foldable phones, all of their screens have either greases or are outright broken on the hinge) They are even less repairable. And they cost as much as a normal smartphone AND a tablet.

I'd rather just buy a phone and a tablet.
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For the brief moments that I owned the Z Fold 4, it was great EXCEPT for the price, thickness, and narrow front screen today. There're other foldables that seem to be much closer to the slab, but we're probably 2-3 years away from a "good" foldable for size, weight, and thickness, but it will come. It was great to be able to carry the Z Fold 4 and have a much larger screen while relaxing away from home.
 
Remy149 said:
My iPhone 14 pro max fits comfortably in my pocket already. Foldable phones are a lot more thicker something that’s more noticeable to me in my pocket
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I had the opposite experience. I found the length of the 14 Pro Max to be less comfortable than the thickness of the Z Fold 4 in my jean's pockets.
 
ninethirty said:
I'll give you an example of another concept that people thought was dead simple and made great sense, and never came to be.

Phonebloks. What a fantastic idea! Why buy a new phone every year when you can just buy a new modem chip, or a better display and just snap it on to your phone? I knew the moment I saw it that it was DOA. It's too complex, it's going to make thicker uglier looking phones and it brings about the problem of drivers, incompatibility, and fractured devices/software sets. Supporting something like this is going to be a logistical nightmare, and for what benefit really?

I feel quite confident in saying that people don't want to put a large and chunky phone into their pocket just so they can unfold it and have a subpar tablet experience still. A mobile phone is absolutely perfect for riding the bus/train, and being connected when not sitting infant of a more substantial device, like a full sized iPad, or a desktop computer. On top of this, yeah, the crease. It's gross. My wife's sister came to visit recently and had a fold. I'd never actually played with one in person so I checked it out. Gross crease, thick phone, zero interest.

I don't feel insulted that foldable phones exist, I just roll my eyes at them the same way I did with Google Glass.
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  1. Phonebloks was a failed concept (by one designer); foldable phones are now on its 5th generation with Samsung among many other manufacturers from China, so why do you think it will fail?
  2. Do you think foldable phones will be able to achieve 8-10 mm of thickness in the next five years?
  3. Do you think the hinge designs and screen would be more reliable in the next five years?
  4. Have you tried to use a foldable phone daily like the Z Fold 4 for about 10 days? How was your experience?
  5. Do you think Apple will one day enter the foldable phone like the phablet?
In my experience, I found the Z Fold 4 to be more comfortable to carry in my front jean pocket despite its thickness than my S22 Ultra and my partner's iPhone 14 Pro Max. It's more comfortable because it's shorter and less wide so it doesn't contact my hip when sitting, especially in a car. For me, the crease went away in about 2 days similarly to the hole punch camera, iPhone notch, and the iPhone pill. My main complaint, and the reasons why I returned it, were the cost and the narrow front screen. I think the Pixel Fold with a front 17.4:9 aspect ratio will be more comfortable for typing on the go and the large screen for use why relaxing outside the house.
 
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KevinN206 said:
  1. Phonebloks was a failed concept (by one designer); foldable phones are now on its 5th generation with Samsung among many other manufacturers from China, so why do you think it will fail?
  2. Do you think foldable phones will be able to achieve 8-10 mm of thickness in the next five years?
  3. Do you think the hinge designs and screen would be more reliable in the next five years?
  4. Have you tried to use a foldable phone daily like the Z Fold 4 for about 10 days? How was your experience?
  5. Do you think Apple will one day enter the foldable phone like the phablet?
In my experience, I found the Z Fold 4 to be more comfortable to carry in my front jean pocket despite its thickness than my S22 Ultra and my partner's iPhone 14 Pro Max. It's more comfortable because it's shorter and less wide so it doesn't contact my hip when sitting, especially in a car. For me, the crease went away in about 2 days similarly to the hole punch camera, iPhone notch, and the iPhone pill. My main complaint, and the reasons why I returned it, were the cost and the narrow front screen. I think the Pixel Fold with a front 17.4:9 aspect ratio will be more comfortable for typing on the go and the large screen for use why relaxing outside the house.
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1. Because I don't believe that it's a design that offers a clear consumer benefit.
2. No.
3. No.
4. No interest.
5. No.
 
ninethirty said:
1. Because I don't believe that it's a design that offers a clear consumer benefit.
2. No.
3. No.
4. No interest.
5. No.
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For those that have an iPhone and iPad, a foldable bridges the two and provides a screen size equivalent to the original iPad Mini. My 12.9" iPad Pro sees a lot less use now that I just take my Fold 4 everywhere instead. There's definitely consumer benefit to carrying one device versus alternating between a phone and tablet.

Decades of hybrid cars and laptops that can flip into tablets demonstrate the usefulness of 2-in-1 designs. Foldables are bulkier for sure, but not any more so than early 2000s Nokias. I am impressed with the state of foldables today and look forward to continued improvements.
 
bmot said:
Coworker of mine tried the latest Samsung foldable and an expensive Android smart watch for a few months. He went back to Apple because both devices where too limited for him.
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Apple Watch beats android watches easily, but I carry a samsung flip and use my Apple watch and leave my iphone at home at least some of the time. (sometimes I carry both the flip and my 14 Pro)
 
Agreed, the Apple Watch is loads better than my Galaxy Watch 5 Pro. Android watch has has better battery but I had better apps on Apple Watch. With a Fold 4 now I miss my Apple Watch more than I miss the iPhone 13 Pro.
 
NeonNights said:
For those that have an iPhone and iPad, a foldable bridges the two and provides a screen size equivalent to the original iPad Mini. My 12.9" iPad Pro sees a lot less use now that I just take my Fold 4 everywhere instead. There's definitely consumer benefit to carrying one device versus alternating between a phone and tablet.

Decades of hybrid cars and laptops that can flip into tablets demonstrate the usefulness of 2-in-1 designs. Foldables are bulkier for sure, but not any more so than early 2000s Nokias. I am impressed with the state of foldables today and look forward to continued improvements.
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Foldable phones get you a thicker, uglier phone, that can turn into a sub par tablet. No thanks.
 
NeonNights said:
While I'm not contesting your stats, I wonder if those Flip/Fold owners had screen protectors or cases on. The selection of protection for foldables is pretty limited and I literally tried 6-7 cases before finding one I liked, and that amounted to all the available case designs. Also, are the majority of the claims you see for the earlier generations of the Filp/Fold? I skipped the first three generations of the Fold until I felt Samsung got it right with design, durability/reliability, and functionality with the Fold 4.

The market is also flush with easier alternatives to repairing iPhone displays, with even DIY options. On a new design like a Flip/Fold, there are not a lot of places you can go to repair a cracked display so that can factor into more claims because that's the main or only option.

In a folded state I don't think a Fold 4 is any more prone to a cracked display than an iPhone or S23, and I've accidentally dropped my Fold 4 onto the kitchen tile or it's fallen off my car mount after hitting a particularly bad pothole. A Fold 4 is heavier than a slab design but the latest Fold feels solid and not fragile. The Fold 4 isn't waterproof like many other slab phones, but in the event I crack my outer display then at least I can still continue using the larger inner display. A foldable is not for everyone but I love mine.
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I've dropped my Flip 4 as much as any phone, and the flip 3 before it. I don't have good hand control so it goes with the territory. I do keep a case on everything but I've never damaged a phone from a drop, unless you count dropping one that wasn't water proof into a toilet. (I think it was a motorola of some kind, and a long time ago.)
 
retta283 said:
In my personal opinion the form factor for smartphones has already been perfected. The slab/bar phone is fine. I imagine it will remain the standard until such time that AR devices replace it, but I have a tendency to be wrong with tech predictions...

In the interim, I do know some people with Samsung foldable that love them, but they do require an extra amount of babying it seems. They will probably be niche regardless of who puts them out, and I suspect being Google they will drop it after a few years. Maybe come back a few years later again, then who knows. Google has the tendency to make things disappear and then come back under different names.
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It's certainly not the perfect form factor for me, unfortunately. Too big.
 
ninethirty said:
1. Because I don't believe that it's a design that offers a clear consumer benefit.
2. No.
3. No.
4. No interest.
5. No.
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Can you elaborate on the "No"? Why don't you believe this will happen? Why don't you believe that having a larger screen in your pocket is not a clear consumer benefit? Why should your opinion of foldable phones carry more weight than those who used one and owned ones? Why do you believe that technology cannot reduce the thickness of foldable to 10 mm or less? FYI the original iPhone was 11.6 mm in 2007, 3G was 12.3 mm in 2008, iPhone 5 was 7.6 mm in 2012.

The image below is the Huawei Mate X3 at 11.8 mm thick folded. When unfolded, the screen area is almost the same as an iPad mini 6. Why is this not beneficial to the consumer?

huawei-mate-x3.png


The image below is the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 at 11.2 mm thick folded. When unfolded, the screen area is slightly *larger* than an iPad mini 6. Why is this not beneficial to the consumer?

xiaomi-mix-fold-2.jpg
 
_Spinn_ said:
If I spent that much on a phone it would have to last me 6+ years
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No doubt the $1700 is a significant number, but in reality my 1TB iPhone 13 Pro cost more than my 512GB Fold 4 (trading storage for dual display). With available promos you don't have to pay MSRP for a foldable and iPhones can get every bit as expensive.
 
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KevinN206 said:
Can you elaborate on the "No"? Why don't you believe this will happen? Why don't you believe that having a larger screen in your pocket is not a clear consumer benefit? Why should your opinion of foldable phones carry more weight than those who used one and owned ones? Why do you believe that technology cannot reduce the thickness of foldable to 10 mm or less? FYI the original iPhone was 11.6 mm in 2007, 3G was 12.3 mm in 2008, iPhone 5 was 7.6 mm in 2012.

The image below is the Huawei Mate X3 at 11.8 mm thick folded. When unfolded, the screen area is almost the same as an iPad mini 6. Why is this not beneficial to the consumer?

View attachment 2192734

The image below is the Xiaomi Mix Fold 2 at 11.2 mm thick folded. When unfolded, the screen area is slightly *larger* than an iPad mini 6. Why is this not beneficial to the consumer?

View attachment 2192735
Click to expand...

Thick, ugly phones, gross crease, subpar tablet experience.
 
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