Samsung Claims Foldable Phones Are Going Mainstream

[mashdots]

I have only ever seen the Galaxy Z Flip out in the wild and I could not believe something like that is being sold and that customers don't seem to mind it either? All I saw was this big ass line across the screen when a friend showed me some photos on the phone.

I saw a foldable phone for the first time just last night! funnily enough it was the z flip. I can understand the convenience in the form factor but i don't think it's mainstream.

 

[antiprotest]

d

Something something planned obsolescence.

I don't think Apple plan these things. They're just often not competent enough to avoid drastic hardware and software problems.

 

[Arislan]

I have only ever seen the Galaxy Z Flip out in the wild and I could not believe something like that is being sold and that customers don't seem to mind it either? All I saw was this big ass line across the screen when a friend showed me some photos on the phone.

It's actually worse when you use it. You can see and feel that crease. Plus, the more you open and close it, the more pronounced that crease becomes. Every time I open the screen, my eyes immediately go to that weird distortion area.

 

[BootsWalking]

The problem is that there is no good screen ratio, that when folded in half makes another good screen ratio

Do you mean aspect ratio of the folded screen, or the size of the folded screen? For either case those who value the form factor as their most important attribute are accepting of this.

 

[VulchR]

Samsung notes that you can flip open and closed approximately 200,000 times, and this is actually backed by numerous third party tests.

You can’t develop technology that quantum leaps from 1 to 10. It all takes time. If you don’t wanna use it because you have doubts about stability, that is fine, but you can’t deny where the future smartphones are heading toward.

Sure, but is the 200,000 figure mean time before failure (MTBF)? Surely creasing and intermittent issues would show up long before total failure. I just think Samsung took an incredible invention - bendable screens - and applied it in the worst case scenario (bending a screen back on itself). Bendable screens would make far more sense for goggles and screens meant to conform statically to curved surfaces. Maybe the technology will progress, but so far I am not impressed. Folding bendable screens are like flying cars and jet packs - attractive in the abstract but awkward in real life.

 

[hans1972]

I would purposely leave the Flip unfolded on my desk during the day because the screen sounded like it might start peeling off the phone or break at some point when I opened it, even that early on.

The phone wasn't completely silent when you opened it?

Is this true for all flip phones?

 

[gaximus]

Do you mean aspect ratio of the folded screen, or the size of the folded screen? For either case those who value the form factor as their most important attribute are accepting of this.

The aspect ratio of the screen. The a tablet screen cut in half makes a bad phone ratio, and a phone screen double in one direction makes a bad tablet screen.

I like the idea of the phone that folds like the razor. But it isn't really solving a real problem, most people have big enough pockets to fit a "bar" phone in their pockets, and those who don't are probably wearing pockets so tight, that a folded thicker phone also wouldn't fit comfortably.

 

[hans1972]

If the numbers are correct, there will be sold more than 2.4 billion foldable phones in 2026.

 

[BootsWalking]

The aspect ratio of the screen. The a tablet screen cut in half makes a bad phone ratio, and a phone screen double in one direction makes a bad tablet screen.

I like the idea of the phone that folds like the razor. But it isn't really solving a real problem, most people have big enough pockets to fit a "bar" phone in their pockets, and those who don't are probably wearing pockets so tight, that a folded thicker phone also wouldn't fit comfortably.

Again, some are willing to accept that compromise to gain the form factor. As for the actual difference in size and whether people can accommodate larger non-foldable phones, the same could be said against the iPhone 12/13 Mini. That phone sells in the millions and I'm typing this on an iPhone 12 mini.

 

[hans1972]

Isn't that one of the motivating factors for a foldable phone? That you can have a smaller phone in your pocket or when checking notifications and have it be bigger during full-on use?

When people say they want a smaller phones they're often also meaning less weight and one-handed use.

Foldable phones seems, at least today, to be heavier, thicker and anti-one-handed use.

 

[newphone22]

No way Samsung. You are WRONG HAHAHAHAH foldable phones will NEVER be mainstream. I am content with my flat iphone with the notch on top THANK YOU. iPhone #1 FOREVER.

 

[Fat_Guy]

Can we at lease give Samsung credit for trying something different? My co-worker has one at work and he loved it. our job requires us to review tickets and sometimes we need to do that on site with the customer. Doing this on an iPhone is clunky, I personally either carry a laptop with me or print out the ticket. Problem is you waste paper and the laptop is annoying, you have to open it up, wake from sleep.

My co-worker just opens up the full ticket and reads all the details without issue.

Remember too, this crowd was the same one bemoaning the Samsung Note back in 2011, yet four years later Apple followed suit with the iPhone 6 Plus and has released even bigger phones since.

Tim Cook made fun of the Surface Pro, yet, there is the iPad Pro with Magic keyboard and stylus. I rather say it’s different rather that bash it with merit less criticism.

Exactly, and since Apple does not make displays it isn’t possible for them to test new ideas like Samsung has done with foldable displays. Apple will come out with a foldable display when a display manufacturer allows them to produce one of their displays with a few tweaks for a future iPhone. Then everyone will think that’s just Apple genius when it was display makers like Samsung that were innovative in creating foldable displays in the first place.


Give credit where it is due.

 

[newphone22]

Exactly, and since Apple does not make displays it isn’t possible for them to test new ideas like Samsung has done with foldable displays. Apple will come out with a foldable display when a display manufacturer allows them to produce one of their displays with a few tweaks for a future iPhone. Then everyone will think that’s just Apple genius when it was display makers like Samsung that were innovative in creating foldable displays in the first place.


Give credit where it is due.

They dont deserve credit because all they do is COPY APPLE or adds gimmicky features that add no value. On the other hand, apple takes their time to PERFECT features before they are released.

 

[wonderings]

The iPhone and iPad both basically invented their catagories. Apple watches a lot but sometimes they break new ground.

They did not invent the categories, they made them great and brought actual easy to use products that anyone from your grand parents to your kids could use. Smart phones were around long before the iPhone, as were tablets. Apple innovated and changed the computing world with the iPhone and iPad, they did not invent the category though.

 

[Fat_Guy]

They dont deserve credit because all they do is COPY APPLE or adds gimmicky features that add no value. On the other hand, apple takes their time to PERFECT features before they are released.

Not when it comes to foldable displays…

 

[blazerunner]

Have they stopped breaking or having permanent fold lines? If not, then no they aren’t lmao

Yikes. I'm sure Samsung engineers could predict this, but why the hell did the higher ups give this the green light? And didn't they AT LEAST test the device being folded over and over again?

 

[Ludatyk]

Then the tech isn't there yet.

Huh? I made a comment on the battery life by which making it thinner Samsung would perhaps make a smaller battery… how does that correlate to the tech not being there?

There‘s various companies entering the foldable market… from flipping out vertically to horizontally… oh yeah, outwardly as well. As I’ve said the tech is there… the problem is making it affordable for the mainstream.

 

[ponzicoinbro]

Maybe I saw one person out of many thousands on public transport with a foldable phone.

They looked very embarrassed to be using this clunky thing.

There have been so many screen failures.

And also when I go to used phones shops they are full of rejected foldable Samsung phones.

Never seen a new phone get sold second hand so quickly in such big numbers.

Congrats foldable phones.

You are the new umbrella hat.

 

[RiddlaBronc]

Apple will never do a foldable phone because its a gimmick.

 

[blazerunner]

Foldable phones will only go mainstream when Apple finally makes one and legitimatises the form factor.

Like that time when gaming consoles were all experimental and buggy but then Apple released the Pippen and revolutionized the industry.... right?

 

[wonderings]

Flip phones were great when you needed both a screen and physical keypad, but notably only the screen flipped out (usually laptop-style), not half of the phone.

And Apple takes plenty of risks. The difference is that Apple takes those risks privately, in early design/engineering mocks and prototypes, and usually (side-eye at you, butterfly keyboard 😒) applies a strict editorial industrial design process, not exposing their customers to designs that they don't see as fullly-baked.

Flip phones are a great idea with a foldable screen if you want a bigger screen and the ability to keep it in your pocket with a smaller footprint.

Developing in house is not taking risks, it is just trying things out. They have no risk other then the money it costs them. Other companies are trying to push the envelope and try creative things. Yes there are issues, but I think Apple probably capitalizes on them by knowing what problems are there and how to best get rid of them. It is good for Apple, though I think lately leads to more boring problems as they always seem to be behind things that have been out for a while or even common. Apple has not done anything all that exciting in a long time (for me personally), I have been more intrigued with what others are doing like Microsoft with their own computers. Nothing I would buy, but interesting concepts and ideas that make me think and contemplate if some never seen before ideas would actually make my professional life better. I used to be very excited for Mac OS updates, for many years each new update brought about new features that made my life easier and more productive. That stopped at Lion I believe and it has been a steady decline and removal of features since then. This of course is entirely subjective, so only speaking from my point of view which has me more and more contemplating getting out of the Apple ecosystem as I don't see the same value in it as there once was.

 

[newphone22]

Like that time when gaming consoles were all experimental and buggy but then Apple released the Pippen and revolutionized the industry.... right?

Pippen is one of the products that REVOLUTIONZED the gaming industry along with Apple Arcade. I dont know anybody with kids who are not subscribed to apple arcade. No other company can compete with the innovations of apple. Period.

 

[locoboi187]

I see the appeal. My brother’s always been an Android guy but now he’s a fold screen only guy now ever since his Galaxy Fold

 

[Fat_Guy]

Maybe I saw one person out of many thousands on public transport with a foldable phone.

They looked very embarrassed to be using this clunky thing.

There have been so many screen failures.

And also when I go to used phones shops they are full of rejected foldable Samsung phones.

Never seen a new phone get sold second hand so quickly in such big numbers.

Congrats foldable phones.

You are the new umbrella hat.

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They looked at me and my Note 3 the same way and said they would never buy a phone that big - we all know what happened later…


I was also one of the first to wear a Sony Sports FM Walkman with the in ear wired earphones in the 1980s. People laughed when they saw me with two wires going into each ear. We all know what happened after that…



I just realized - that was 40 years ago! Man am I old…

 

[synergize]

There going "mainstream" huh, meaning, the phone will be tossed into the "main part of the stream" after a few weeks!