Samsung Rumored to Debut First Foldable Smartphone This Year

[_Refurbished_]

At least we’re moving past the point of “removing bezels” as the primary new feature of a flagship phone.

I would buy one if Apple nailed the design.

 

[ROGmaster]

With over 2 million apps in the App Store I have no desire to install some shady apps from the dark corners of the internet. You on your device? Be my guest.

Nobody wants to do that.
I install apk's from respected sources which often have entire developing communities behind them.
Lawnchair Launcher is a great example of a great app which was first available as an apk I could install an enjoy for months before it was available on the Play Store.

 

[Piggie]

I do feel the end winning design is going to be 3 screens, but it may take many years.

You want a screen on the outside, like now, for quick and easy viewing.

But then, you want something you can fold out to see the BIGGER screen for relaxing and watching media, or using apps that would benefit from a display twice the size.

Not going to be done "right" for a long time, and going to be expensive for a long time

I do hope we get there. The iPhone than turns into an iPad Mini type of concept has WIN written all over it.

 

[loveandhavefun]

With over 2 million apps in the App Store I have no desire to install some shady apps from the dark corners of the internet. You on your device? Be my guest.
I have had no slowdowns and I don't keep a phone for generations. I upgrade every 24 months. I have friend still using iPhone 5s, 6, 6s and they are totally fine. Wish I would say the same for Android devices, if you lucky you would probably get only 1 OS update (after 6-12 months)
I wan't to watch the video. I don't care what player is playing my video as long as it does play well. Most phone users are not tech freaks.

If these are the sort of reasons you are able to bring up then yeah, terribly locked down OS lol.

Fair enough, it's funny how the Mac is open, freely downgradable and customizable, apps install from anywhere, you can download an MP3 or video and it plays without a weird hard to use 3rd party downloading app, and You can install any other OS alongside it. Sounds like Android OS does all that too 🙂 how nice

 

[dilbert99]

Weren't most phones before the iPhone foldable?

Guess they should have put foldable screen in the title

Unless they’ve managed to break the laws of physics that screen will be trashed after a few thousand folds. I’m racking my brains to think of even one product that relies on a flat to 180degree fold in ANY Material!

I don't think the screens have a 180 degree fold, it will be a smooth transition, but yes, I was also wondering about how many flexes it can have.
You can get materials that won't break if you flex them less than their fatigue limits.

 

[Krizoitz]

This is the longest running vaporware in human history.

Pretty sure flying cars, ala the Jetsons exceed that by several decades...

 

[dilbert99]

I think they need to get their words right. Nothing is being folded. It is being bent! Case in point, do yo fold your sheets or do you bend them?

Definition of fold. 1 : a part doubled or laid over another part : pleat. 2 : something that is folded together or that enfolds. 3 a : a bend or flexure produced in rock by forces operative after the depositing or consolidation of the rock. b chiefly British : an undulation in the landscape.

1. bendable - capable of being bent or flexed or twisted without breaking; "a flexible wire"; "a pliant young tree" waxy, pliable, pliant. flexile, flexible - able to flex; able to bend easily; "slim flexible birches"

If you take a phone, and 'fold' it closed such that both edges are adjacent, then i'd say you are folding it, even if the screen is technically bending

 

[Grey Area]

I’ve used it. And most of the customization so to speak is useless. iOS comes customized to work and to be fast. Android has ten thousand settings to get the phone to where you need it. But hey, to each own.

True. I used ios and couldn't stand how restrictive it was omfg

And I use both and I find their differences to be insignificant in practice. Makes me wonder what people are doing with their phones that they develop such strong preferences for or aversions to one OS. Maybe I am missing out on something. ;-)

 

[BGPL]

I guess Apple has really backed off the phone market and decided to let Samsung lead the way. Lots of negative comments from haters on here, but this tech will be a game changer. Of course it will be subpar initially, being from Samsung, and then four years from now Apple will refine it and release it.

I hope Apple's TV programming and electric cars will be good. Their phones are slipping and their workstations, desktops and portables range from good to severely lacking and outdated. The watch sees minor improvements at each release, just like the phones.

I wish they'd dig in on home automation and AR.

Welp... miss you, Steve.
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Smartphone screens are tall & narrow. If you unfolded one you'd end up with a square aspect ratio screen. Not sure what that would be good for. Certainly not for looking at pictures or video.

Probably multi-tasking with frames. Like having two desktop displays. Or your phone is square'ish and it opens to 16:9.

 

[BvizioN]

Fair enough, it's funny how the Mac is open, freely downgradable and customizable, apps install from anywhere, you can download an MP3 or video and it plays without a weird hard to use 3rd party downloading app, and You can install any other OS alongside it. Sounds like Android OS does all that too 🙂 how nice

Mac is not entirely open also but not the the level of iOS. I think people who use Mac (or any computer for that matter) are a bit more knowledgeable on what they do and what they don't when it comes to their computers. iOS devices on the other hand apply to a much much wider group of users that include different age groups, professions and basically many ordinary people who prefer the ease of use without messing much with their devices. Apple wants to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to use of iPhones, iPads, because when you present to many options you are also presenting potential issues. That's why there is an Android platform there. Best of both worlds. Ironically the strength of one platform is the weakness of the other one and vice versa.

 

[Bacillus]

Fair enough, it's funny how the Mac is open, freely downgradable and customizable, apps install from anywhere, you can download an MP3 or video and it plays without a weird hard to use 3rd party downloading app, and You can install any other OS alongside it. Sounds like Android OS does all that too 🙂 how nice

Mac is not entirely open also but not the the level of iOS. I think people who use Mac (or any computer for that matter) are a bit more knowledgeable on what they do and what they don't when it comes to their computers. iOS devices on the other hand apply to a much much wider group of users that include different age groups, professions and basically many ordinary people who prefer the ease of use without messing much with their devices. Apple wants to keep things as simple as possible when it comes to use of iPhones, iPads, because when you present to many options you are also presenting potential issues. That's why there is an Android platform there. Best of both worlds. Ironically the strength of one platform is the weakness of the other one and vice versa.

Let the sheep wallow in their safe, walled garden.
Cupertino’s security FUD is too strong for them to realize it’s mostly FUD, as the Mac (and the “admin/empty” bug) proved.

 

[BvizioN]

Let the sheep wallow in their safe, walled garden.
Cupertino’s security FUD is too strong for them to realize it’s just FUD, as the Mac (and the “admin/empty” bug) proved.

It's funny how desperate the Android fanbois can be! Even on an Apple oriented site!
I mean, what the **** is is to you if someone uses a different device or platform then yours? Does it hurt you or something? I mean I don't care if you gift your privacy and data to Google and the rest, do I? Why would you care if some chose the "walled garden"?
For me (and hundreds of millions apparently) is a great garden. Have pretty much everything needed. And when there is something else that the "walled garden" does not have I can always buy and Android device (and I have many times) and many decent Android devices cost close to nothing nowdays. I always come back to iOS as preferred OS for far to many reasons to mention here which would be kind of pointless to explain to you anyway. You just as sheep as the ones you claim to be.
Just looking at your signature is a clear indication as to why you are here.

 

[elvislives]

lots of issues with doing this... screen life, folded phone thickness will be large, time to fold and unfold. To me it seems a classic case of Form over function.

 

[jamface]

Not going to be done "right" for a long time, and going to be expensive for a long time

I do hope we get there. The iPhone than turns into an iPad Mini type of concept has WIN written all over it.

WIN...DOWS? Are they still making phones?

 

[scubachap]

I don't understand the negative comments. Just because Apple wants to endlessly re-iterate the same increasingly conservative form factors it doesn't invalidate more adventurous designs from elsewhere. After all, why would being able to have a device that can change in size between say, a small phone and large phablet on a whim be a bad idea? The original rotating iPhone screen is just a sort of unfolding...

 

[AnthonyG6]

I don't know why they are struggling to find a use case? If they could make it with a 'normal' sized screen on one side like the current Galaxy S, which you could then open like a clamshell to reveal the bendable screen, which can then be used for things you normally do on a tablet (larger keyboard, larger screen for editing/movies etc). The 2 screens would make it quite expensive but I think business users would buy it.

Hopefully it won't be a waste of time like the 'Curved' TV.

Personally I wouldn't buy it unless/until Apple made a similar one. 😉

 

[scubachap]

I don't know why they are struggling to find a use case? ...

I would agree and can see technical issues - but if there was a way to bend my iPhone 8 plus in half when I was carrying it in my pocket or just chatting on the phone then being able to unfold it to use web browsing I would jump at it.

 

[Ma2k5]

I would pay upwards of $1500 for an iPhone that unfolded into an iPad Mini. Not joking.

Jokes on you, they would never accept a measly $1500. Try $3000+.

 

[pika2000]

The use case is a phone that can be a large screen tablet in one device

Nah. That won't work.
1. Let's say a 10.5" iPad. Even when folded in half, you still end up with quite a big device, and
2. You cannot use the device when it is folded. So you have to unfold it every time you want to use it, making it an inconvenience.
3. Of course, one can put a dual-display, having another display on the back side. But at what price and complexity?

Foldable phone still has a use case though. A phone with tall screen can be folded in half so it becomes more pocketable (and no need for cases).

 

[ChrisCW11]

Another Samsung novelty item. They'll make it, few will buy it and they'll move on.

And 5 years from now Apple will do it and it will be treated like the second coming of Christ.

 

[Bacillus]

It's funny how desperate the Android fanbois can be! Even on an Apple oriented site!
I mean, what the **** is is to you if someone uses a different device or platform then yours? Does it hurt you or something? I mean I don't care if you gift your privacy and data to Google and the rest, do I? Why would you care if some chose the "walled garden"?
For me (and hundreds of millions apparently) is a great garden. Have pretty much everything needed. And when there is something else that the "walled garden" does not have I can always buy and Android device (and I have many times) and many decent Android devices cost close to nothing nowdays. I always come back to iOS as preferred OS for far to many reasons to mention here which would be kind of pointless to explain to you anyway. You just as sheep as the ones you claim to be.
Just looking at your signature is a clear indication as to why you are here.

I have never used Android. And I like Apple privacy/security but dislike the walled garden that has become the commercialised/overmarketed derivate of that - as the the “admin/empty” bug and several likewise incidents proved. Sorry to be different from the uncritical.

 

[sonicrobby]

I love the concept of it. "the iPad mini is too big to be used as a phone" but yet "the iPhone screen is too small to be used as a tablet". Having both in one seems like an amazing idea. Now the logistics of making this happen, I doubt it would ever be as smooth as I wish it could be. Despite not liking anything phone related with Samsung, Im actually pretty excited to see what they do with it. Maybe in time Apple would do it better.

 

[skinned66]

Isn't this the second or third year in a row we've heard this?

 

[ROGmaster]

It's funny how desperate the Android fanbois can be! Even on an Apple oriented site!

You know what's funny? That an article like this about Samsung gets more attention on an Apple oriented site that it gets on a general Android oriented site.
Why?

 

[Justanotherfanboy]

Because the folded phone would have 2 half thickness batteries in the same volume.

And the screen would be very thin.

There would be twice the area for 2 circuit boards, so you could have components only on one side, for example.

Battery isn’t the only component...
Front casing, back casing, etc.
You’re making a good argument for “it wouldn’t be quite twice as thick, NOT “it could be the same thickness as a modern smartphone”.