“Do not bite the hands that feed you.” Not until Samsung can come up with a good mobile OS and ecosystem.
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'That's What We Do, We Wait' Says Fake Apple Employee in New Samsung Ad Mocking Lack of Foldable iPhone
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To elaborate on my point about the hinge (all parts of it) being a failure point, I’m not saying this is an issue only related to Samsung. It’s simply a reality of the mechanics of any hinge. And as far as their specific testing goes, no doubt they’ve overbuilt the hinge mechanism itself to take the abuse. But the stretching and compressing of the components within the screen itself cannot be overbuilt as it’s just an issue of material physics. Plastic is plastic and laminations are laminations and the physical stretching and compressing of both results in failures. And I can guarantee you that Samsung didn’t take into account the variability of temperature and moisture content of the environments in which the devices will actually operate, and both issues will have an effect on the components of the screen as well as the hinge components. Again, what I’m talking about here is how a flat slab that doesn’t have to fold will not suffer the same failure points as a foldable device. You can argue I’m wrong, but I’ve got the reality of physics backing me up.
In regards to the idea that consumers wanting and buying larger screened phones equates to a problem where the answer is a device that has both small and large screens on it doesn’t make sense [to me]. They can be completely separate things - I use a Pro Max and do not want it to be bigger. I’m actually more likely to go down in size when I next upgrade, as I personally don’t need my device to act as my only computer and switch to either my iPad Pro 12.9” or my Surface when I need a larger screen. But I understand that I, like you, are single points of use-case examples, so neither are indicative of what the mass population wants or needs.
The other thing I think needs to be pointed out, at least as far as any of the current phone/phablet foldables go, is that it’s not being honest to say that they’re a single device that goes from a small screen to a larger screen. In reality, they’re two devices connected together that share a single internal screen. So you’re really carrying around a device that is two phones thick, in that effort to provide the larger screen.
From a nostalgic point of view, I appreciate the smaller folding devices that are a take on the original Razr. But your trading height of the device for thickness, whereas the originals typically had a super-thin (razor thin) top screen, with the bottom base unit carrying the battery and keyboard, which allowed for a very thin overall device. No one has figured out how to recreate that, given the need for larger batteries and a folding mechanism that isn’t flat.
I've seen one or two in the wild, and from what I observed the screens should be described as 'creased', not 'folding'. Flexing electrical circuits is a terrible idea, and honestly while I think the idea of a folding phone has merit, folding the screen is lunacy. Better to have to separate screens and a precision hinge.
In reality I like UX on Fold. I don't need separate tablet device, this way I have phone and small tablet in one device. Also, things break, but it's all about how given company handles support and warranty.
For me, any company to publicly put down another in their marketing just shows insecurity and a lack of confidence in their own product. Those confident in their products concentrate on and promote the qualities of it and let that do the talking.
I've been super happy carrying the Flip 4 on a daily basis. The pocket-ability is absolutely supreme. The only real downside is the main camera, which doesn't have the quality or versatility of the 13 Pro, S22 Ultra or Pixel 7 Pro, but for day-to-day use the trade-off is well worth it.
What this ultimately boils down to is a differing interpretation of "innovation" between the 2 companies.
For Samsung, innovation is often conflated with being first.
For Apple, innovation is about making great product experiences.
Samsung urgently wants foldable to be the next big thing, both to recreate the "we were right about phablets" moment, and because there is money to be made from selling panels to other manufacturers. It's not going to happen. Folding smartphones continue to be flawed from both a design and usability viewpoint, and I believe that when Apple eventually releases their AR glasses, it will become painfully clear that Samsung bet on the wrong horse all this while.
Apple had a similar campaign targeting Microsoft/Windows. Also look at the network PC icon on macOS: a old style beige CRT monitor showing a Windows 98 blue screen of death.
I had a look at the Fold4 specs too, for ***** and giggles, and concluded it is practically the size of two sandwiched iPhones. Do you lug that thing around everywhere, or do you have a smaller phone for when you don't anticipate having to need an iPad mini with the bottom fourth lopped off on the go?
It just seems like such an awkward size (a quality shared by the Max iPhones and the iPad mini, IMHO) since practically anything I would want to do on a computing device could either be done on a screen that is smaller than 6", one that is about 12" or one that is at least 27".
For me I like the hardware and OS except, "Oh where oh where has Android 13 gone; oh where oh where can it be.' Think it might be hiding on the Apple side of that fence somewhere
After owning the original iPhone at launch and all the phones up to the iPhone 6. It was starting to get stale, I was on the fence because I was so used to iOS and afraid of change but after the release of the same ol design in iPhone 7. I made the jump to a Samsung S8. Ever since then I feel Apple has been lagging in design and features.
I see a lot of people here dismissing folding phones but after owning a Z Fold 3 for a yr, I'm convinced this is the future. The crease is a non issue when you look at is straight on. look at is as the notch introduced in the iPhone X.
I know change is scary and iPhones are made for the average basic person who could care less about new tech and features. I look at is as iPhones are like a Mercedes C class, good build quality and features at an affordable price while Samsung Fold is a S class that has all the new bells and whistles that appeals to enthusiasts which will eventually make it down to the C class. Not to mention S class costs 3x more than a C class. 🤣🤣
I see a lot of people here dismissing folding phones but after owning a Z Fold 3 for a yr, I'm convinced this is the future. The crease is a non issue when you look at is straight on. look at is as the notch introduced in the iPhone X.
I know change is scary and iPhones are made for the average basic person who could care less about new tech and features. I look at is as iPhones are like a Mercedes C class, good build quality and features at an affordable price while Samsung Fold is a S class that has all the new bells and whistles that appeals to enthusiasts which will eventually make it down to the C class. Not to mention S class costs 3x more than a C class. 🤣🤣
Exactly I agree about the different part, but I couldn't care less if anyone knows what phone I use. It's just nice to try something else than the same candybar device over and over and over..........
Yea what's up with GM lately. It's been great for months, and then two days in a ro, I had to clear data to stop launch crashes. But I can't recall other apps crashing. And I didn't need updates to start using. The worst part was using a lightning cable to transfer data from my iPhone.
Unpopular comment coming....
While the ad it cringey and meh, the message of "we're waiting" is 1000000000% true.
Apple Fanboys: "We don't need that.... iPhone is so great...."
Four Years Later: "Apple is genius with this always on display (10 year old feature on Android)" "Wow, cut and paste!" "Wow, an app drawer!" "Wow, wireless charging!" "Wow, lock screen widgets!" - claps like a bunch of donkey's.
Comments: "I never see anyone with folding phones.... Folding phones are dumb"
Two years from now: "iPhone Fold is the most amazing thing.... how did we ever live without a folding phone....." will clap like donkey's.
Expected Rebuttal: "But Apple does it with finesse and refinement.... their way is always better...." It should be considering they had years to copy cat someone else's innovation and improve upon it.
Dynamic Island is probably the first thing to hit an iPhone since the 3G that was an original innovation.
While the ad it cringey and meh, the message of "we're waiting" is 1000000000% true.
Apple Fanboys: "We don't need that.... iPhone is so great...."
Four Years Later: "Apple is genius with this always on display (10 year old feature on Android)" "Wow, cut and paste!" "Wow, an app drawer!" "Wow, wireless charging!" "Wow, lock screen widgets!" - claps like a bunch of donkey's.
Comments: "I never see anyone with folding phones.... Folding phones are dumb"
Two years from now: "iPhone Fold is the most amazing thing.... how did we ever live without a folding phone....." will clap like donkey's.
Expected Rebuttal: "But Apple does it with finesse and refinement.... their way is always better...." It should be considering they had years to copy cat someone else's innovation and improve upon it.
Dynamic Island is probably the first thing to hit an iPhone since the 3G that was an original innovation.
If you don't have a lasting enthusiasm for new things, you forget about every innovation during its first perception. The iPhone is still experiencing dramatic improvements in photo hardware and software, battery control, processor efficiency and much more.
Many people, staggering through the world in a hurry, don't even notice. Of course, new is great, but a new color or a foldable screen with all the operating ineptitude is new and inept.
Apple holds back with unsuitability, but that doesn't make Apple less innovative, but it usually has tougher criteria for evaluating something as useful. Just like adults do.
If you want to act like an angry innovation lover, you can demand UltraRetina displays, 100xTele, night vision function and the like, but it is stupid stuff. Being able to differentiate between these things means being technically mature.
If you sell an electric car only with different housing, you are not innovative with it, but you are perceived innovative by some. And Samsung seems to be able to do that for some people.
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Android 13 is coming to Fold4/Flip 4 in November. I would love if Samsung gave us public betas worldwide like Apple.
I have always hated Samsung's UI--love their hardware though--ever since the S2 days. Too bad Sammy makes it unlocking the bootloader on their new phone neigh impossible. The S7 is the last Samsung I'll ever use until they unlock the bootloader again.
No butt dialing.😁
On a side note: I have an acquaintance who speaks broken English and has an especially hard time grasping slang. Because of the similarity in wording, he often makes mistake. Liev, buddy, butt dialing is not the same as booty call.🤭