Two Foldable iPhone Prototypes Reportedly Pass Internal Durability Tests

[spinedoc77]

- Makes it harder to stretch my thumb when using a thick phone with one hand
- No room in the budget (and/or possibly inside the phone) to include a camera that is as good as their latest flagships
- Because it's a folding screen, it has a plastic screen protector which doesn't feel as nice as just straight glass. I guess you can peel it but who knows what will happen (does that void warranty?)
- I'm likely going to be using the outer screen more than the inner screen. Outer screen isn't 120hz
- Fingerprint sensor is on the side, not under the screen which most prefer. People unlock their phones nearly a 100 times a day.
- No IP rating which means you have to be careful when using it around a swimming pool
- Using unsupported apps in an unfolded way creates a disgusting crease in the middle which pretty much means you should use it on the cover screen. But the cover screen is harder to type due to the narrow width.

-Why, how... wait you are going to use it unfolded and one handed? Ok.... If you do want to compare apples to apples the Fold 2 is actually easier to use one handed when closed because it's narrower. But unfolded, well I'd say that's not a fair comparison. A fair comparison when unfolded would be an iPad mini 5.
-The camera is 99% as good as their best camera, and one of the best cameras in that category. I do agree that Samsung should have put the best camera and they cut some corners here. But still having a camera that competes with the other flagship phones is hardly something I'd call a "gimmick".
-You can take the inner screen protector off and it feels MUCH better, pretty close to glass IMO. Yes there is still a 2nd thin plastic protector that you can't remove, but it's the top removable protector that is the worst one. No it doesn't void your warranty if you remove the top one. Just to be clear I'm not saying the inner screen is as durable as other phones, but I don't see where this tanks the phone to the level of being a "gimmick". The inner screen is MUCH more durable than people make it out to be, especially people who have probably never touched the phone, or maybe have but haven't used it for months. I've removed the inner screen protector and have used mine for months, I'm no more careful with it than I was with my old iPhone and there is zero damage, scratches, heck I can't even see any swirls (which my iPhone developed quite quickly as well as having the oleophobic coating wear off in spots).
-Fingerprint on the side is awesome, but that's just a personal opinion and I won't say your opinion is wrong either. It just makes sense to me as I pick up the phone that's where my finger naturally lies, and I also don't have to put more fingerprints on my phone. (PS the iPhone doesn't have an under screen fp sensor, wait... it doesn't have a fp sensor at all! And they may actually be moving towards touch ID power buttons on their phones as they do have this on one of the iPads)
-No IP rating, yep totally agree on this one and hopefully tech improves, but again I don't see why this makes it a "gimmick". We lived without IP rated phones up until only a few years ago.
-I'm not sure which apps are unsupported, if you have any examples I'd be glad to download them and show screenshots good or bad. I've had zero issues with multi screen support, Samsung truly shines when it comes to this. Not only that but GoodLock has some extra features for multi screens as well. I'd say using multi screens has been a huge joy. The apps don't create any type of crease, but I'm assuming you mean the hardware crease? Yes it's there, but honestly (and you will see virtually all reviewers say the same) you don't notice it at all. I'm not taking away that there IS a crease, no denying that. Certainly I would prefer no crease, but IMO it's not a big deal in the least. There isn't a single app or instance where I feel I am forced to use the outer screen.

Just to be clear I'm NOT saying the Fold 2 is going to change the world or become the number 1 selling phone. No, it's still a beta product and it's technology of folding screens is inferior, IMO, to say rollable screens. But it's still an excellent phone and for those of us who want to combine a tablet and phone into one it's a great choice. If you don't need or want that functionality then the phone isn't for you, but just because you don't find it useful doesn't make it a "gimmick".

 

[Deepshade]

Seriously Apple - get a grip on the industrial design front!
Following a concept andstyle that in less than innovative - clunky and bulky by nature - get real!! - get rolling!

 

[spinedoc77]

Absolutely no sarcasm at all: what is so great about foldable? I don’t understand.

Look at my other posts in this thread as I don't feel like repeating myself. I'd say the number one reason would be having a tablet sized screen that folds into the size of a phone that fits neatly into my front pocket. I don't have to carry my iPad mini 5 around anymore and in fact just sold it because it has no use anymore.

 

[Denzo]

iHinge.iFold. I’ll get.

 

[spinedoc77]

The problem is that the concept is flawed. There is no material that can be folded many thousands of times without failing.

It's not flawed, the original Fold can be folded up to 200,000 times according to Samsung. 20x/day = 27 years. Heck this was even tested: Folded 200,000 times: What the Samsung Galaxy Fold now looks and sounds like - CHIP The Fold 1 passed 200k folds, at 100k the hinges started to creak and at 160k it didn't open smoothly anymore, but it still worked just fine. So cut that in half to be conservative and I'm ok with 13 1/2 years. I couldn't find specs on the Fold 2, but can only assume that Samsung improved this.

 

[SAIRUS]

It's simple, you can carry a tablet in your pocket. You have a much larger screen than a smartphone, but it folds down to the size of a smartphone. Opening my Fold 2 takes half a second, literally, probably much faster than reaching into my back pocket for my ipad mini 5 which is how I used to carry it. Certainly much faster than reaching into a briefcase, or more likely driving all the way home to pick up my tablet.

Thanks for the user scenario, makes sense...and there is an additional benefit, smaller shipping boxes.

 

[laz232]

As I type on a 2018 MBP with butterfly keyboard problems - years after the introduction of the keyboard - and years after Apple were made aware of those issues - I have little faith in a first gen foldable Apple anything.

 

[iGeek2019]

I guess they were halfway there with iPhone 6 😂

 

[Saturn007]

I'm in!

Still miss my Nokia flip phone. Would love to have an iPhone in a flip format — rugged protection, no need for a case, small external display, open it up to a decent-sized iPhone, and front pants pocketable.

Crease, schmease! Better than a notch.

Lots of people who prefer small phones would enjoy this. Lots of people who don't watch videos or movies on their iPhones would want this. After all, we watch videos on our laptops — and movies on our TVs — not on the comparatively pint-sized displays of iPhones! Even those with “big” displays are dwarfed by iPads and iPad Minis. (Calculate the actual square inches of display area, not the one-dimensional diagonal. After all, a brand new pencil can have a 4” diagonal, but has no viewing area.)

Best of all, they could runs ads — “The Future is Now” — with William Shatner (or Patrick Stewart) who would open up an Apple flip phone and say, “Beam me up, Scotty!”

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Just use two displays. We lived with Trinitron mask wires for years yet it was the best quality displays.

How many people actually looked for the wires to know it was a good display? I did. *shrug*

EDIT: I remember people would return them if the wires were too observable. Some tubes DID have very noticable lines. I knew someone who 'dropped' their monitor, and the wire somehow shifted. Oops... I don't know how oftent hat happened. I had the Apple Color monitor with my IIcx. It was pretty amazing.

 

[Mac Fly (film)]

A more expensive, more easily broken Apple device. What's not to like.

 

[PinkyMacGodess]

Pass...

Seems a feature seeking a reason to exist. What about the Star Trek Tricorder idea? A device that can do it all, and more. Making it foldable just doesn't scratch any itch I have. If it's just a 'Look, we did it!', then it could end up being the next Power Mac G4 Cube: Gorgeous, but largely unusable.

I suppose this is natural evolutionn though, having reached what can only be called 'the ridiculous age of MASSIVE phones'. When it starts looking like an iPad mini, your phone is too big. (Or the iPad mini is too small?)

 

[Digital Dude]

I like the concept of a foldable. Currently, I have the 12MAX, and I can barely tell the difference between my 10XS Max it replaced. Being able to fold something like this would make it a lot more convenient to carry around.

I've been using some high-end fancy leather cases for my iPhones for years, but I opted for the ugly-ass OtterBox Defender with a belt clip until the new leather case is available. There is nothing more bulky and unattractive than this thing,' but I'm impressed with the convenience of the belt-carrier/clip.

 

[Apple Knowledge Navigator]

The problem is that the concept is flawed. There is no material that can be folded many thousands of times without failing. How many times to you look at your phone during the day? Four? Five? Twenty?

Well I think a hinged design could work. Knowing Apple, they will probably start off with this and then work their way up to a single screen.

 

[Tozovac]

Since the non-folding screen itself is near impossible to retain an untouched, "new" appearance after just 1-2 years of use, how likely is it that the bendable/hinged area of the screen not show any signs of use/wear after 1-2 years?

 

[Tozovac]

Well I think a hinged design could work. Knowing Apple, they will probably start off with this and then work their way up to a single screen.

You don't think a slightly discernible line along the center of the screen won't set off the Zero Bezel Society to march into the town center with pitchforks raised and torches ablazing?

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Ah... the magic hinge

if only there were some abbreviation or conjunction you could use to market that.

 

[farewelwilliams]

-Why, how... wait you are going to use it unfolded and one handed? Ok.... If you do want to compare apples to apples the Fold 2 is actually easier to use one handed when closed because it's narrower. But unfolded, well I'd say that's not a fair comparison. A fair comparison when unfolded would be an iPad mini 5.

Who said one handed unfolded? I'm talking about using the folded phone one handed. And no, it's taller so it's harder to reach the top.

-The camera is 99% as good as their best camera, and one of the best cameras in that category. I do agree that Samsung should have put the best camera and they cut some corners here. But still having a camera that competes with the other flagship phones is hardly something I'd call a "gimmick".

99% as good? Doubt the crazy zoom + 108MP + 8k resolution accounts for 1%. You're being a bit biased here.

-You can take the inner screen protector off and it feels MUCH better, pretty close to glass IMO. Yes there is still a 2nd thin plastic protector that you can't remove, but it's the top removable protector that is the worst one. No it doesn't void your warranty if you remove the top one. Just to be clear I'm not saying the inner screen is as durable as other phones, but I don't see where this tanks the phone to the level of being a "gimmick". The inner screen is MUCH more durable than people make it out to be, especially people who have probably never touched the phone, or maybe have but haven't used it for months. I've removed the inner screen protector and have used mine for months, I'm no more careful with it than I was with my old iPhone and there is zero damage, scratches, heck I can't even see any swirls (which my iPhone developed quite quickly as well as having the oleophobic coating wear off in spots).

A redditor got mixed messages.

But maybe that Samsun guy is being an idiot so I'll trust you when you say it doesn't void warranty.

Regardless, the 2nd thin plastic protector doesn't feel as nice as glass. That goes along the lines of compromise here.

-Fingerprint on the side is awesome, but that's just a personal opinion and I won't say your opinion is wrong either. It just makes sense to me as I pick up the phone that's where my finger naturally lies, and I also don't have to put more fingerprints on my phone. (PS the iPhone doesn't have an under screen fp sensor, wait... it doesn't have a fp sensor at all! And they may actually be moving towards touch ID power buttons on their phones as they do have this on one of the iPads)

Sure it does "makes sense" to put it on the side. But the preference of many is an onscreen fingerprint reader which the other flagships have. Again, another compromise because it doesn't make sense to include 2 or 3 on screen fingerprint readers.

-No IP rating, yep totally agree on this one and hopefully tech improves, but again I don't see why this makes it a "gimmick". We lived without IP rated phones up until only a few years ago.

It adds to the 80/20 compromise argument. Samsung took features away from your 80% usage to make your 20% better. If it rains, I wouldn't want to use a Fold outside unless I'm holding an umbrella.

-I'm not sure which apps are unsupported, if you have any examples I'd be glad to download them and show screenshots good or bad. I've had zero issues with multi screen support, Samsung truly shines when it comes to this. Not only that but GoodLock has some extra features for multi screens as well. I'd say using multi screens has been a huge joy. The apps don't create any type of crease, but I'm assuming you mean the hardware crease? Yes it's there, but honestly (and you will see virtually all reviewers say the same) you don't notice it at all. I'm not taking away that there IS a crease, no denying that. Certainly I would prefer no crease, but IMO it's not a big deal in the least. There isn't a single app or instance where I feel I am forced to use the outer screen.

Linus showed Instagram taking up the center of the screen with black bars on the side. I'm sure you could add a second app to push instagram to the left so it doesn't suffer from the middle screen cease. But that just ruins battery life and makes opening the fold useless for these apps so I'd just be using the cover screen.

Just to be clear I'm NOT saying the Fold 2 is going to change the world or become the number 1 selling phone. No, it's still a beta product and it's technology of folding screens is inferior, IMO, to say rollable screens. But it's still an excellent phone and for those of us who want to combine a tablet and phone into one it's a great choice. If you don't need or want that functionality then the phone isn't for you, but just because you don't find it useful doesn't make it a "gimmick".

Sure I'm not saying you're saying that it's revolutionary. I'm simply saying that the 80% usage of the phone is compromised to make the 20% usage more enjoyable which makes the product more niche.

 

[DanTSX]

I trust apple enough to make this format desirable to a segment of the market to make it a profitable exercise. While also making earlier attempts by competitors look terrible in comparison.

For my own use, I would consider a well proportioned foldable from apple. I like large screens and hate phablets.

Too many negative waves from Monday morning CEOs who are butthurt that apple is even working on this concept.

 

[spinedoc77]

Who said one handed unfolded? I'm talking about using the folded phone one handed. And no, it's taller so it's harder to reach the top.

Well in that case then I'm not sure what you are talking about. It's much narrower than my old iPhone 11 max so it's actually much easier to use one handed. I don't think it's much taller than a non Max iPhone either, the 11 is 150.9mm and the Fold 2 is 159.2mm. It's actually significantly narrower than a non Max iPhone 11 as well, 75.7mm vs 68mm when folded.

99% as good? Doubt the crazy zoom + 108MP + 8k resolution accounts for 1%. You're being a bit biased here.


A redditor got mixed messages.

View attachment 1704953

But maybe that Samsun guy is being an idiot so I'll trust you when you say it doesn't void warranty.

Regardless, the 2nd thin plastic protector doesn't feel as nice as glass. That goes along the lines of compromise here.

You may be right on that, I could not find anything official either way other than Samsung "recommends" you don't install a 3rd party screen protector. You are right about the slight plastic feel as well and it is a compromise that will have varying levels of satisfaction. Personally it's not much of a compromise at all on feel as to me it's pretty close to glass, I do have complaints on the level of fingerprints I get. But at the end of the day I still believe this doesn't make the Fold 2 a "gimmick". No phone is 100% perfect and we all have our complaints and compromises no matter the phone.

Sure it does "makes sense" to put it on the side. But the preference of many is an onscreen fingerprint reader which the other flagships have. Again, another compromise because it doesn't make sense to include 2 or 3 on screen fingerprint readers.

Eh, I'd like to see the study showing that. I guess something that "makes sense" isn't good enough to, well to make sense? To me this should be chalked up to personal preference, myself I'd rather have the sensor where my finger naturally falls so it can be instant on, and I'd rather avoid getting fingerprints all over the bottom of the screen. Once again not saying you are wrong, just different personal opinions. But again not enough to call it a "gimmick", especially seeing how accurate the fp sensor is. From what I've read the extremely few phones with under screen fp sensors are not very accurate. But isn't it a moot point anyway? None of the newer iPhones have fp sensors.

It adds to the 80/20 compromise argument. Samsung took features away from your 80% usage to make your 20% better. If it rains, I wouldn't want to use a Fold outside unless I'm holding an umbrella.

So not using it in the rain takes away 80% of the functionality? I suppose if you use your phone 80% of the time in the rain then I can't really argue with that, but otherwise it's nonsensical. Yes again it is a compromise which varies in how much it affects each consumer based on their use case, but again not enough to say it's a "gimmick".

Linus showed Instagram taking up the center of the screen with black bars on the side. I'm sure you could add a second app to push instagram to the left so it doesn't suffer from the middle screen cease. But that just ruins battery life and makes opening the fold useless for these apps so I'd just be using the cover screen.

View attachment 1704951



Sure I'm not saying you're saying that it's revolutionary. I'm simply saying that the 80% usage of the phone is compromised to make the 20% usage more enjoyable which makes the product more niche.

Yeah I don't personally use Instagram, but it's really well known (a google search turns up tons of this) that you just use Good Lock and set the aspect ratio of ANY app. I use a ton of apps but have yet to find a single app that has borders like that besides Instagram, and that means without using Good Lock. But once again an extremely easy peasy fix for a very rare problem. I still wholeheartedly disagree that 80% of the functionality is compromised, although I definitely agree that in some aspects there are compromises, no one is arguing that. It's just annoying to see such an incredible phone being called a "gimmick". It works for some consumers and doesn't work for other consumers. Personally I DO feel it is revolutionary, but it's not mature yet and may not be for everyone. The paradigm here will be ubiquitous in the near future, but it may differ in technology such as possibly rollable screens instead of folding one. There is also no doubt that these compromises will be worked out and improved upon, just like every other piece of ongoing technology.

 

[Analog Kid]

Sounds good on paper, but how many people are going to work like that? Makes more sense to just invest in a separate laptop which is going to be cheaper and more convenient for the majority of users.

And it also means my phone is going to be tethered to the desk. So every time I want to leave my table (say to go to the pantry or toilet or run a quick errand, I need to disconnect my phone if I want to bring it with me, vs a laptop which I can just leave docked).

And what happens when I am outside without access to a monitor and keyboard?

Feels like this is creating a lot of extra problems just to solve a non-existent one.

I seem to remember endless rumors about “home on iPod”, or some such where you could use your iPod FireWire interface to mount your home directory from your iPod and carry it from machine to machine. I think the idea was to charge it while you use it. I don’t ever remember it actually being released though.

At the time it sounded interesting, but iPod never had enough storage to dual purpose. And, of course, there’s the connect/disconnect problem you’re describing.

Modern phones might have enough storage now, and it could be shared wirelessly. I can’t imagine wanting to use it as a processor though— too much power draw, never more performance than an actual contemporary desktop, and generally less convenient.

 

[notabadname]

The latest galaxy foldable is nice at first glance. My best friend owns one. He had the 1st gen, and now just bought the second gen. The first had a pretty small front screen, that made the phone fairly undesirable in the folded mode, with lots of bezel around the seemingly narrow and tall screen. The new one uses the real-estate far better, with small bezels. His main gripe, interestingly, is not the fold, but the screen material. Since you cannot use glass on the non-fold area, and the whole screen is the same plastic-like material as the foldable portion, - the screen is very prone to scratches, even from finger nails, after his first year of use with Gen 1, it had clear scratches from use. Having seen how the screen wore from thousands and thousands of touches, I think i would rather see 2 glass screens that joint as one when open. If they were designed well, you could have a join line less than a millimeter wide, that would really not be noticeable in normal use. Then you could have the carbon-infused glass on both sides and not develop scratches from use on an all-plastic screen.

 

[farewelwilliams]

Well in that case then I'm not sure what you are talking about. It's much narrower than my old iPhone 11 max so it's actually much easier to use one handed. I don't think it's much taller than a non Max iPhone either, the 11 is 150.9mm and the Fold 2 is 159.2mm. It's actually significantly narrower than a non Max iPhone 11 as well, 75.7mm vs 68mm when folded.

The thicker body means my inner thumb wraps more around the side bezel, decreasing my reach distance which is problematic for tall screens. So even if it's not taller than some phones, the thumb reach is shorter if you're holding with a firm grip.

Also this makes the cover screen a really weird aspect ratio which app developers don't really design and test against.

No phone is 100% perfect and we all have our complaints and compromises no matter the phone.

Sure, but I rather take away from the 20% usage to make my 80% usage better. Not the other way around. I rather have 0 multitasking which would give me a better camera, better main display, better quality of third party apps, etc...

Maybe you're the type of person that does multitasking much more than me. But I'm willing to bet that most don't.

Eh, I'd like to see the study showing that. I guess something that "makes sense" isn't good enough to, well to make sense? To me this should be chalked up to personal preference, myself I'd rather have the sensor where my finger naturally falls so it can be instant on, and I'd rather avoid getting fingerprints all over the bottom of the screen. Once again not saying you are wrong, just different personal opinions. But again not enough to call it a "gimmick", especially seeing how accurate the fp sensor is. From what I've read the extremely few phones with under screen fp sensors are not very accurate. But isn't it a moot point anyway? None of the newer iPhones have fp sensors.

I don't really see why Samsung would pay extra $$$$$ to Qualcomm for an on screen fingerprint reader for their flagships as opposed to using a cheaper side fingerprint reader if their data is telling them that more people prefer a side fingerprint reader.

For me personally, the first thing I do when I want to use my phone is to touch the screen. So positioning my thumb to the side and then my thumb on the screen seems like a bigger step than just tapping the screen and tapping again with my thumb.

So not using it in the rain takes away 80% of the functionality? I suppose if you use your phone 80% of the time in the rain then I can't really argue with that, but otherwise it's nonsensical. Yes again it is a compromise which varies in how much it affects each consumer based on their use case, but again not enough to say it's a "gimmick".

No. I think you're misunderstanding what I mean by 80%. I'm not saying 80% of the days I use a phone is in the rain. I'm saying using the phone in the rain is part of this 80% segment. Another example is that I use the camera a lot. I'm not saying 80% of my phone usage is taking pictures. Taking pictures is just another use case that's part of this 80% segment that's been compromised by the Galaxy Fold.

Yeah I don't personally use Instagram, but it's really well known (a google search turns up tons of this) that you just use Good Lock and set the aspect ratio of ANY app. I use a ton of apps but have yet to find a single app that has borders like that besides Instagram, and that means without using Good Lock. But once again an extremely easy peasy fix for a very rare problem.

People complaining Good Lock breaks app continuity. Also it seems that Samsung is slow to update Good Lock based on previous update history and the current reviews say it's broken for Android 11. I don't have a Fold 2 to test this myself, but it sounds like a headache.

It works for some consumers and doesn't work for other consumers. Personally I DO feel it is revolutionary, but it's not mature yet and may not be for everyone.

If the flashy technology is not mature yet and it's not for everyone (assumption here is that it's not for most), I would say that's a gimmick. Likewise, the U1 chip in the iPhone is a gimmick as it's not mature yet and it's not for most users.

 

[Zwhaler]

Yes I switched to an iPad mini from an iPad Air, and I found it too small. I switched back to an iPad Air.

I agree the iPad mini is a little too small for tablet viewing. But if it folded in half... it'd be like an iPhone 12 Pro could transform into an iPad mini. I'm interested in seeing how Apple approaches foldables. I'll be sticking to Samsung until then, most likely.

 

[spinedoc77]

The thicker body means my inner thumb wraps more around the side bezel, decreasing my reach distance which is problematic for tall screens. So even if it's not taller than some phones, the thumb reach is shorter if you're holding with a firm grip.

Also this makes the cover screen a really weird aspect ratio which app developers don't really design and test against.

Interesting, the narrower width allows me to have more range vertically with my thumb, easily offsetting the small increase in tallness. It also allows me to have a much better grip on the phone so one handed use feels much more secure than on a regular smartphone. I have zero issue with running apps on the cover screen, they all scale and fit with no issues. It's almost like we are using 2 different devices. But I suppose the taller iPhone Max is a "gimmick" as well, being wider AND taller must really be an issue with vertical reach.

Sure, but I rather take away from the 20% usage to make my 80% usage better. Not the other way around. I rather have 0 multitasking which would give me a better camera, better main display, better quality of third party apps, etc...

Maybe you're the type of person that does multitasking much more than me. But I'm willing to bet that most don't.

No problem, just a difference of use case scenario's, although I still don't understand the 80% figure. I do multitask a lot so find the larger screen useful, I suppose I could say 80% more useful than a non folding smartphone, wait that makes them "gimmicks" right?

I don't really see why Samsung would pay extra $$$$$ to Qualcomm for an on screen fingerprint reader for their flagships as opposed to using a cheaper side fingerprint reader if their data is telling them that more people prefer a side fingerprint reader.

For me personally, the first thing I do when I want to use my phone is to touch the screen. So positioning my thumb to the side and then my thumb on the screen seems like a bigger step than just tapping the screen and tapping again with my thumb.

I don't see why Samsung would pay extra money when the fp button is way more accurate than the current crop of under screen fp readers. But I also agree with your point, why would Samsung bother if they feel their people prefer a side fp reader. But once again a difference of use case scenario. And once again a moot point as Apple doesn't even have a fp reader anymore so I'm assuming iPhones are "gimmicks" as well?

No. I think you're misunderstanding what I mean by 80%. I'm not saying 80% of the days I use a phone is in the rain. I'm saying using the phone in the rain is part of this 80% segment. Another example is that I use the camera a lot. I'm not saying 80% of my phone usage is taking pictures. Taking pictures is just another use case that's part of this 80% segment that's been compromised by the Galaxy Fold.

Lol, I was just being facetious. I get what you are saying, it doesn't help that you throw an arbitrary 80% in, but I get what you are saying. I still don't agree, but much of it is just our personal opinion so doesn't really matter.

People complaining Good Lock breaks app continuity. Also it seems that Samsung is slow to update Good Lock based on previous update history and the current reviews say it's broken for Android 11. I don't have a Fold 2 to test this myself, but it sounds like a headache.

I haven't experienced those issues at all. Android 11 isn't out for the Fold 2 yet (at least not out of beta). No headaches at all, not even a single minor issue with Good Lock.

If the flashy technology is not mature yet and it's not for everyone (assumption here is that it's not for most), I would say that's a gimmick. Likewise, the U1 chip in the iPhone is a gimmick as it's not mature yet and it's not for most users.

I don't disagree that in it's current iteration it isn't ready for everyone, but I still disagree it's a gimmick and nothing you have said has swayed my opinion. It's a remarkable phone that is incredibly useful mainly because it is foldable.