I feel like its a bad idea for people to buy these. I mean… the screen are weak plastics that can get damaged by a fingernail. Seems like an expensive buy for such a terrible durability. A terrible deal in my opinion.
What even is the use-case for these, anyways?
2nd fold buyer here, love them. Use case is a lady in the streets but a freak in the sheets (spreadsheets). Desktop modes, RDP. It’s great!
I’ve seen the earlier iterations have problem, but also seen the newer ones are a lot better. Of course being newer means they still have their mettle to be tested in the real world.
I also have a friend who gave his wife and children the Galaxy flip phones. Don’t know which one. But from what I could see, they’re holding up fine. I’d have to ask him about them next time I meet.
And don’t talk to me about giving expensive phones to children. They’re teenaged enough by my reckon, and it’s his responsibility.
I feel that is a very small niche market and i doubt they have reddit yet alone lemmy
Aged worse than milk.
??
There are many people who do have them and are posting here, so they very much on this platform.
If everyone on lemmy had one, it would still be a small niche community
Everyone I’ve talked to who owned one has complained that the screen either gets a line in it where the fold is or delaminates.
I think it’s a fad that will probably die off soon
the screen either gets a line in it where the fold is or delaminates.
Delamination is the factory installed screen protector, which can be replaced, not the screen itself.
I had one for about a year and went back to a normal phone. The crease didn’t bother me at all, had no problem with delamination… Really no problems with the phone at all. It was great for watching YT and multitasking, but in the end, it was just a really thick/bulky phone and it was annoying to deal with.
I think I’d really prefer a 5.5" screen, if I need something bigger, I’ll use a different device.
Hopefully the materials will improve before then. I think foldable screens are a great idea.
The only person I know who has had one is a tech enthusiast / early adopter. He changes phones multiple times per year anyway so a short-lived screen while they work out design improvements probably isn’t much of a concern for him.
Best use case I saw was multitasking. He could be writing or drawing on one half while reading from a reference on the other.
I saw a smart flip phone once. Small smart screen on the outside, small smart screen on the inside, and a keypad that you could use to type with, using the forgotten skill.
I would love one of those.
I own a Mode 7 Retro ii flip phone. Modern Android, tiny screen on the top, number pad on the bottom which I never use, and the dang thing fits nicely in my pocket and the screen never gets scratched. Faux leather on the outside. One of my profs literally calls me “Flip phone.” I do carry a tablet a lot of the time, so my phone is mostly for calls and podcasts. I doom scroll on the tablet.
I got a fold6 from my work. Its nice having the big screen to load desktop sites/play games/do anything that needs seeing. The front screen is handy for doom scrolling, texting, and taking phone calls. It sucks ass being Samsung tho. grapheneOS apparently supports google folds. That might be cool but I haven’t seen it.
two of my good friends use them… idk if they are totally happy but we’ve been around the block a few times with technology, so idk
What even is the use-case for these, anyways?
A larger screen than you can get on a non-foldable phone without creating carrying issues.
My cousin got one some time back, said that she liked it at that point.
I think that it’d be preferable to just carry a 5G-capable tablet in a satchel or something.
Some years back, I got an underarm money belt — very thin so it can be worn under clothing. I didn’t wind up using it for my wallet much, but it did work well to carry a small tablet.
EDIT: This is the closest thing I can find on Amazon quickly to said belt. Very similar, though it’s not the same.
My friend has the galaxy fold. He likes it because he has a tablet with him everywhere.
I personally don’t want a tablet with me everywhere so I don’t want them. But that said I’m not at all worried about the screens durability. Foldable phones aren’t new at this point, they’ve worked the kinks out 🥁 Only long long term (10+ years) durability is my concern. I like playing with old devices and I’m sure they won’t age well in that regard.
I have a flip phone for a while now. A black line did form on the crease after ~6 months, but was replaced under warranty. No further problems since. I don’t use a case either and am rather clumsy.
The biggest upside to the design is reclaimed pocket space.
Everyone has accepted carrying a giant slab that takes up one pocket at all times. Manufacturers that attempt to make reasonable sized phones quickly abandon the idea because people don’t purchase them. Everyone says they’d love having a small phone, then buy something else when it’s time to spend money. Flip phones are the closest thing to a compromise we’ll get anymore.
Given that phones are cameras that just so happen to make phone calls and the industry continuously innovate backwards (headphone jack, micro sd expandable storage, removable batteries, physical sim trays, and potentially USB-C if Apple has their way), foldable screens are the first genuine innovation/progression.
Everyone says they’d love having a small phone, then buy something else when it’s time to spend money.
I own a Palm Phone, a Unihertz Jelly, an iPhone 13 Mini, a Light Phone 2. Although, from that line up only the iPhone 13 Mini is viable. The rest of the phones come with other issues…
I also don’t have heavy phone usage, so battery life isn’t really a problem for me.
I buy the smallest phone I can find… But they keep getting bigger, there just aren’t smaller options available.
I love the idea of a flip phone, if only for the promise of increased durability, a more protected screen. But so far I think these foldable phones have been generally less durable than more traditional phones. So yeah, I’ll wait until the tech matures.
Everyone says they’d love having a small phone
Not me. I want a bigger phone!
Oh indeed! Since phones had that shrinkathon, I was asking for more power, more battery, more thickness!
Don’t be so proud when you shave off another 0,3mm, add a 0,3mm more and put a bigger battery in it!
Especially when you have giant hands like me. Small phones are just plain, uncomfortable to use. I like me a wide device I can actually grip and not wrap my entire hand around the thing while I’m using it.
Around 10 years ago I worked in an electronics store. You know, when actual small smartphones were still a thing (think S4 Mini and stuff like that).
Every day people came looking for a small phone. Always were very interested in the smaller devices. And yet most never bought one, they eventually decided for a larger one. For each new Samsung series during that time, I’d guess it was about ~50% of people interested in the Mini series, but only ~5% of our actual sales were the Minis.It’s crazy and I learned a lot about people and their purchasing behavior back then. People often think they want something and never buy it and vice versa. It’s interesting, from a psychological view. In my current business it’s the same - people keep asking for stuff, and once you offer it, nobody cares about it.
That’s probably why Samsung kept on making these Minis until the S5 despite them not seeling. Customers kept just giving them feedback that didn’t reflect their behavior.
What moved them to pick the bigger devices?
Asking as someone who is currently trying to pick between the smallest options on the market
It was always the same. They came in saying they’re looking for a small device. I showed them the small devices. They played around with them a bit, then slowly moved on to the bigger devices. No reason given, they just said they liked the smaller ones more and yet still bought the bigger ones.
My tech-normie co worker has it and loves it, it’s over a year old and the screen is in great shape to even my annoyingly issue-finding-prone eyes
If she can manage that with a slightly older one I can only assume the tech is improving quite rapidly
My, not so tech savy uncle, who also works in Building Maintenance (so not the most clean and safe place for a flip phone) had one for the last couple of years and he had no problems. Always amazed me.
My partner had one until about a year ago when it broke irreversibly.
They’re still making payments on it and the thing was already on its third screen when it died. They’re cool and I think the idea is good, but I think the whole “bendable screen” idea is fundamentally flawed for smartphones.
Yes - I do.
Pixel Fold 9 Pro (or some combo of those words)
I do mainly use the front screen. The narrower screen there is easier for navigating/typing. It’s also my preferred screen for taking pictures.
I was expecting the large unfolded display to be good for videos, but it’s just a little bit bigger than the main screen, but with a slightly visible crease down the middle. I still use it for video because it “stands up” easier on a table in tablet mode, and the video is a bit higher, which is easier on my neck. What I did not expect was how good it is for every day webpage usage. It’s much easier to read article and view photos on the larger screen.
As far as durability goes, my phone came with a pre-applied self healing screen protector. After 7 months of regular pocket carry/daily driver, the inner display looks brand new, except for where the edges of the screen cross the hinge, there is some noticable “pocket dander” that has infiltrated that area, but it is easily removed with some of that electronics cleaner goop. I put my phone in a case, which is a PITA, because it has to be held on with adhesive, but I’m not worried about drops or condensation on the phone. It’s head up fine to freezing temps and hot n humid yard work.
Would I get one again? Hard to say. At this time, the lack of apps properly supporting wider screens, and the trouble typing on the inner display are obvious downsides. Cost wise, with the black Friday trade in I got on my old phone, this foldable costs less per month, which was surprising. I do envy my wife’s slimmer and lighter iPhone when we are doing long walks or mobile activities. If I got a good deal on a new foldable in 4 years, I’d probably go for it, otherwise I’d switch back to a standard phone.
I am open to questions about my experience (with the phone) so far, so feel free to ask.
Jeeze, it’s a Pixel 9 Pro Fold, get it right! (/s)
