Android

I've gotten used to holding onto my phones longer and skipping several phone releases at a time (Nexus 6 > Pixel 2 XL > Pixel 6 XL) and I don't really feel like I can continue to do that with a foldable based on the durability questions from the main screen. The prospect of a smaller device in my pocket is the big factor in wanting one and every time a new flip device comes out I find myself doing the same research hoping there is a magic bullet that solves the screen durability or de-lamination issues.

I am really interested in getting one, but I'm planning to hold off until the cameras improve and reach flagship levels. Right now, that's the only drawback, and the price of course.

Cool gimmick, but I’m gonna wait till all the kinks are worked out (or at least, all the major ones). Right now, I just don’t care enough to buy an unreliable phone with a hinge.

I like the idea, but they're way out of my price range and easier to break too.

I used to have a clam phone when I was a kid and I love the idea of a foldable phone now.

But I wouldn't buy one any time soon - the idea of a hinged phone and screen just sounds far to vulnerable to wear and tear. As soon as you start adding moving parts you increase the risk of failure.

It's a great concept but at the moment it's a superfluous luxury and as they're so expensive then the cost of a breakage is just too much to tolerate. As the technology and manufacturing improves and/or becomes cheaper I might get one. But at present I don't want to risk buying a very expensive phone that could break in such a basic way as a hinged phone and folding screen could.

I'm so two minds about it. On one hand it's an incredibly stupid idea (reliability, extra screen/cameras, two batteries...), but at the same time it's really a marvel of technology and a real miracle that they actually make it work.

I can imagine a Razr in my distant future if Moto survives and doesn't get shittier. Altho I'll probably still prefer other aspects to a foldable screen.

I like the concept, but I don't think we have endurable hardware for that yet... And I can't afford them anyway.

I just hope they don't end up like many of those interesting Android promises that go nowhere.

I've owned the Samsung fold2 & 3. Personally to me they are cool phones. However they just aren't made to last, and that's not the only problem. Realistically they are heavier, bulkier and have less specs than the top end smartphones. I found that each time I was holding it, I would rather be holding a normal phone just because my arms would get tired, it felt finicky to be holding such a large screen in public situations. It has its perks when sitting down in a plane, shopping mall, train. But again you could have an even larger screen and more power of you just brought a laptop. What makes me enjoy these products is the fact I've been dreaming about foldables since I was a kid, and that never disappears.

Bah. I just want one of these.

Google's Pixel Fold is pretty much what I'd like to see in a folding phone, whereas Samsung's extremely tall aspect ratio is a bit too thin for one-handed use.

Other competitors have figured out the formula for something that works well open and closed, so for the Fold type devices I'd like to see Samsung improve on the design and squish it a little, especially because it is so thick when folded.

Flip-style devices on the other hand, those are immediately cool. If the Z Flip had similar cameras to the S23, I would have considered holding out for one. The battery life on the S23 is what won me over.

Mine broke too easily, and I made the mistake of buying the immature product used. Replacement parts were only $50 cheaper than buying another one used.

Never used a foldable phone. Looks cool, but too bad its not dust resistant and the curved display is very weak against scratches. A hinge in a phone just further shorten it's lifespan. I wouldn't use them until it's not only water-resistant, but also dust proof, and the hinge better outlast the lifespan of the rest of the phone. Considering the high price and also comes with so much drawbacks, they aren't for the average person. It's a rich person's toy.

I like the concept but I need durability.

I am currently using a Galaxy Fold 3.

I'm torn between "I can never go back to a normal phone this is amazing" and "this is fragile and has crap battery and a normal phone would be better".

I have not personally used a phone with a folding screen, but I work in customer service and I know our tech team has replaced a lot of them where the screen gets a crease in the middle or comes unlamented.

Honestly though the foldables seem kind of pointless to me. It gives a slightly larger screen that's really of no use unless your phone is the only thing you use to watch movies/game on. It's really more of a status symbol than anything else.

I'm sure someone will eventually come up with a more useful and innovative way of using foldable screen technology, but this is not it.

My gf wanted one because the flips fold down small, but if you ever go on eBay, you'll see the screens are pretty shitty still. Maybe we'll get her one in a few years from now when they've had time to really, truly iron out all the kinks.

I am a marine scientist and need a phone that can perform in the field. I know the new foldables are water resistant, but I would be worried about salt and grit getting up in that hinge and messing stuff up. So I don't think they're for me, though I'd really like to have one. My Note 20 Ultra is too small to comfortably jot notes on honestly.

I do not have a need for so much real estate on my mobile device. Nor do I want to carry anything thicker than a phone in my pocket. I use my Galaxy S20 Ultra which serves me well on the go and I my laptop if I want to look at something on a larger screen while I am home.

I like glass screens with an anti-glare screen protector on it.

The foldables I've seen use glossy, soft plastic screens.

We're already off on a bad start.

These things are becoming softer, more fragile, and more disposable, all the while going up up up in price.

When I see a review for a device that can be permanently damaged with just a fingernail and is frail enough to snap in half if folded the wrong way - all the while costing way more than a regular phone, I don't know if I'd feel comfortable using it. I already get uncomfortable handing my "normal" phone to someone to see, especially a kid.

expensive, and not worth the change from regular phones

I bought a Z Fold 2 in 2020 and still use it today. Battery life is great, screens are still great (both outer and inner). I always have a cheap case for it that covers the front screen. I have dropped it twice outside on the concrete ground and the cheap case broke, but NOT the phone, so I just bought another case each time--to me, that's what the cheap case is for. I really like it and will probably get another version at some point, but here are my main takeaways:

• Outer screen is very slim (think almost TV remote-sized). I have gotten used to it but God forbid you hand it to someone else to type on, they always say it's too small

• It's too long for my pockets, but I'm a woman that wears women's clothes, and our pockets are too damn small for anything, so I have to carry it in my purse

• The screen protectors it comes with do start to fray at the edges over time, but I have never had it bubble up at the folding point/crease on the inner screen

• If you are not known for being delicate with your phone, this is not the phone for you. If you work outdoors regularly, have a tendency to drop your phone regularly, etc, don't buy this

• It's expensive

• Not all apps are compatible with the big screen so sometimes you're stuck with the small screen view on the big inner screen

• Having a portable tablet is great! I got rid of my tablet when I bought this phone and have no regrets

• It's great for driving when using Google Maps or whichever driving app you choose. Having the big screen makes it so much easier to see the directions

• Any video looks better on the big screen

• I have used the big screen to view maps I downloaded for hiking

(Context I uses to repair phones for everyone's favorite insurance company Asurion, so my perspective is more about the physical device and components)

I fucking hate them. Super fragile AND super expensive. Not to mention if you have one and the screen protector get damaged manufacturers warranty only covers 1 replacement. Fixing that inner screen out of pocket is around $600-$700 which at that point is just buying an entirely new note or S-series phone. The only nice thing I can say is that the 4 Gen flips and folds are a bit sturdier than the first generation, so they are improving over time. Maybe by the fold 7 it will be in a place where consumers can buy and repair them for reasonable prices, but right now I always advise people to stay away.

Too breaky

Honestly im considering buying one Just for the gimkick factor alone. I do like phones that have some gimmick. About the actual usefulness of said gimmick. Well i bought note once for the gimmick alone. Have i ever used the pencil. Only for solving nonograms. Nothing more. Folding phones gimmick on the other hand seems to be way better than the note gimkick, particualry the fold series, flips are questionable alghtough arguably they Look more cool. But the durability of both seems sketchy at Best, especialy since my notę 4 is still used in my family by my grandma and it still feels snapy to use.

So would i buy one. Not really. The thing with my old note 4 was that i managed to buy it used for a very reasonable price and im not sure i would touch used folding phone with a 3 feet pole, and a full priced 1000$ phones are a scam as far as i am concerned. If you want fun gimmick i Would honestly recomend rog phone 6 instead ( cool, should be reasonably priced, fun aestethic ) or a hopefully soon to be fairphone 5 (i never thought i would call removable battery a gimmick but here we are in 2023) . But If you swim in money by any means buy a flip or fold,why not.

If the price was max $1k, folding vertically and not a Samsung then I would get it. I got my self a tablet because I read and watch YouTube a lot. I rather have one device than two. So when I saw the new pixel did I get hyped then I saw the price...

I think they're a neat concept, but I'm also a device repair tech and they definitely seem to be more prone to damage. Had someone bring in a Z Flip 4 with the "glass" flaking away in the crease, have had people come in with snapped hinges or battery swelling popping one of the screens. The tech doesn't seem to be quite there yet imo.

As someone who Had a Nintendo DS and 3DS it certainly seems like a cool idea but they also had the problem of the hinges breaking rendering them useless, this is much worse on the folding phones where the display itself bends in half and can literally wear out just from opening and closing, rendering the phone next to useless, the DS handheld gaming systems didn't even have that problem.

For that reason I really don't like them and can't really get behind them. I prefer my devices to last to obsolescence (a ripe old age) and be durable, folding screen phones are not that whatsoever. If I wanted a bigger screen I'd rather just have a bigger phone honestly, or be able to dock it in a laptop like enclosure.

As with a lot of the negatives (including price), they will improve as time goes on,but to a large degree I see foldable as a fun engineering exercise to look at, but mostly pointless for the time being. I especially find it ridiculous when a foldable is 2x as thick as a regular phone and reviewers act like it's magically half the size when you close it. You're sacrificing height for thickness, but the volume is almost the exact same as a regular device.

As someone who loves the large screen of my tablet, I like the idea of a foldable, but they are a long way away from mass adoption.

I'd love one. Preferably the opens-like-a-book style, not the vertical ribbon.

But I don't want to carry around something that costs that much. They're currently priced for someone with way more money.

I love the idea of them but not at that price point unfortunately

Like ‘fetch’ they’re never going to happen

I use the Fold 4 and I love it. I don't think I could ever go back to using a nonfoldable. I never notice the crease during use unless I run my finger across it. In terms of durability, it's been great. I dropped my phone many times onto concrete and no issues at all. The only problem I have is with the screen protector for the folding screen. Mine is already peeling after around a year of use and it's a pain to get it replaced. You can't really do it yourself and you need to make an appointment at a repair shop to do it. At least it's free.

I'm skeptical how well the screen holds up at the hinge, so I guess I'm not an early adopter. Show me one a year old that's had the same cheap screen protector on the entire time - if it still looks good I might consider it. Otherwise I don't see a reason to upgrade.

Flip phones have only one advantage - they are smaller in the pocket. Folds have advantage of turning into mini tablets, but huge downsides of battery life in this mode, and thickness in the pocket. Maybe in the future, if they manage to make them even thinner.

If it doesn't make a neat noise when I flip it open like a Star Trek communicator I'm not interested.

They are terrible, i would never buy one.