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They have a certain appeal to them. I'd love to try one out though and see how it appeals to me. Main thing that keeps me from getting one, is that I work in construction. Dust and debris getting inside the screen, then me closing it is just asking for scratches. Would a screen protector even be viable with the crease being in the middle?
Old school flip phones were feasible for situations like mine. But I'm not going back to T9 texting lol.
I would break it in less than a day in my work environment... Metal dust + anti-cut gloves... RIP the screen at least.
A big breakable hinge on a delicate piece of electronics that you shove in your pocket.
What could possibly go wrong?
If they can somehow shove in an spen I'd be sold.
Damn spen has me hooked on Samsung. Its such a killer feature that is so underused by the masses.
Only yesterday did it bail me out of a password issue on my Jap PlayStation account via its translation feature. Totally seamless.
But yah, needs internal housing since I choose to not rock a case.
My household has a couple folding phones. The pixel fold is great, the Samsung fold is too tall.
I want to try a flip style foldable. Maybe moto or Samsung's (good moto trade in when🙃). It's been a while since I've seen a phone and go damn, that's eye candy. There'll probably be funky quirks no doubt, but a modern flip phone just looks awesome.
There could be some interesting designs, but to take advantage of that the UI would need to adapt, I think.
Today I'd rather have user-replaceable batteries and screens.
Love my z fold 4 a year in.
Anything particular you like about it?
They are terrible, i would never buy one.
I like the concept but they're too expensive for me. About €2k for a fold and €1k for a flip is outside my (self-imposed) budget. I don't particularly wish to spend more than about €600.
Once they become more mainstream and affordable, I'll most definitely be checking one out.
I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 after my Fold 3's inside screen protector separated. Luckily I bought it through T-Mobile and for an upgrade.
I like wowing people by using it like a regular phone and suddenly opening it up to a small tablet. Some people can't wait to get "the Apple version" but I'll let them wait wait for the future while I enjoy this phone.
I do switch between other Android "slab phones", but I guess I go back to a folding phone because I get to carry a small tablet with me without having a second device.
I like the idea of them, but I've yet to see it implemented in a way that I feel is necessarily helpful.
Dreaming of Pixel Fold. AOSP Android is the only Android I will buy.
However, announced price of 1.9k eur (or 2500eur in e-shops) is something I would not spend on a freaking phone. Price has to go down...
I've been eagerly watching the foldable space ever since the first Razr was announced, but never took the plunge because I felt the tech wasn't there yet. You would pay flagship prices for a fragile phone with bad specs.
Now I think they are finally good enough. My next one will probably be a Razr, I don't trust Samsung.
I feel like it's a cool bit of tech, but not something I ever asked for in a phone or will ever have a practical use for.
Written on Flip 4.
The compromises hit quite hard. Battery life sucks, screen brightness in sunshine is horrible, and photo quality is not that great (as expected). I still like the toy aspect of it, can lay it anywhere I want, software is also quite good (but definitely not perfect). Fit in pocket (man) is also not perfect (as now key are under it and not next to it). Overall, I still like it, but if I got the money back, I would go back to a normal phone.
The prospect of a tablet size screen folding up to fit in my pocket is appealing, but the durability and price aren't currently acceptable. I don't understand the appeal of flip type foldables at all.
I'm very interested in the ability to have a large screen when I need it. I am hesitant though. The prices are crazy, which isn't surprising for new tech. I'm also going to wait a bit and let them iron the kinks out before I consider buying one.
I'm also pretty rough on everything I own, so it's going to need to be as tough as a current slate phone before I look at them.
I've been using a Z Fold 4 for about a year, since launch. This is my first foldable, and it'd honestly be difficult for me to go back to a standard slab phone.
I love how multitasking is actually an enjoyable, functional experience on a foldable. I love having a large display for consuming content. The larger internal display really ups the threshold for "Okay, I need a computer for this", since I can load desktop sites and it be usable.
Granted, it isn't perfect. I do still have concerns about durability, despite the fact thaty Fold has taken a few nasty falls and come out unscathed, it is of course still possible to break. For the first time, I have insurance on a phone due to durability.
The outer display is functional, but it's quite narrow. This leads to some apps not loading properly on the outer display, and a bit of a cramped keyboard. You do get used to it, but I'd prefer a larger external display like the wider display of the Pixel Fold.
The biggest short coming for foldables is apps. While most apps function just fine, some really don't. Instagram is a great example of one that performs poorly on both the external and internal displays. Some apps have tablet interfaces that launch on the inner display, but most don't. Most apps are just a blown up version of the standard phone interface. There are other weird app quirks like how my bank app will only let me use fingerprint to sign in when it's launched on the external display, not the internal. The app situation I think will get better with time as foldables become more widespread, but it is a frustration for now.
The final shortcoming is the size and weight of these phones. With a case on, the Fold 4 is a pretty substantial phone on your pocket. It's heavy, thick, and the first few weeks with it you'll really notice the size and weight. Foldables are trending thinner and lighter, but more progress needs to be made here.
Anyways, all this to say - I ultimately love my foldable phone and have been very satisfied. It's expensive, but if you have the means and the interest in one, I doubt you'd be disappointed. Just keep the shortcomings in mind.
They protect one of their screens, thats nice. And for people that really really nned a very wide screen i can see tyem using it. As for me they are way expensive.
Got myself a Motorola Razr Plus a couple weeks ago after a few years of Pixel 3aXL. Really loving the phone so far. Using the outer screen when taking selfies, changing music while working out/on the go, and sending quick messages is great. Also purchased the two year insurance plan, a first for me but given potential durability concerns a no-brainer.
Was on the fence with Pixel Fold but really liking the smaller form factor of the "flip" style compared to "fold". Also not sure when I'd really use the tablet form.
Great to see more competition in this area. Long-standing companies making foldables like Samsung are going to need to step it up.
For my own tastes (and budget) the Fold form factor isn't too interesting to me. I like a more compact phone. So I was just looking into the Flip 5 as a possible purchase.
Unfortunately I saw the camera setup is worse than the base S23 on all fronts (main lens, no telephoto, selfie cam). I knew the battery would be a bit worse, but I'm not a heavy SOT so it didn't bother me.
Adding in at least a bit of deserved worrying over longevity and I decided to pass. I really thought this could be the year and if the camera array was a bit better I likely would have pulled the trigger.
I'm all about the side-folders (Z-Fold), the flip folders (Z-Flip) are cool but gimmicky. Never owned one, but probably will one day!
As soon as I realised that fold phones existed, I had to own one. My preferred phone is a phablet, but the size makes them non feasible for day to day use. Fold phones solve that problem nicely. I don't think I can go back.
Quite mixed on the idea of foldable phones.
On one hand, they're pretty cool and I especially the Z Flip/razr format for its nod to the flip phone era and the portability.
On the other, their durability is er...questionable and there's no telling if the screen will last as long as that of traditional smartphone's. Oh and plastic screen means scratch galore, too.
Also good idea with these post mods, I see a lot of high quality comment here! It's starting to feel like the Reddit of old times here, well without the toxicity I suppose.
Not a fan tbh.
The drawbacks outweigh the benefits for me.
More expensive, more fragile, smaller battery, and I don't really care to have a large screen on me at all times.