I think their cost is a huge barrier to entry for most people.
the problem with my NORMAL smartphone is it is TOO MUCH SCREEN. the bezels are so narrow i cant even grip it like a normal object without triggering touches on the screen sides. all buttons have been stripped off for over a decade now and you cannot hold it from the back without glueing an object on the back of your case. i can only reach 50% of my samsung phone screen with my thumb while holding it with one hand, making it a two handed device most of the time already. why in THE WORLD would i want my phone screen BIGGER?? honestly, why? the only thing I can think of is long commutes on a bus? but you can bring tablets… 🤷♂️
I think the idea is that for one, the front screen can be smaller and more easily used because the main screen is bigger. On the other hand, the main screen is bigger, allowing it to act as a tablet without having to carry a second device. On top of all that, it still fits in your pocket.
Because the front screen on my pixel fold is actually smaller
I’ve never seen the point of a folding phone other than as a gimmick you show off to your friends.
just like the curved screen gimmick, newer models have abandoned it largely, because the cost of fixxing one that is prone to breaking, plus screen protectors have a hard time cover the curved areas.
When you need to read a Wikipedia table but it’s way too big for the phone screen without scrolling sideways or zooming so far you can’t read it
The flip style ones are pretty useless other than getting a preview on the main cameras.
The fold style, especially a trifold, seems pretty useful, and lets you basically carry around a decent size tablet in your pocket.
I definitely wouldn’t call it a gimmick, although the price and durability tradeoffs are nowhere near worth it for 99% of people.
As someone who had a Samsung Flip3, I miss how easy it was to carry it around. It didn’t feel like a brick that I had to take out of my pocket every time I needed to check my notifications. It was also surprisingly durable. Price is the main downside of these phones.
There’s a fair chance I’ll buy another one in the future if I have enough money when switching phones.
I’m interested in getting a foldable eventually, but I think it’s still too soon and too costly.
Mr Mobile talked about this in his review of Oppo’s Find N5.
Essentially, while the product is great and folding phones are finding more utility, the price is still prohibitively high.
I upgraded to a Pixel 9 a few months ago because I specifically wanted to run GrapheneOS. I did considered a Pixel Fold, but really couldn’t justify the extra cost. Maybe next time though…
Having 2 phones is much better in every use case, IMO.
