Previously on Lemmy:
Past Discussions:
Well, as promised, we are talking foldable this week. The excitement is palpable, and it looks like the rest of our mod team have already started the conversation here. Go check it out.
I honestly don’t know very much about foldable phones, so I’ll let the rest of our (very smart and knowledgeable) mod team handle this one this week. :)
Last thing for future reference at the end of the week, we also have a great thread discussing foldables here too, go check it out if you want more great discussions.
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I don’t trust it not to break.
Also they’re wildly expensive.
For my Fold4 Samsung will cover replacement of the inner screen almost for free. That said, I’ve had mine since the release and there’s been zero issues with it. My device is used daily as a primary driver and only thing I carry with me on travels. Laptop sits at home.
I felt the same but my wife got one over a year back and so far the only issue has been needing to replace the screen protector where it loses adhesion and starts to create a “bubble” towards the center of the device.
Bigger issue for me is that - unfolded - it’s a bit harder to protect with bumpers, and my experience with mechanical “clamshell” anything tends towards that part going over time
Do you really need a screen protector if the main screen is only ever exposed when you’re actively using it? I’d thought the main point of screen protectors is to prevent scratching against pocket fabric or keys, or accidental drops. Foldables also seem pretty fragile that dropping it is a game over regardless of a screen protector.
Well my wife did drop something on the phone once when it was open and I’m pretty sure the protector saved it :-)
The screen protector is mainly there because the inner-screen is either plastic or Ultra Thin Glass™, which makes the inner-screen extremely brittle, despite it being almost always covered.
My wife and I have had the Z-Fold3’s for a while now. Both of us have dropped it many times while open and folded. So far, there are no issues except for the screen protector adhesive one mentioned above.
My son(2.5) threw my wife’s across the room(hard flooring), and the phone was totally fine. In my experience, they’re not as fragile as most people think.
Had a Z Fold 4 for a couple of months now and i dont ever want to go back. It feels great in the hand when closed and it is awesome to have a much larger screen available at any time. Crease isnt very noticable on it
My husband has a zfold. Same feedback after a few months, but recently the screen has finally started having issues at the crease. He’s extremely careful with it, so this is definitely a phone thing and not just a use thing.
It’s probably something he’s already checked, but the screen protector ends up coming off inside the crease after a while. Have had to replace mine and my wife’s twice so far, but it’s an easy fix.
Oh good to know. There’s truly no telling if he checked that, so I will :p
Had one since launch, first foldable. Zero issues with the interior screen/crease. People need to remember you’ll hear about the issues, you won’t hear about people just enjoying their device normally.
I disagree with people who say the inside screen is useless. For one, I use it to share pics with family because it’s easier for multiple people to view. I also use it for watching videos, it’s quite nice.
I am also a remote sys admin. I use the inside screen for RDP/ssh sessions to remote machines for quick weekend maintenance. I will never go back.
Manufacturers are being forced to make their phones last longer with sensible things like replaceable batteries, so they’re coming up with fresh designed obsolescence by adding things that will wear and tear to keep everyone spending $1-2k every couple of years.
My first thought exactly when I read the question. It’s just another point of failure for the phone, using people’s nostalgia for something that never was that great anyway
Dreaming of Pixel Fold. AOSP Android is the only Android I will buy.
However, announced price of 1.9k eur (or 2500eur in e-shops) is something I would not spend on a freaking phone. Price has to go down…
Foldable phones have the problem with the hinge and that the display is not very suited for constant folding. I would think those phones will even last half of a normal phones lifetime aka 2 years and thats profit for the Companies!
Am not sure if you own a foldable, but that comment kind of sounds like you don’t. Inner screen is not a problem and hinges are quite well built. Devices have other issues but inner screen is not one of them. Mine is some 8-9 months old at the moment and there isn’t a single scratch on that inner screen. By now pretty much every phone I had would get at least tiny scratches, regardless of the fact they are made from better material.
Whether it would last 2+ years, I’d say they would by the feeling alone but your guess is as good as mine, however I don’t see rampant complains online of people saying first versions dying on them. Whole hardware is sturdy and feels good as new after almost a year of daily use. I do know Samsung says first inner screen replacement is 10$ or so and they take the hit for most of the price. My device is also insured but I am not sure I need it really.
Just another possible point of failure with no real upside, beside the ability to slam it shut while on a call when angry like it is 2005 again.
Cosmetically the screen creases would anoy me.
Only use case I see valuable would be easier portability of larger screen formats. But I really never use a tablet to begin with.
I’m sure the tech will go towards better curved displays like monitors,tvs, and VR headset optics. Which are some things i maybe interested in using.
But at this point I feel it’s more gimmick than anything.
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.
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 had a Nokia 8110 and 7110 which had a sliding mechanism to get the mic closer to the mouth (and to look cool), that made (some) sence. Now, I don’t see the advantage of a folding phone. Why make a phone shorter while making id thicker? I’m missing the ‘small’ 4" phones that looked like bricks compared to the old gsm models.
Foldable screens, to me, seem to be a recipe for disaster. Another point of failure.
Flip phones like from Star Trek are awesome though!
I really need to go watch Star Trek. Seems popular here.
I’m personally loving how much Trek is on Lemmy. There’s even a star trek based instance.
Strange New Worlds and Lower Decks. Both amazing! Especially SNW. Absolutely loving this season, I honestly want to go back and rewatch all the current eps as they release.
“His Delta is also a communicator. You just tap it.”
“But flipping it open is the best part.”
Love it so much!!!
Original Recipe is still the best…
A foldable flip phone would be much better than most of the book type foldables that seem to be the trend :)
They seem extremely difficult to repair so it’s a hard pass from me.
Everything is stupidly difficult to repair these days. Just today I watched repair videos of Samsung Fold 4 and the old Razr, and it honestly didn’t seem much worse than any other phone. At least you don’t need fucking lasers to remove the backplate like on iPhones.
I went to the Samsung™ store and fondled their latest foldable phones lineup. Even on the demo models, you could clearly see the crease. It will only get worse as you use it. I think there is a market for folding phones but as separate screens, i.e. 2 or more panels side by side. If you gonna have a crease, might as well separate the screens.
I doesn’t get worse as you use it and you stop seeing crease after two days of use. It’s there just like camera cutout or bezel is. Just another part of device you start ignoring, just like you don’t notice your nose most of the time.
Microsoft made the surface duo some two years ago and it didn’t do great (though the screen wasn’t necessarily the reason for that). The problem I see with that approach is that you can’t have content going all the way across due to the bezel between the screens.
My non-foldable phones seem to break often enough. For the price, I’m not willing to introduce another physical feature to my phone that can break. They are certainly cool though. I’d love to have one. Not willing to risk it for the price.
I love the concept and idea of them and could see myself utilizing the ones that unfold into a tablet with the S-Pen. But the durability of those screens made me nervous.
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.
