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How does everyone here feel about foldable phones?

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.

Rooki ,
@Rooki@lemmy.world avatar

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!

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

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.

the_vale ,

With the release of the fold5 I was considering trading in my S22 Ultra to get one, but even with that and all the promotions, it would still cost more than 1k € that I’d have to pay up front, which I’d rather not do.

Sea_pop ,

I had the Razr 5G and now am on the Razr+ I love this phone and love the form factor! Even with heavy use I get a day out of my battery. But I am usually around some form of a charger or power so I don’t worry about battery life.

I had to replace my 5G two times but those were all my fault. I practically threw my phone across a concrete floor two days into having it and shattered both the back and front glass. Honestly, it fared a lot better than my previous OnePlus (same fate). Inside screen was perfect. Same fate with the second (I’m a klutz and always have insurance).

With that said, the increased width on the Razr+ and vegan leather back have proved to be very easy to hold. The screen is recessed inside the frame of the phone so phantom touches on the aidesnor when opening are not really possible. I use my phone for work and am always flipping it open to take photos. This thing is covered in grease on the regular.

For those people who dig their nails into phones. Why? It’s a flexible screen of course it’s plastic.

I doubt I’ll ever get a flip-free phone. Perfect form factor. Durable. And Motorola has been very supportive of all my phones the past two years.

MargotRobbie OP ,
@MargotRobbie@lemmy.world avatar

I’m actually very interested in the razr+. That viva magenta color looks great!

Sea_pop ,

It has held up surprisingly well and the back hasn’t discolored even from heavy use.

DeltaTangoLima ,
@DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com avatar

I tried the Fold3, and had it back under warranty 3 times, until Samsung opted to replace it. They replaced it with a Fold4 (which was nice) in beige (which wasn’t nice).

So I sold it and got a Pixel 7 Pro, and I couldn’t be happier.

Honestly, foldable screen tech still needs a lot more maturity, IMHO. It was actually a relief to switch back to a phone where my heart didn’t miss a beat every time I opened it, or heard the creak/crack sound when closing it. It was honestly pretty stressful, wondering if each day was the day I’d join the long list of people with busted screens through no fault of their own.

MargotRobbie OP ,
@MargotRobbie@lemmy.world avatar

Makes me miss the days of plastic backed phones that are nearly indestructible.

DeltaTangoLima ,
@DeltaTangoLima@reddrefuge.com avatar

Lol - I actually remember using my Nokia 101 to hammer some plastic trim back into place on my car!

RaoulDook ,

All phones that cost that much are dumb. Just get a computer instead and your money goes a lot farther to get screens and computing power.

$200-300 is about all I’ll be willing to spend for any phone. I don’t care what the features are that the expensive phones have, unless it’s got some kind of alien laser technology that can do stuff that computers can’t. For my price range I can have a great Pixel with GrapheneOS and that’s about all I want.

madcaesar ,

I personally have a 500$ cutoff. And at that price I better be getting my SD slot at LEAST!

99% of today’s phones simply do not interest me. Either because of price or lack of features.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

That’s exactly why I bought Fold4, not to have to carry my laptop around. I need to be available close to 24/7, and having your laptop with you is a chore. This phone, while heavy, is still lighter than laptop and does 90% of my needs when paired with small bluetooth keyboard. But I approached foldables with that idea. Replace Phone+Laptop with just Foldable Phone. And I do realize my use case is very specific, but for me it works.

RaoulDook ,

I’m too used to my 34" widescreen gaming monitor, my 15" 16x10 ratio MacBook Pro screen, and my 24" 16x10 ratio work PC monitors to feel like I can do anything productive on a phone screen.

I bought a tablet a few years ago. I thought I was going to use it for reading eBooks and stuff. It actually just never gets used.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

I have two 24" displays myself and comfort they provide is irreplaceable by small screen. However when I travel or go for a drink with friends carrying laptop is simply annoying.

ExtremeDullard ,
@ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

What I want a phone to be:

  • Thick with a (reasonable) bezel, so I can grab it easily and not activate the touchscreen at the edges of the screen
  • Reasonably usable with one hand
  • Sturdy, somewhat shock-proof and waterproof
  • As serviceable / repairable as possible
  • Long battery life (not use time, life of battery before it needs replacing)
  • Built to last

Basically everything a foldable phone isn’t.

001100010010 ,
@001100010010@lemmy.dbzer0.com avatar

Sturdy, somewhat shock-proof and waterproof

As serviceable / repairable as possible

Yea those two are a bit tough to find together on a phone. I mean you have fairphones which are very repairable, but it’s only splash resistant, not submerge resistant.

But I found this phone called Nokia XR21 which is $499 and is has IP rating of IP68/IP69K and it’s build as a rugged phone which is very resistant to drops. 6.49 inch display and has a 3.5mm headphone jack! No removable battery tho. It has 3 years of OS updates and 4 years of monthly security updates. Personally this phone looks great to me, but this is a midrange and they don’t make flagships so I went with a Samsung Galaxy S23.

ExtremeDullard ,
@ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org avatar

I have a Ulefone Armor 3W . It’s MIL-STD-810: built like a tank and waterproof. And that ain’t no marketing: I dropped that thing on the road while riding my bike so many times, and it just doesn’t care. And I use it regularly to take photos underwater. It’s fairly repairable too: it’s held together with a truckload of little Torx screws, but once they’re all out, the innards are easily accessible - and from what I can see, the battery easily replaceable.

My only problem with that thing is, it’s not deGoogled. And it’s Ulefone, so there’s a non-zero chance that it’s running Chinese spyware too.

So I retired it, much to my chagrin, and I’m currently rocking a Fairphone 4 running CalyxOS. I’m a bit more careful not to drop that one, and I can live without the waterproofness. Small price to pay to free myself from Google’s corporate surveillance to some extent.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

Then get FairPhone.

Frog-Brawler ,
@Frog-Brawler@kbin.social avatar

Technically, all phones are foldable.

PlutoniumAcid ,
@PlutoniumAcid@lemmy.world avatar

And blendable.

Default_Defect ,
@Default_Defect@midwest.social avatar

I like the idea of them, but I’ve yet to see it implemented in a way that I feel is necessarily helpful.

wasney ,

I’ve had the full three since launch and just pre-ordered my phone to five. For me the main draw was the fact that I wanted a tablet experience but I didn’t want to have two devices to maintain and bounce back and forth between.

I’ve only broke a phone once in my life, and that was when I was being cocky with one of the older Motorola’s that advertised it couldn’t be cracked. I’ve dropped my fold three several times, breaking three cases as well as scuffing up my hinge. Still works perfectly fine. The crease never got any worse, and I barely notice it unless I’m in a room with very bright overhead lights, or if a UI element is directly on the crease. Most of the time my fingers rarely touch that part of the screen and I couldn’t even tell there was a crease when I put 30 hours in remote play for the PS5.

I did get protection on my fold 3, it was significantly discounted during my pre-order. I also decided to do it this time around due to all the promotions and cash back resulting in it costing less than $5 a month.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

Similar experience to me.

Got the fold 3 at launch. Dropped it a few times (one time i threw it to the ground, scratchy gravel pavement as i got scared and it was fine) scuffed the hinge and one of the edges but all in all its completely fine.

Inner screen is great no complaints.

Outer screen had one protector replacement because i put a cheap case on which wasnt cut right so it pushed the edge of the screen protector away from the screen and left a bubble i couldnt get rid of so i replaced that.

Its the best phone i ever bought and i could never go back to a none foldable.

I have a full tablet folded in my pocket and i cant stress enough how useful that is.

optiki ,

I’m curious but hesitant about full screen foldables. I’ve had my dual screen LG V60 for over 3 years now. I keep it in the dual screen case all the time and I use the 2nd screen daily. It’s convenient to have the extra screen removable for repair/replace purposes and the mechanical gear is somewhat user accessible. I wish LG hadn’t exited the mobile space.

WhoRoger ,
@WhoRoger@lemmy.world avatar

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.

Dark_Blade ,
@Dark_Blade@lemmy.world avatar

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.

knobbysideup ,

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.

Chickenstalker ,

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.

the_vale ,

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.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

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.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA ,
@HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world avatar

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.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

I guess that would be my fold 3.

Theres alot of people here that dont have a folding phone but do have alot of strong opinions about them.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA ,
@HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world avatar

Heh. I don’t have a particularly strong opinion, but that’s because I carry a purse everywhere. I don’t need a foldy phone. My “pocket” can hold three bottles of wine so y’know (͠≖ ͜ʖ͠≖). It doesn’t matter all that much to me if these have a crease or line or divot or whatever jargon y’all are calling it. I think the last time I looked at a foldy phone ad was, um, 2021. No, it may have been 2019. It’s been a hot minute is all. I just think they’re cool newish tech.

It seems to me that the hinge would be a common point of failure and that the screen might get misaligned after a million flexes, but I haven’t actually handled one to see how they’re built. I really want to take one apart. That would be fun.

Mr_Dr_Oink ,

To be fair. I know i replied to your comment but i wasnt specifically aiming that at you. I apologise.

A guy on yourube “jerryrigeverything” does a grwat durability test and teardown of all the foldy phones including the fold 3. I recommend it. The hinge suprisingly is one of the strongest points on these phones.

HeyThisIsntTheYMCA ,
@HeyThisIsntTheYMCA@lemmy.world avatar

Oh nothing to apologize for. I figured I should probably elaborate. Thanks for the tip on the video, tho. Those look fun to watch.

MeanEYE ,
@MeanEYE@lemmy.world avatar

I have Fold4 since release. No screen protectors anywhere, I don’t use those. Device is good as new. But I would agree, it’s not a device for everyone and justifying such high price is difficult. I decided to try replacing laptop and phone, with a foldable. So far it’s a good compromise but foldable devices do have their own share of problems, mostly in form of accessories and bicycle mounts.

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