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Smartphone manufacturers still want to make foldables a thing (arstechnica.com)
submitted 2 years ago by [M, B] to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Smartphone manufacturers still want to make foldables a thing::Foldables are barely 1% of the market, but that's not stopping anyone but Apple.

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[–] 50 points 2 years ago (3 children)

Once they are cheaper and more durable I'll buy one. Its still a new form factor that hasn't been perfected yet, but that doesn't mean its wrong for manufacturers to keep at it

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  • [–] 28 points 2 years ago (4 children)

    To add to this my wife got the Samsung Flip or whatever, the one that folds like an old flip phone.

    Every year she's had to have it replaced because the screen cracks in the middle. Fortunately we have the insurance so it's only $5 to replace it. She just got her third phone this week.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Yes! This! (For now) foldable phones are not a good idea imo. The consumers are using it casually and a lot of designers tend to forget that. It's not about how it is intended to be used but how the majority is using it. Same with the stylus and the Note 5 in 2015. People inserted the pen backwards and broke the phone. Is it supposed to go in backwards? No. Will people do it accidentally if they are using the phone on a daily bases? Yes. It seems as if the durability tests aren't adapted enough for new features.

    Until phones with a foldable screen are robust enough for the average Joe(-anne) to use, I will not consider buying one, even though the concept seems very useful.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Based on this article consumers overall agree with you. I'm not a fan. But my wife has a real good reason. Pockets in women's clothes suck as they are tiny or non existent and modern smart phones even the small ones never fit. But her phone when folded does.

    I imagine we'll go through this dance of yearly replacements until T-Mobile gets sick of it 😂

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I miss the days of tiny phones. I still use an iPhone 12 mini and it’s nearly impossible to find modern Android phones with less than a 6” screen. I don’t understand the obsession with enormous screens. Sure the flagship models could have big screens to pack in bigger batteries and more powerful components—but why is no one making a 4” phone?

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    Yeah I wonder as well. My wife would rather have that but there are no choices like that anymore. What we used to consider ridiculously huge, because tablets started at 7" became the norm. To think my phone is almost the size of an entry level tablet not that long ago is wild.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Your wife must be doing something wrong. My Fold 3 has been pristine without a case since I purchased it on day one.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Wait, the screen cracks? Or the screen protector? The protectors are known to crack in about a year, but those are cheap and easy to replace, or if you aren't worried about scratches, just peel it off when it cracks and don't replace it, screens feel much nicer without the protectors.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    Yeah just the protector, Samsung says not to replace it yourself but have a professional do it and since we have the warranty we just can T-Mobile. We keep expecting them to send us to a store to have an employee fix it but they just keep replacing the phone instead. So weird.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago (1 child)

    I had that issue with mine, turns out there's a screen protector on the screen when you get it. once I peeled it off I was good as new, although now the screen itself is starting to wear.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago

    I'm waiting for them to find a better spot on durability, weight /bulkiness and hardware like cameras.

    They're still too big and bulky for me, the other components are usually a bit behind, and the screen durability seems a bit too eeh still.

    Which is to say, I'm interested in one, but they're not there yet for me.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Honestly, unless they come out unlocked for like sub $300 I'm unlikely to want to get one as I have had no problem using sub $300 new phones for 4 years now. And no interest in spending more for a tablet - I've gotten tablets for sub $250 for like 8 years now and they are good for my needs.

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