As more and more foldable smartphones start to pop up, people are wondering if they should make the switch to a foldable or if they should continue to purchase single-screen devices. For those that want to make the switch, there are a bunch of factors that need to be considered before you make a purchase. In this wikiHow, we'll discuss what foldables are, along with their pros and cons, and if you should consider a new foldable phone.
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Question 1 of 5:
What is a foldable phone?
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A foldable phone has a folding form factor. Foldables have become a craze since at least 2019, with the Huawei Mate X being one of the first working foldables.
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The folding aspect of the smartphone is done in one of two ways. Some foldables have two separate screens joined together by a hinge. This includes phones like the Microsoft Surface Duo. Others have one continuous screen with more flexible material at the hinge, like the Samsung Z Fold.Advertisement
Question 2 of 5:
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The Samsung Z Flip is a foldable smartphone that more resembles a flip phone than a true foldable. When closed, you can preview notifications and control the media player like many early flip phones from the 2000s. These phones are known to have problems with durability of the inside screens. [1] X Research source
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The Surface Duo is a foldable smartphone that has two screens instead of one. It has a 360-degree hinge that makes the phone more resemble a book than a smartphone. When closed, you can view notifications on the spine of the phone. While the screen is more durable (being traditional Gorilla glass rather than a plastic screen that bends), this phone is known to lack a few features a traditional smartphone may have, like a good camera setup for everyday use or wireless charging support. [1] X Research source
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The Samsung Z Fold is a foldable smartphone that extends your screen real estate with a continuous screen. When closed, you can use it like a traditional smartphone, but when open, you get extra screen real estate good for multitasking. They even come with extra cameras and wireless charging support. Like the Z Flip, though, the screen is more fragile and not as durable as traditional smartphones. [1] X Research source
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More options are coming soon. This is just a list of some of the most noteworthy foldable smartphones. As the technology becomes more widespread, more phone manufacturers like Apple and Google may jump onboard and make their own foldables.
- Both Microsoft and Samsung have made contributions that make Android able to natively support foldable smartphones.
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Question 3 of 5:
What are the advantages of a foldable?
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More screen real estate, more room for your content. Foldables give additional screen real estate that single screen phones cannot. This means you can use your foldable more like a tablet or desktop PC and less like a phone.
- Apps like Amazon Kindle make use of the extra screen space to display text more like a traditional book, and apps like TikTok display the "Discover" page to the left of the For You page when put on a foldable screen. [2] X Research source [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
- You may have to cope with a "seam" or "crease" if using a foldable in portrait mode, as it may cut off or distort text or images.
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Improved typing and gaming. The Nintendo DS was a successful gaming console because its games were able to effectively make use of the second screen for controls. Now, games like Minecraft Dungeons and apps like Outlook can make use of the additional screen space on foldable phones and add a controller or a proper keyboard. No more controls or keyboard buttons cutting off your screen. [2] X Research source [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source
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Better productivity. Having two apps open at once can make you more productive. For example, you can view restaurant reviews while navigating with your mapping application, make video calls while taking notes, or view your TikTok feed while managing Instagram posts. [2] X Research source [3] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to sourceAdvertisement
Question 4 of 5:
What are the disadvantages of a foldable?
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High cost. Foldables currently are expensive to make and manufacture because of the custom parts used. Expect to shell out a lot more money for a foldable than for a traditional smartphone. The high price tag is likely because a foldable is more tailored towards business use and less tailored towards personal use.
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Poor hardware/buggy software. As foldables are designed for productivity first, some of the hardware and/or software may not always work together as in a traditional smartphone. This is unlikely to improve especially as the cost of parts required to make a foldable is likely to remain high. [4] X Research source
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Less durability. Foldable phones have struggled with durability, especially with phones where the hinge is behind the screen. In the long term, expect to get more scratches in a foldable screen than in a traditional smartphone or a dual-screened foldable. [5] X Research sourceAdvertisement
Question 5 of 5:
Should I buy a foldable?
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Yes, if you are willing to cope with the problems. Many foldable phones today have durability problems as well as software bugs. Despite these, foldable phones allow for mostly smooth multitasking. For example, you can have your emails opened up on one side of the foldable and your web browser on the other.
- A lot of apps are not designed to use all of a foldable's screen real estate properly. Some apps may cut off text or mess up the UI elements.
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Consider holding off until the cost of components goes down. Most entry line foldable smartphones still go for over $1000 because it is expensive to make the components of a foldable or dual-screen smartphone. At some point, though, a foldable may become cheap enough to make that they can be sold at about the same cost as a traditional smartphone.
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No, if you will not benefit from the extra screen space. Reviewers of foldable phones have noted that unless if you are going to be using the extra screen space for multitasking, it may be a potential waste of money.Advertisement
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References
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.samsung.com/us/support/answer/ANS00083025/
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/surface/different-ways-to-use-surface-duo-2d8854da-a49f-ecaf-a99d-9f571a696d6e
- ↑ https://www.techradar.com/reviews/surface-duo-2
- ↑ https://www.techradar.com/reviews/samsung-galaxy-z-fold-3-review
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