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% Folding Phones Still Aren't the Next Best Thing GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Opinion News &gt; Phones <h1> Folding Phones Still Aren&#39;t the Next Best Thing</h1> <h2> Nobody wants one, and they’re still an expensive gimmick</h2> By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years.
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% Folding Phones Still Aren't the Next Best Thing GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Opinion News > Phones

Folding Phones Still Aren't the Next Best Thing

Nobody wants one, and they’re still an expensive gimmick

By Charlie Sorrel Charlie Sorrel Senior Tech Reporter Charlie Sorrel has been writing about technology, and its effects on society and the planet, for 13 years.
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Grace Liu 1 minutes ago
lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on July 20, 2022 01:00PM EDT Fact checked by Jerri Ledford...
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Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's ...
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lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on July 20, 2022 01:00PM EDT Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994.
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lifewire's editorial guidelines Published on July 20, 2022 01:00PM EDT Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Fact checked by Jerri Ledford Western Kentucky University Gulf Coast Community College Jerri L. Ledford has been writing, editing, and fact-checking tech stories since 1994.
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Sebastian Silva 1 minutes ago
Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's ...
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Sebastian Silva 2 minutes ago
It’s interesting as an artifact, but it also raises the question: just what is happening with fold...
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Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Phones Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming A Microsoft folding phone prototype leaked last week on eBay. Nobody is buying folding phones—just look around you. There are so many technical difficulties that it may be impossible to make a viable folding phone.<br/> Microsoft A prototype of a cheaper plastic version of Microsoft’s folding Surface Duo 2 appeared on eBay recently.
Chloe Santos Moderator
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Her work has appeared in Computerworld, PC Magazine, Information Today, and many others. lifewire's fact checking process Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Phones Mobile Phones Internet & Security Computers & Tablets Smart Life Home Theater & Entertainment Software & Apps Social Media Streaming Gaming A Microsoft folding phone prototype leaked last week on eBay. Nobody is buying folding phones—just look around you. There are so many technical difficulties that it may be impossible to make a viable folding phone.
Microsoft A prototype of a cheaper plastic version of Microsoft’s folding Surface Duo 2 appeared on eBay recently.
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It’s interesting as an artifact, but it also raises the question: just what is happening with folding phones? Take a look around you the next time you’re on public transport, and you’ll see most people glued to their phones or listening to podcasts or music—also from their phones. The odd person will use a tablet, e-reader, or paper book to read, but how many folding phones do you see?
William Brown Member
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It’s interesting as an artifact, but it also raises the question: just what is happening with folding phones? Take a look around you the next time you’re on public transport, and you’ll see most people glued to their phones or listening to podcasts or music—also from their phones. The odd person will use a tablet, e-reader, or paper book to read, but how many folding phones do you see?
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Almost certainly none. They seem cool on paper, but they’re a great big flop in real life. "There are a number of factors that suggest foldable phones could be popular with consumers," Oberon Copeland, tech writer, owner, and CEO of the Very Informed website told Lifewire via email.
Luna Park Member
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Almost certainly none. They seem cool on paper, but they’re a great big flop in real life. "There are a number of factors that suggest foldable phones could be popular with consumers," Oberon Copeland, tech writer, owner, and CEO of the Very Informed website told Lifewire via email.
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Charlotte Lee 3 minutes ago
"First, they offer a great deal of versatility, as users can choose between using them as a standard...
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"First, they offer a great deal of versatility, as users can choose between using them as a standard phone or expanding the screen for a more immersive tablet experience. Second, they tend to be very sleek and lightweight, making them easy to carry around.
Chloe Santos Moderator
access_time 12 minutes ago
"First, they offer a great deal of versatility, as users can choose between using them as a standard phone or expanding the screen for a more immersive tablet experience. Second, they tend to be very sleek and lightweight, making them easy to carry around.
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And third, they tend to be very expensive, which could appeal to buyers who want to show off their status with the latest and greatest device." <h2> Nice but Not Nice Enough </h2> A folding phone seems like a great idea. It essentially lets you pocket a tablet-sized screen, and that screen remains protected while folded.
Sofia Garcia Member
access_time 21 minutes ago
And third, they tend to be very expensive, which could appeal to buyers who want to show off their status with the latest and greatest device."

Nice but Not Nice Enough

A folding phone seems like a great idea. It essentially lets you pocket a tablet-sized screen, and that screen remains protected while folded.
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You can watch movies, type on one half while seeing your words on the other, and so on. But as soon as you start to look at the practicalities, the appeal of folding phones starts to wither.
Sophie Martin Member
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You can watch movies, type on one half while seeing your words on the other, and so on. But as soon as you start to look at the practicalities, the appeal of folding phones starts to wither.
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Andrew Wilson 12 minutes ago
The biggest problem is the price. These things all make the highest-end smartphones, like the iPhone...
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The biggest problem is the price. These things all make the highest-end smartphones, like the iPhone Pro, look cheap.
Liam Wilson Member
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The biggest problem is the price. These things all make the highest-end smartphones, like the iPhone Pro, look cheap.
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Grace Liu 7 minutes ago
You’ll be paying well over a grand—even the flawed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 can cost around $2,00...
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You’ll be paying well over a grand—even the flawed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 can cost around $2,000. Why are they so expensive? First, you essentially have two phones joined with a hinge.
Ella Rodriguez Member
access_time 50 minutes ago
You’ll be paying well over a grand—even the flawed Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 can cost around $2,000. Why are they so expensive? First, you essentially have two phones joined with a hinge.
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Christopher Lee 25 minutes ago
And that hinge has to be amazing, or the whole deal is off.  They offer a great deal of versati...
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Noah Davis 4 minutes ago
It’s also possible to use glass screens, but then you really do feel like you have two phones stuc...
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And that hinge has to be amazing, or the whole deal is off.&nbsp; They offer a great deal of versatility, as users can choose between using them as a standard phone or expanding the screen for a more immersive tablet experience. Early folding phones developed creases along the screen at the hinge after a startlingly short time, and even today, you can research foldable screen problems and see lots of reports of the screen’s protective layer peeling off.
Sophie Martin Member
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And that hinge has to be amazing, or the whole deal is off.  They offer a great deal of versatility, as users can choose between using them as a standard phone or expanding the screen for a more immersive tablet experience. Early folding phones developed creases along the screen at the hinge after a startlingly short time, and even today, you can research foldable screen problems and see lots of reports of the screen’s protective layer peeling off.
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Elijah Patel 3 minutes ago
It’s also possible to use glass screens, but then you really do feel like you have two phones stuc...
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Andrew Wilson 5 minutes ago
Another is that they’re often quite fragile, and even small drops can cause major damage," say...
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It’s also possible to use glass screens, but then you really do feel like you have two phones stuck together.&nbsp; &#34;Of course, there are also some drawbacks to foldable phones that could limit their appeal. One is that they can be difficult to use with one hand, as the larger screen can make it hard to reach all the way across.
Aria Nguyen Member
access_time 36 minutes ago
It’s also possible to use glass screens, but then you really do feel like you have two phones stuck together.  "Of course, there are also some drawbacks to foldable phones that could limit their appeal. One is that they can be difficult to use with one hand, as the larger screen can make it hard to reach all the way across.
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Ava White 5 minutes ago
Another is that they’re often quite fragile, and even small drops can cause major damage," say...
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Another is that they’re often quite fragile, and even small drops can cause major damage,&#34; says Copeland. There’s more. When folded, the package is thick.
Mia Anderson Member
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Another is that they’re often quite fragile, and even small drops can cause major damage," says Copeland. There’s more. When folded, the package is thick.
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Evelyn Zhang 34 minutes ago
Technically, it’s pocketable, unlike even small tablets, but you probably wouldn’t want to do it...
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Technically, it’s pocketable, unlike even small tablets, but you probably wouldn’t want to do it. And finally, it’s hard to just glance at your phone to check your notifications. One answer is to put the vulnerable screen on the outside.
Aria Nguyen Member
access_time 56 minutes ago
Technically, it’s pocketable, unlike even small tablets, but you probably wouldn’t want to do it. And finally, it’s hard to just glance at your phone to check your notifications. One answer is to put the vulnerable screen on the outside.
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The other is to add yet another, smaller screen to show info while the main screens are closed, which adds more complexity and cost. <h2> Why Bother </h2> If they’re so hard to make, so expensive, and so full of compromises, why do manufacturers insist on making them?
Sebastian Silva Member
access_time 60 minutes ago
The other is to add yet another, smaller screen to show info while the main screens are closed, which adds more complexity and cost.

Why Bother

If they’re so hard to make, so expensive, and so full of compromises, why do manufacturers insist on making them?
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Sofia Garcia 21 minutes ago
One reason could be hype. In the "me-too" Android phone market, any new feature or idea quic...
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One reason could be hype. In the &#34;me-too&#34; Android phone market, any new feature or idea quickly spreads to other handsets, a kind of entropy of innovation.
Emma Wilson Admin
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One reason could be hype. In the "me-too" Android phone market, any new feature or idea quickly spreads to other handsets, a kind of entropy of innovation.
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&#34;If everyone else makes one, then we should too,&#34; the thinking may go. Also, right now, folding phones are one of the few ways to differentiate a product from the iPhone. Apple doesn’t make one, nor does it show any signs of doing so.
David Cohen Member
access_time 17 minutes ago
"If everyone else makes one, then we should too," the thinking may go. Also, right now, folding phones are one of the few ways to differentiate a product from the iPhone. Apple doesn’t make one, nor does it show any signs of doing so.
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There’s no way Apple would ship a phone with a creasing screen or a screen that could accidentally peel off, and until those problems are solved, there likely won’t be a folding iPhone. App maker, videoFX expert, and hardware reviewer Stu Maschwitz is more direct: "Folding phones are stupid, and you will never have one unless your job is to have stupid phones," says Maschwitz on Twitter.&nbsp; In fact, given the downsides for both users and manufacturers, it’s hard to see the folding phone ever being more than an expensive niche product for a few hardcore nerds. If it could be thinner, more robust, lightweight, and have a screen as good as an iPad’s screen when unfolded, all while costing only a little more than a regular tablet, then maybe things will change.
Kevin Wang Member
access_time 72 minutes ago
There’s no way Apple would ship a phone with a creasing screen or a screen that could accidentally peel off, and until those problems are solved, there likely won’t be a folding iPhone. App maker, videoFX expert, and hardware reviewer Stu Maschwitz is more direct: "Folding phones are stupid, and you will never have one unless your job is to have stupid phones," says Maschwitz on Twitter.  In fact, given the downsides for both users and manufacturers, it’s hard to see the folding phone ever being more than an expensive niche product for a few hardcore nerds. If it could be thinner, more robust, lightweight, and have a screen as good as an iPad’s screen when unfolded, all while costing only a little more than a regular tablet, then maybe things will change.
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Julia Zhang 14 minutes ago
But that doesn’t look likely anytime soon.
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But that doesn’t look likely anytime soon.<br/> Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know!
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But that doesn’t look likely anytime soon.
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Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The Foldable iPhone: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Samsung Z Flip 4: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs Microsoft Surface Trio: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Samsung Z Fold 4: News, Rumors, Price, Release Date, and Specs Google Pixel Fold: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Galaxy Z Fold 3: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs Rollable Pixel: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 vs.
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Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire The Foldable iPhone: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Samsung Z Flip 4: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs Microsoft Surface Trio: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Samsung Z Fold 4: News, Rumors, Price, Release Date, and Specs Google Pixel Fold: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Galaxy Z Fold 3: News, Price, Release Date, and Specs Rollable Pixel: News and Expected Price, Release Date, Specs; and More Rumors Samsung Galaxy Z Fold2 vs.
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