I feel like its a bad idea for people to buy these. I mean… the screen are weak plastics that can get damaged by a fingernail. Seems like an expensive buy for such a terrible durability. A terrible deal in my opinion.
What even is the use-case for these, anyways?
My friend actually has 2 (and 1 regular smartphone) and dailies the Galaxy Z Fold 6. She uses it for work and media consumption and loves it so much she’s mentioned wanting the Huawei Mate XT.
I see the appeal for people who wants/needs the screen real-estate but it isn’t required for regular users. Ultra/Pro models of phones being in a similar position of irrelevancy for people not obsessed with having the best camera.
Huawei Mate XT
Got here ctrl-F-ing for this. Looks like nobody with it has commented yet.
It seems to me if you want a fold, you might as well take it to the logical conclusion.
That makes sense but it is prohibitively expensive at nearly $4,000USD which is more than double the price of every other foldable phone. None of the other ones are a trifold though.
Plus Huawei does not come with Google services preinstalled and requires additional steps to do so.
I mean, I’d consider that a bonus. Although whatever Huawei vendor applications probably aren’t better.
RIP DivestOS.
What even is the use-case for these, anyways?
A larger screen than you can get on a non-foldable phone without creating carrying issues.
My cousin got one some time back, said that she liked it at that point.
I think that it’d be preferable to just carry a 5G-capable tablet in a satchel or something.
Some years back, I got an underarm money belt — very thin so it can be worn under clothing. I didn’t wind up using it for my wallet much, but it did work well to carry a small tablet.
EDIT: This is the closest thing I can find on Amazon quickly to said belt. Very similar, though it’s not the same.
My, not so tech savy uncle, who also works in Building Maintenance (so not the most clean and safe place for a flip phone) had one for the last couple of years and he had no problems. Always amazed me.
I feel like its a bad idea for people to buy these. I mean… the screen are weak plastics that can get damaged by a fingernail.
I’ve never had a screen scratch on my flipable from a fingernail. Also, how many people do you see walking around with a blown out cracked glass screen on non-foldables? People are hard on all phones.
Seems like an expensive buy for such a terrible durability. A terrible deal in my opinion.
They’re just not that expensive secondhand which is how I buy them. You can see you can get last year’s flagship model for $200 to $400. If you get the 2023 model its even cheaper at $100-$200.
At this cost who cares if it breaks in two to three years?
What even is the use-case for these, anyways?
They are VERY small compared to normal mobile phones and you can put it in your pocket. I really like that.
I have a Pixel 9 Fold and I absolutely love it. I don’t think I can ever go back to a regular phone.
That said, the fingernail thing isn’t a myth. I have a “scratch” (more like an indent) where I tried to clean something off the screen with my fingernail. It’s not bad and just like the fold, it’s only visible in certain lights, so it doesn’t bother me but you definitely have to be more careful with the inner screen than the outer. Though I suspect it’s the built in screen protector, not the actual screen.
That said, the fingernail thing isn’t a myth.
Oh I don’t think flip/foldables are impervious to a strong enough press from a fingernail, I’m just of the opinion that phones get beat and broken all the time. That a flip/foldable is susceptible to a different kind of damage isn’t a dealbreaker for me.
a friend has one of the massive samsung(?) phones that folds out to a huge screen
he loves having that much screen to use and not reported any particular problems
I have a Motorola razr 2023. It’s absolutely great.
The use case is that it fits in your pocket.
I’ve got one. Moto Razr.
It fits in my pocket much better than a slab phone.
I don’t use the outer screen much. Generally when I need to fumble around and change media or unlock my car or something with stuff in my other hand. But Moto’s implementation of the second screen is pretty good.
I like a very large screen and I like portability. If this phone breaks, I’ll probably get either another one like it or a larger one like a Pixel Fold or something.
The solution to the fragile inner screen is - and I know this is a complex idea so bear with me - you close the phone when you’re not actively using it. Seriously, it’s a complete non-issue.
My biggest complaint is the Moto software. I’ve had other Moto phones before and had similar issues - they’re WAY too aggressive with battery optimizations killing background apps. Like holy shit. I have to go in every few days and reset settings that the phone changed on its own so that my VPN stays connected for more than 10 minutes at a time because it wants to kill the app to save battery. But that has nothing to do with the screen.
I have a Galaxy Z Flip 3 (fuckin’ naming schemes) and have been listing after the Razr. I think it looks spectacular, and at least on my generation of devices, the external screen can only run special apps compiled with a Samsung API. The external screen is useless, but from what I read the Razr runs just any app. The bloatware can’t be anywhere near as bad as what Samsung does.
Why don’t you use the external screen more? It’s almost half-size a normal screen, right?
I think the main reason I don’t use the outer screen more is just that if I’m on my phone I’m generally stationary and can open it up without sacrificing convenience. It’s like, 75% open, 25% use the outer screen in general. I also have a Pixel watch for like, at-a-glance notifications.
Completely agree that there is ZERO point to the outer screen if you can’t use any app you choose. Here is my outer home screen:
(Yes, I own a Tesla. No, I’m not a Nazi. I bought it in April 2024 used and owe more than I’d get on a trade. Yes I know there are incentives right now. No they won’t make a difference. No, you don’t know my finances. No, I’m not going to discuss it any more.)
And yes, Pokemon Go works on the outer screen… Kind of. It’s hard to hit the buttons. Throwing balls though, just fine. The more I think about it, being on foot or on a bike is the perfect situation for pretty much all of what the outer screen can do.
The main screen, though - fantastic. I love the Moto UI for Android. I like a small text size and lots of icons.
Mine is the 2024 base version. The plus or ultra or what the fuck ever just has a slightly bigger outer screen and… Idfk what else but I haven’t felt the need for more. Quite happy.
I replaced 2 Pixels in a row which both died in less than a year with this. Better battery life, thermals, and UI than the Pixel. Camera is acceptable, but Pixel is the king there. I have a Pixel 6a which is a burner/camera when I want real photography. Quite happy.
Z Flip user here! I’ve been loving this phone. I’ve had a Z Flip since I think maybe 2022 now? Anyway, still enjoying the thing. Main reason I got it was the same reason you did… pocketability.
Modern smartphones are just so ridiculously huge that they don’t fit in the ridiculously small women’s pants pockets. I love that I can actually bring a modern smartphone everywhere without needing a purse or bag. Bonus is that it’s also just fun to open and close it… especially when hanging up calls lol.
two of my good friends use them… idk if they are totally happy but we’ve been around the block a few times with technology, so idk
I have a Galaxy Fold 2, had it for 5 years, and just this month, something happened to the hinge and it no longer opens flat. I have no idea what caused it, nothing visibly wrong with it, it just stopped opening all the way. Now the inner screen protector is bubbling at the center because it won’t open properly. I’m debating getting a new one, I really like it, it’s like having a tablet in your pocket. But they are expensive as hell and I’m gonna be unemployed here pretty soon, so I’m not sure if I’ll get another.
I have a friend with one but haven’t talked with her about it much.
I think a strong use case you may not have considered is women’s tiny or nonexistent pockets. Having a phone small enough to securely fit in a pocket while still having a large screen phone definitely has its appeal.
I would agree on the first 2-3 generations, but after 6-7, the tech is mature enough that it doesn’t get destroyed just like that. Didn’t we hade the same discussions when phones started using glass instead of plastic screens?`You do remember, screens used to be made of transparent plastic, not glass?
You do remember, screens used to be made of transparent plastic, not glass
I’m not sure if bendable glass is scientifically possible. Glass is supposed to be rigid…
Samsung makes it, no it’s not solid but it is glass
My teamlead had a Galaxy fold (the big one, not the flip-style) second-hand so it was cheap-ish. She liked it, unfortunately she broke it (though not in a fold-specific way iirc). She now uses a regular slab phone due to the price difference.
I’ve seen her phone and a display model in the store, the crease really doesn’t look that bothersome to me. I’d buy one if I could (somewhat) easily install another OS on it, if my current phone breaks or loses support for my apps. Assuming that they stick around and the price won’t be as exorbitant in a year or two, that is…
My Razr fucks
Durability is definitely the down side. I had the 2019 Razr and it was perfect because it folded down into a pocketable size but the interior screen stopped responding to touch after about 6 months
I have the 2020 razor and still use it to this day I love this phone.
I really loved my Razr as well. It was the best compromise between usability and pocketability. I plan on using this mini until the wheels fall off so when the next time I get a new phone it ought to be much more durable than the first gen.
My eyesight is bad so a foldable works great for me when someone needs me to review a contract or documentation ASAP and it’s not convenient to open my laptop right then.
