Android

Got myself a Motorola Razr Plus a couple weeks ago after a few years of Pixel 3aXL. Really loving the phone so far. Using the outer screen when taking selfies, changing music while working out/on the go, and sending quick messages is great. Also purchased the two year insurance plan, a first for me but given potential durability concerns a no-brainer.

Was on the fence with Pixel Fold but really liking the smaller form factor of the "flip" style compared to "fold". Also not sure when I'd really use the tablet form.

Great to see more competition in this area. Long-standing companies making foldables like Samsung are going to need to step it up.

Dumb. But I also thought smartphones without keyboards were dumb and look where we are now.

Love my Fold 4

I might buy a flip foldable in the future (so either the Samsung flip or the Motorola RAZR) because I like the idea of using my phone less if I can do at least some things on the outside screen + I like the idea of propping the phone up on itself for videos and photos. I really don't need a book type foldable, but the clamshell just has something to it... In the future.

The prospect of a tablet size screen folding up to fit in my pocket is appealing, but the durability and price aren't currently acceptable. I don't understand the appeal of flip type foldables at all.

Don't really see the appeal tbh. More fragile, more expensive, and for what? A bigger phone? I have big hands, and my Pixel 4a is about the max size that's practical for me to use one handed.

I hopped off the "upgrade to a new phone every year or two" train about 6 years ago in favor of buying a cheaper phone outright and going prepaid. I don't see any need to drop $1k+ on a phone, especially for what I view as a gimmick

I've been eagerly watching the foldable space ever since the first Razr was announced, but never took the plunge because I felt the tech wasn't there yet. You would pay flagship prices for a fragile phone with bad specs.

Now I think they are finally good enough. My next one will probably be a Razr, I don't trust Samsung.

Too expensive.

I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Fold 4 after my Fold 3's inside screen protector separated. Luckily I bought it through T-Mobile and for an upgrade.

I like wowing people by using it like a regular phone and suddenly opening it up to a small tablet. Some people can't wait to get "the Apple version" but I'll let them wait wait for the future while I enjoy this phone.

I do switch between other Android "slab phones", but I guess I go back to a folding phone because I get to carry a small tablet with me without having a second device.

I think they're a neat concept, but I'm also a device repair tech and they definitely seem to be more prone to damage. Had someone bring in a Z Flip 4 with the "glass" flaking away in the crease, have had people come in with snapped hinges or battery swelling popping one of the screens. The tech doesn't seem to be quite there yet imo.

I'd rather have a hinged physical keyboard.

They are terrible, i would never buy one.

I feel like it's a cool bit of tech, but not something I ever asked for in a phone or will ever have a practical use for.

I'm very interested in the ability to have a large screen when I need it. I am hesitant though. The prices are crazy, which isn't surprising for new tech. I'm also going to wait a bit and let them iron the kinks out before I consider buying one.

I'm also pretty rough on everything I own, so it's going to need to be as tough as a current slate phone before I look at them.

Written on Flip 4.

The compromises hit quite hard. Battery life sucks, screen brightness in sunshine is horrible, and photo quality is not that great (as expected). I still like the toy aspect of it, can lay it anywhere I want, software is also quite good (but definitely not perfect). Fit in pocket (man) is also not perfect (as now key are under it and not next to it). Overall, I still like it, but if I got the money back, I would go back to a normal phone.

I've been using a Z Fold 4 for about a year, since launch. This is my first foldable, and it'd honestly be difficult for me to go back to a standard slab phone.

I love how multitasking is actually an enjoyable, functional experience on a foldable. I love having a large display for consuming content. The larger internal display really ups the threshold for "Okay, I need a computer for this", since I can load desktop sites and it be usable.

Granted, it isn't perfect. I do still have concerns about durability, despite the fact thaty Fold has taken a few nasty falls and come out unscathed, it is of course still possible to break. For the first time, I have insurance on a phone due to durability.

The outer display is functional, but it's quite narrow. This leads to some apps not loading properly on the outer display, and a bit of a cramped keyboard. You do get used to it, but I'd prefer a larger external display like the wider display of the Pixel Fold.

The biggest short coming for foldables is apps. While most apps function just fine, some really don't. Instagram is a great example of one that performs poorly on both the external and internal displays. Some apps have tablet interfaces that launch on the inner display, but most don't. Most apps are just a blown up version of the standard phone interface. There are other weird app quirks like how my bank app will only let me use fingerprint to sign in when it's launched on the external display, not the internal. The app situation I think will get better with time as foldables become more widespread, but it is a frustration for now.

The final shortcoming is the size and weight of these phones. With a case on, the Fold 4 is a pretty substantial phone on your pocket. It's heavy, thick, and the first few weeks with it you'll really notice the size and weight. Foldables are trending thinner and lighter, but more progress needs to be made here.

Anyways, all this to say - I ultimately love my foldable phone and have been very satisfied. It's expensive, but if you have the means and the interest in one, I doubt you'd be disappointed. Just keep the shortcomings in mind.

Dreaming of Pixel Fold. AOSP Android is the only Android I will buy.

However, announced price of 1.9k eur (or 2500eur in e-shops) is something I would not spend on a freaking phone. Price has to go down...

They protect one of their screens, thats nice. And for people that really really nned a very wide screen i can see tyem using it. As for me they are way expensive.

I like the concept but they're too expensive for me. About €2k for a fold and €1k for a flip is outside my (self-imposed) budget. I don't particularly wish to spend more than about €600.

Once they become more mainstream and affordable, I'll most definitely be checking one out.

Love my z fold 4 a year in.

I think they seem like an interesting concept. After a bunch of work from different companies (mostly samsung to my knowledge) they are actually starting to seem viable well exept for the price. But i bet you that we will be getting foldable tablets that you can turn into large screens at some point.

Personally I find the current range of phone options simply too huge. Having owned a Sony Z3 Compact followed by the XZ1 Compact, I didn't have many choices. I ended up with the Asus Zenfone 8.

I really like the formfactor of the Oppo find N where in it's folded form it's a really usable size and I can unfold it if I need a bigger screen. I don't mind the Samsung Flips or the Motorola Razrs but I think the outside screen can be bigger. There's a market for the Samsung Folds but it's not for me.

Tl;dr - my idea of a foldable should be a good sized phone which folds down to something very compact and pocketable.

The passport foldable is fucking awesome imo, Regular phone screen on the outside, 7ish inch tablet on the inside, super awesome as an e-reader, for productivity, etc. And if the inside screen breaks, you will have a usable outside one.

That being said, I Def thing the tech has a ways to go, the soft screens we have today are flawed. I'd really rather see two screens where they are edgeless when the hinge is flat. We have curved screens, just curve two screens and don't use the part under the curve. Samsung was doing that for years to get edge to edge displays.

EDIT: I thought it said affordable phones

I personally believe in getting the fastest new/used/refurbished phone you can get with the features you want and keep it as long as you can.

A cheap phone usually ends up being about the same performance as a 4-10 year old flagship and a lot more compromises in cameras, ram, storage, durability, etc.

Just remembered one cool thing about the Nintendo DS. Thanks to its dual screens and the stylus there were lots of "games" that made it serve as an electronic Japanese dictionary and Kanji learning tool and many Japanese learners used it for that exact purpose (I bought mine just for Kirby Canvas Curse though 🙃):

There were also lots of games exploiting that setting and they offered unique gameplays that you couldn't find on other hardware.

What would be really cool is if we had a similar software offering on Android that exploits the foldable nature of those phones in a similar way to the Nintendo DS, that would definitely win me over.

Technically, all phones are foldable.

I'm all about the side-folders (Z-Fold), the flip folders (Z-Flip) are cool but gimmicky. Never owned one, but probably will one day!

Since I need a phone that can withstand being dropped on concrete every other day and having tools, hammers, 4x2 offcuts dropped on it etc every so often I dont think a foldable is for me. My current phone has two screen protectors and a case and its still got a cracked screen

I tried the Pixel Fold because I've been using their phones since the Nexus days. I went into it very skeptically... Meaning I made sure I was thoroughly aware of the return policy.

I'm sold. Weight doesn't bother me and the benefits of being able to swap into a screen with that much real estate for viewing, multitasking, playing games, etc far outweigh a little thickness and weight. It fits in my pocket way better than I imagined and the front screen is actually more functionally sized that my 7 Pro's due to how damned tall it is! If you're not hard on your phones (I don't imagine it takes a beating as well as a regular phone) then I suggest you give it a shot. I'm definitely never going back.

My household has a couple folding phones. The pixel fold is great, the Samsung fold is too tall.