does anyone use a modern screen-foldable phone as their regular phone?
does anyone use a modern screen-foldable phone as their regular phone?
I haven't met anyone yet who does and I haven't read any good endorsements about foldable phones but I keep seeing advertisement for foldable phones.
Thanks
Lot of comments omin this thread! So this will prob get buried but here goes!
A couple years ago my phone suddenly died of old age. I had seen a YouTuber who had a folding phone (unrelated to the topic of the video) which I thought was wild looking. I found out that it was called a Z Flip 4 and bought it on a whim...hoping to have a phone that finally fit in my pocket. I loved the thing. It's gimmicky, sure, but fun. And I loved how a modern phone could finally fit in women's pockets.
I had it just under a year before I had a crazy deal to upgrade to the Z Flip 5. I have had this one around a year now and I have been really enjoying it. It was such a massive improvement over the 4 due to the huge cover screen when folded as opposed to just having a tiny screen only useful for briefly checking notifications. I'm not upgrading this year though. Planning to stick with the 5 for a bit I think!
It's silly...but it's fun to see some people's reactions when I pull out my phone in public.
Battery life is not the best in the market, but still perfectly serviceable imo. The Z Flip 6 is being released soon with a bigger battery.
When I first got my Flip 4, I didn't know that Motorola also had a folding phone model in this form factor. But I was jealous of their bright colors when I found out lol.
I would like to see more phone manufacturers try for models in this form factor. Personally, models that unfold out to become tablet sized are just far too chunky and expensive for me. I don't really have a need for such a large device in my pocket all the time. Not sure why so many manufacturers are only into the phone+tablet folding phone model (ex: Google). It's incredibly expensive and they are missing out on some of the market by limiting themselves imo.
I posted this a while ago, so I'll paste it here from my old comment.
I bought a Z Fold 2 in 2020 and still use it today. Battery life is great, screens are still great (both outer and inner). I always have a cheap case for it that covers the front screen. I have dropped it twice outside on the concrete ground and the cheap case broke, but NOT the phone, so I just bought another case each time--to me, that's what the cheap case is for. I really like it and will probably get another version at some point, but here are my main takeaways:
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Outer screen is very slim (think almost TV remote-sized). I have gotten used to it but God forbid you hand it to someone else to type on, they always say it's too small
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It's too long for my pockets, but I'm a woman that wears women's clothes, and our pockets are too damn small for anything, so I have to carry it in my purse
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The screen protectors it comes with do start to fray at the edges over time, but I have never had it bubble up at the folding point/crease on the inner screen
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If you are not known for being delicate with your phone, this is not the phone for you. If you work outdoors regularly, have a tendency to drop your phone regularly, etc, don't buy this
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It's expensive
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Not all apps are compatible with the big screen so sometimes you're stuck with the small screen view on the big inner screen
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Having a portable tablet is great! I got rid of my tablet when I bought this phone and have no regrets
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It's great for driving when using Google Maps or whichever driving app you choose. Having the big screen makes it so much easier to see the directions
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Any video looks better on the big screen
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I have used the big screen to view maps I downloaded for hiking
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I've got a Z Flip 4 I've been daily driving for almost a year and a half now. The folding is quite convenient, especially with quick launch apps for like payments, but the main problem is the screen cover is peeling along the crease. It can be replaced but there's no service centres in my city so I'd have to mail it
I have a razr with big external screen. I like open to answer and close to hang up, it's satisfying.
But I really like that when its closed, it is a nice little device when I just need a little device. Also nice to fit in pocket.
I kind of like the concept of using it as a stand or tent, but frankly it won't stay "on" Long enough for me to get that much use out of it, even when plugged in.
Downsides have been the battery not lasting as long, and once in a great while I pinch myself a little when opening it. Also if I'm trying to wirelessly charge it in my car while also doing Android auto it tends to overheat a bit, but doesn't when I actually plug it in.
My wife and I both used Z Flip 4 for over a year. Mine isn't my daily anymore but it's still fine. Wife's inner screen died on hers just after the warranty expired. I guess that's mixed results. 😄
Honestly I've thought about going back to mine once or twice since my Pixel 8 Pro had some issues (now mostly resolved).
Fold 4 daily driver. It's easily my favorite phone since my motoX many years ago. I can't imagine going back to a non-foldable. Looking at floorplans, videos, documents, photos, you name it is so much nicer on a small tablet vs a phone screen. I'll absolutely be getting another foldable when I'm done with this one.
I have the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 3. I absolutely adore this phone. It's thick, but I watch a lot of shows on my phone and having a tablet sized screen to watch them on without having to carry a separate device is amazing. They're not for everyone, I think, but if the flaws in current foldable technology aren't a problem for you and you have the right use cases, they're great.
Had a fold 3 since launch 3 years ago. It's the best phone I've ever used. Software is brilliant and clearly a focus for samsung. The big inner screen is amazing for work and games as well as browsing. Well worth it.
The crease is just a non-issue. People see it from an angle and they think it looks bad and that it would bother them, but i assure you, when you are using the phone yourself and its facing you, like all phones that you are currently interacting with are facing you, you cannot see it. After using this phone for 3 years, i can honestly say i forget its even there.
Anyone complaining about the crease has almost definitely never used one of these phones. I hear the complaint and i can only drawn that conclusion. Its like saying you dont like a certain food that you have never tasted.
There are downsides to the fold phone that the flips wont have. Like the fold 3 is a bit heavier than most normal phones and it has sometimes been an issue when using my phone lying down somewhere as it can be cumbersome to hold up at arms length.
Also the strange aspect ratio means that video is too small to play on the outer screen and doesnt fill the inner screen. You get black boxes at the top and bottom, so video is always a little bit smaller than the inner screen. This doesnt affect games, it seems that 99% of games support the aspect ratio and often give you some level of advantage.
This would not be true on the flip phones as they have a normal screen size when open.
Incidentally, next week i am buying the fold 6 and locking in for another 3 years on a contact. If that is any endorsement.
Edit: reading throught the comments here i noticed a consistent pattern.
Those who have the folding phones cant recommend them enough and say they are the best phones they ever bought.
Those that dont have one but have a friend that has one are saying dont get one as they look bad.
(Of course there are some exceptions on both sides but a quick mental tally, and it seems that what im saying is true)
If you want to weigh in, then maybe own or have owned one before deciding they are good or bad. Your friend might disagree with your concerns about their phone.
I have a Z Flip 3, bought Dec 2021 and used as a daily driver since. I keep meaning to measure the folds I do per day, on average, but I'd guess it's a couple dozen times, conservatively.
I've replaced the screen protector(s) four times; the screen itself is showing no artifacts or signs of wear.
Battery is meh, about the same as my previous Pixel. If I'm not on it all day, watching YouTube and getting stuck in Lemmy, I charge it once a day. If I use it heavily, lots of video binging, I sometimes charge it 3 times a day.
I'll probably try the RAZR next, just because Samsung's bloatware is truly obscene, and I read that Motorola's isn't as bad. But, otherwise, I probably won't ever go back to a non-foldable phone, unless they release some newer tech like roll-out screens.
Yes, I've had the Samsung zFlip 4 for a year and a half. It's great, my phones used to always fall out of my jacket pockets, but the center of gravity of the folded phone is much more stable and I don't have that problem anymore. Can fit easily into my front overall pockets too which is nice. Screen feels much safer as well, since it's usually closed.
(I work outdoors, with overalls a lot)
My only issue with it is the lack of a headphone jack and lack of a removable battery, and it gets overheating issues when I'm outside on hot days - but so has literally every phone I've had. Outdoor worklife is tough on phones.
There is a visible crease, and some friends have mentioned that the fold line would bother them. Personally it doesn't bother me.
The snap close is especially fun, too.
And I like how I can have it propped up in the L position, nice way to have a little screen playing YouTube videos in the background while I work.
I use a Samsung Flip 4 since almost a year ago. It's pretty good, nice having a phone with a large screen that can easily fit in my pocket. Everything still works well, no problems with the hinge, but I've never dropped it or anything. As for negatives, the camera is meh (coming from a Pixel) and so is the battery life. Definitely needed my powerbank on my most recent vacation to the UK, where I used it a lot. I hope when it dies, there's something like a Pixel Flip that's durable and has good battery life. Otherwise not sure if I'll go for another flip phone.
I daily drive a Z Fold 5 and I can't imagine having to use a non-foldable now. I use it mostly to watch shows and YouTube and it's great. The screen size and oled display is amazing to watch stuff on. But, I also do a lot of other things as well. I bought the pen for it so I doodle on it whenever I'm waiting for something or I mess around in FL Studio and make little jingles. And, what I found to be amazing is that I can use Dolphin on it so I can play GameCube games on it without any lag. I've played through all of paper mario on my phone. I also use it to do a lot of reading and writing to so its great for that and also reading manga and comic books. The screen is insanely bright when you want it to be and the speakers are...well as good as you can expect from a phone but they're still pretty good.
I have the Fold 4, I've been using it as a daily driver since 2022. I love the thing, but just last night I had my first problem with it, I have a hardware failure that when I close my phone it turns it off. I am luckily still under the T-Maybe insurance; I have to go poke them with a stick later.
My partner has the flip 3, still going strong.Overall I love the device, but I recommend never having a foldable without insurance.
A relative of mine does and has had 2 versions of this Samsung one. He loves it.
I do not like it because the crease is extremely noticeable and is filled with dust and debris and very noticeable to sight and touch. I don’t have one but I was using his for a project he wanted me to do while he went out of town recently.
My uncle has one and very much enjoys it
The only time I've ever seen a folding smartphone in person it had a huge, extremely noticeable crease across the screen. The phone was otherwise in good shape from what I could tell.
When foldable screens first came out I thought to myself, "wow that's pretty neat, but what will it look like after several months/years of typical usage? It'll probably have a crease noticeable enough that I would never want to use one." Turns out I wasn't too far off. No thanks, I'll stick with a regular screen.
I know someone with the Samsung flip4.
She's on the second screen (once replaced already) and still now after a few months a line is visible at the screen.. well, fold and the screen itself is separating in layers.
So I would absolutely not recommend it.
I have a friend who got one of the big ones, and I can't remember which model. He loved it, loved showing it off, and loved all that screen real estate.
Then it broke and he quietly went back to a standard flagship.
Used to work with a few people in the animation industry who had them.
I've been using the Samsung zflip 3 since release without issues. I like that it does not take up much pocket space. I've always liked smaller phones like the Xperia Xz1 compact, so the unfolded screen is a bit bigger than I'd like. Sadly there are not many options for small android phones anymore.
I've pre-ordered the zflip6 through att since they are offering a $1100 trade in value for the 3. Looks like it'll have a bit better battery, camera, and a dust protection rating.
Nope, and I don't intend to anytime in the near future either. Mainly because I see it as just a gimmick with very little practical application. That and you're not going to convince me that you can make glass that will not break after being folded. No thank you. Phone screens are already expensive enough to replace.
I have a Z Fold 2 that I bought refurbished about two years after its release, and have been using daily for about two years. On average I have a couple dozen open/closes per day. It is beginning to show a bit of wear on the center fold but the phone is still highly usable.
I love this thing, it splits the difference between a phone and a tablet in a way that is perfect for me. I will be looking at folding phones again in the future.
Probably yes.