Foldable Smartphones A Real Failure
Anyone paying attention to the smartphone world will have noticed that the steady stream of new designs has all but dried up. Or at least; they’ve reached a point where new models are no longer as interesting, or significant, as they once were.
Once touchscreens became the standard, and phone cameras were as good as they needed to be, it seemed like none of the major tech giants knew where to go next. Very simply; smartphones had got as advanced as they needed to be, and few saw any reason to upgrade. This spelled disaster for the likes of Samsung and Apple, both of which survive on consumers seeing a reason to buy a new phone.
So in an effort to create the new big thing, tech giants made an attempt to introduce foldable phones.
What Is A Foldable Phone?
Many will remember that some of the earliest mobile phones folded. Of course, this was back in the late 90s and early 2000s, and the devices were clumsy and clunky. But at the time were cutting edge. But, designers quickly saw that the folding mechanic was largely unnecessary, and flat, thin, models quickly took centre stage.
After all, when all anyone really wanted to do was play real money Blackjack on the go, having to unfold a device was just an unnecessary extra step. So it seemed like a smartphone that folded was a thing of the past. Or was it?
Samsung released the Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Fold, Motorola brought out the Razr, and the Huawei Mate X also folded.
Why Does It Fold?
Yes, the devices folded, and yes, it was a neat little trick. But original reception of the devices was lukewarm to say the least. Original reports said that the foldable technology was flimsy, broke easily, and couldn’t stand up to the treatment of a device that didn’t fold. Plus, the biggest question of all; why did it fold?
The idea seems to be to save space. Folding phones fit more snuggly into a pocket, and some designs act as a double phone and tablet in one. But, the simple fact of the matter was that the design choice was not based on anything anyone had been asking for. Or to put it another way; no one really wanted a folding smartphone.
A Total Disaster?
So are folding smartphones dead before they’ve even had a chance to thrive? Not necessarily. Although no one was falling over themselves to adopt the new models, it seems like there is some room in the market. Although it certainly wasn’t the revolution that tech companies were hoping for.
There may be some interest in being able to do away with a tablet, and simply adopt a single device that acts as both, but at the most this is a niche product only of interest to those who enjoy the cutting edge.
The conclusion is that ailing tech giants will have to look elsewhere to spark mass interest in buying a new range of phones.