Ask Lemmy

A YouTuber I follow used a Galaxy fold for years, after the second year he said you could see the fold in the screen, considering people switch phones every 3 years on average, I don't think it's that big of a deal.

I would like to get one as soon as they get cheaper, since I don't buy flagships.

Yeah, and they are actually a lot more resistant than you think. The technology came a long way.

I'm dying for a pixel flip so that I can finally have the ultimate phone:

• Clam shape - the superior phone shape
• FOSS OS - GrapheneOS

Another Pixel 9 Pro Fold here. I love it.

Inner screen is great for reading, which I do a lot of on my phone. Videos are nice, especially older videos with more square aspect ratios; I can even zoom in on widescreen videos where all the action is in the center for roughly the same effect.

If I didn't use my phone for documents so much it probably wouldn't be worth it, but I don't think I could go back now.

I have one of the Galaxy Flip phones.

I really hate the idea of my phone just being a glass rectangle touch screen. I don't like the current options for physical keyboards, so flip is at least some weird tactile hardware gimmick I can go for.

I have a Samsung Flip3. I love how it fits neatly into my pocket and how I can easily place it at a good angle to read something while I'm at a table eating.

If you are clumsy with phones it's probably not a good idea, but if you are and the crease doesn't bother you, it's a fun phone.

Do beware that you pay a premium and you'll have worse battery life and camera for it.

I have the same fears about them and would personally never buy them, but the people I spoke who have one all said that they had no issues and loved the screen size. Personally I wouldn't feel comfortable using it knowing that a single grain of sand in the wrong place can fuck it all up. But apparently it's not too bad, at least anecdotally.

The wow factor of a screen that bends still hasn't worn off for me. That's so cool. No way I could justify the extra cost though. (Since you've gotten actual answers I won't feel too bad about chiming in with that)

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.

I have a Samsung fold 3 that I've been using since launch. Never had any issues with it and don't use it with a case either. The inner screen is not cracked or missing anything but there is a visible crease, and the inner screen protector came off naturally a long time ago

Yeah I have the flip 6. I upgraded from the flip 3 for a larger cover screen. No issues with either of them.

I like that it takes up less pocket space and most tasks can be done on the cover without opening the phone. The flipping is neat but honestly I'd rather have a modern 4-4.5 inch android slab. Too bad all the major phone manufacturers have switched to only making giant pocket tablets.

The only person I know who has had one is a tech enthusiast / early adopter. He changes phones multiple times per year anyway so a short-lived screen while they work out design improvements probably isn't much of a concern for him.

Best use case I saw was multitasking. He could be writing or drawing on one half while reading from a reference on the other.

I saw a smart flip phone once. Small smart screen on the outside, small smart screen on the inside, and a keypad that you could use to type with, using the forgotten skill.

I would love one of those.

I was thinking about getting one like the Nokia flip but they cost a bit and the hinge seems like a weak point. Got a CatB40 instead which wasn't much more and far more durable. Though showing signs of age at this point with multiple chips to the back of it from around the screws holding on the back.

I have a friend who likes his because he can have it halfway open or clip it to his shirt pocket to use it as a hands free work light.

Depending on what kind of clothes you wear they can also carry better in your packet. (Assuming clamshell folding and not a folding tablet)

I wouldnt use it personally. I dont like moving parts in my phone. I even avoid pressing the power, volume button needlessly.

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...

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 a galaxy z fold 3. It worked great for the first couple years, then problems started cropping up. Right around when the warranty ended, the inner screen became nonfunctional and the screen on the front started fracturing. The outer screen is too narrow for a lot of apps, and the inner one is too large for most apps to adapt. I highly recommend staying away from these types of devices. Also, Samsung is proving to be an incredibly frustrating company. For my next phone Ill be getting one of those repairable open source phones and putting Gnome on it.

New guy at work has one. I saw him pull it out and flip to check then closed it and i immediately said what the fuck you got a flip phone, thinking an old one. Nope its a newer one, with a very noticeable line in the middle of the screen. Seems so dumb.

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 who's had a foldable one for a couple months. She likes the big screen, it's probably too soon for durability issues.

I do. I have multiple phone numbers, the one for dmv and banking is on a cheap RedPocket annual plan in the cheapest flip phone I could buy on ebay (a tcl flip phone or something). I got it for like $15 maybe and it's going fine.

Edit: I misread, skipped the word "smartphone".

I’ll be honest. I think the people who want phones that fold out into even larger phones are completely unhinged. Phones are already way too big. My iPhone mini is about the maximum size I’d want a phone to be.

My coworkers do. A woman uses a flipable, because it could fit in her pants' pocket.

Another use a foldable as a tablet, but he mostly use it folded, unless he need to read a book or taking a note.

I feel that is a very small niche market and i doubt they have reddit yet alone lemmy

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?