Thinking about buying a folding smartphone? Or just window-shopping, want to know if folding smartphones really are your cup of tea or if you should settle for your tried and tested slab phones? then this article is for you, here we are discussing the pros and cons of folding smartphones. But first of all…
What is a folding Smartphone?
A foldable smartphone is a smartphone with a folding form factor. It is reminiscent of the clamshell design of many earlier feature phones.
Pros of Folding Smartphones
1. Enhanced Productivity in Multi-tasking
Now, running apps side-by-side is a real experience, though normal phones support split screens the experience is still not quite similar, but in a foldable smartphone, the experience is much more fun and easy.
You just have to drag and drop images or docs from one app to another. It’s really helpful when you are checking your bills in one and opening the calculator for calculations on the other hand side.
Moreover, you can jot down notes on one side and watch the course video on another, really helpful in learning and enhancing productivity. Or you can open WhatsApp in one and a gallery in another for quick sharing of photos.
2. Separate Home Screen for Different Tasks
Having two home screens is kind of beneficial when compared to a normal slab smartphone. You just basically has two smartphone home screens, when for ultra-quick tasks such as calling, a music player.
And another one for much slower tasks like Games, Netflix or a book reader.
You can also add widgets on the outer screen, which can also be very beneficial. But still, it all depends on your personal preference.
3. Ultimate Gaming
One thing that is definite with a bigger screen is that the more the screen, the better the gaming experience. After all when art and tech combine, beautiful and unimaginary things happen, especially in gaming.
Due to the bigger screen, the view advantage you get over other players in shooting games while playing is kind of unfair, to be frank.
One more important piece of information is that not all games are optimized for foldable phones, sometimes you will find just a black bar on top and bottom to fill out the blank space.
4. Built-in stand
A foldable smartphone has one advantage: only laptops can compete with a stand of these foldable smartphones.
You can use it to doodle notes while watching a video or just to read a document or book while folding it like a book to have more feel and texture of holding a book.
5. It’s the future
These smartphones are definitely the future of innovation and technology and investing in them results in future-proofing of the technology, making a better future for the masses.
Cons of Folding Smartphones
1. Fragile Durability
By design, these smartphones are fragile in nature and possess delicate glass mechanics.
Folding smartphones face durability challenges, particularly with the folding mechanisms and flexible screens.
Users have expressed concerns about the long-term reliability of these devices, especially in terms of hinge durability and screen creasing.
2. Media Consumption
What’s the point of holding a bigger and heavier phone with a bigger screen, if most YouTube and Netflix videos can’t even fill the blank space?
There will be just filled with blank black spaces at the top and bottom to fill the emptiness. So, basically, you have a normal phone with a bigger screen, and heavier body but with a small aspect ratio coz the media don’t support that format.
3. Apps not optimized
Most apps are really not optimized for foldable phones.
They are just not developed for this aspect ratio’s screen. This implies most of your apps will open with a black top and bottom bar.
Though some apps work when the foldable phones stretch the app, most of the time it is definitely not the most pleasant experience.
4. Bulkier
Well,.. What can I say? If you have a foldable phone you know it will be a lot more bulkier and heavier than a normal phone.
If you don’t like a heavy phone and are rather fond of thin phones then you have to compromise here because the thinnest foldable smartphones are still bulkier than the average slab phone.
Moreover, as this is a folding smartphone thus the inner screen is made out of plastic rather than glass, which reduces the premium touch feel, and if you don’t properly care for your phone, its screen will be creased.
FAQ #1 Can foldable phones run all apps?
Not all apps are optimized and developed by the developers for foldable smartphones. You may encounter compatibility issues
FAQ #2 Are Foldable Smartphones costly?
Yes, due to intricate manufacturing processes and flexible OLED displays, they are way costlier than your normal slab phones. Moreover, the technology is also in its infancy stage so it will take some time for the companies to make it cheaper for the common people, as of right now they can be considered a luxury.
The Last Word
Folding Smartphones represent an exciting loop in mobile technology, offering a glimpse into the future of device design. While they come with distinct advantages like portability and innovative displays, challenges related to durability, cost, and app optimization remain.
As technology evolves, addressing these concerns may pave the way for even more widespread adoption of folding smartphones in the future.
