In today’s age, everyone has a phone. No matter your age, gender, class, – you own one. The 8-year-old kid you babysit probably owns one. From the very beginning of the 21st century, we’ve seen the cellphone turn into what we hold in our hands today. Recently, however, it seems that we are taking a step back by reintroducing the folding aspect of flip phones into modern day smartphones.
Many companies, including Samsung, OpenPlus, and Google, have hopped on the bandwagon to start producing these foldable phones, offering a range of models that combine the convenience of traditional smartphones with exceptional technology. Recent data has shown this market is rapidly growing, foldable smartphone shipments are expected to increase 38% globally this year. Samsung has been leading the way, shipping over 12.5 million units. However, in the last year, 55% of foldable smartphone users switched back to conventional smartphones once they upgraded, so this does beg the question:- other than the folding aspect, what exactly is different about these two models? And are foldable smartphones just a gimmick, or are they actually worth it?
Foldable phones are a cool concept. However, they likely aren’t going to last very long in the market, considering it only took a year before half of the foldable phone users switched back to the norm. Sure, foldable phones may offer convenience, but you can still fit both models in your pocket. Additionally, there’s always the chance of there being durability issues, such as with the hinge where the phone shuts, or there could be difficulties with screen protectors. Although conventional smartphones seem to get a little more bulky every year, they are timeless, and have been since the sleek rectangular design has been introduced.
Overall, foldable phones have introduced a neat concept that could be worth giving a try if you’re sick of your current phone. Nevertheless, they are still both functioning phones – even if one might look a little different than the rest – and there is little about the folding phone that is prohibitively better than the standard smartphone.
