Foldables are barely 1% of the market, but that's not stopping anyone but Apple.

Smartphone manufacturers still want to make foldables a thing::Foldables are barely 1% of the market, but that’s not stopping anyone but Apple.

  • helenslunch@feddit.nlEnglish
    41·
    1 year ago

    It’s a laptop, tablet, phone, and notepad

    Has no keyboard, mouse or touchpad so it’s not a laptop

    Too small to be a tablet or a Notepad. Not that I care for tablets in the first place.

    Too big to be a phone.

    Not to mention insanely expensive.

    They’re supposed to be “great for media consumption” but the square aspect ratio means it’s usually not much bigger anyway. And I don’t consume media on my phone either. That’s what 75" TVs are for.

    Not saying you’re wrong. To each their own. Just my 2 cents.

    • CybranM@feddit.nuEnglish
      17·
      1 year ago

      I’ve never tried a folding phone but to me it seems like a jack of all trades, master of none. The 4:3 aspect ratio, black bars on basically all videos, and easily damaged screen seem like big negatives.

      I’d be interested to see if I’m wrong if I ever get a chance to use one.

    • jmp242@sopuli.xyzEnglish
      7·
      1 year ago

      Yea, the ability to replace a laptop for work is wildly dependent on the work you do. I need Windows or Linux and a keyboard and trackpad or mouse to even attempt to do my job. And it’s much easier with a desktop with lots of RAM and a 24" or larger monitor. Someone else I know rocks a laptop as a daily driver, but it needs to be docked, with 3 monitors to be fully useful.

      If you don’t need programs that need a desktop OS (well written web apps only) and only need apps or say Zoom (and no real use of zoom chat or virtual backgrounds etc) then I can see a tablet working.

      It’s a laptop, tablet, phone, and notepad The fact you can get all four of those for about the cost of one folding phone if you’re ok with off brands or slightly used really hurts the thing too.

      • anlumo@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        1 year ago

        I’m a programmer and I need three screens to work effectively (otherwise I get into 8+ virtual desktops). However, I’m using a Minisforum UM790 Pro and not a laptop, because what’s the point in having another screen I don’t use and a keyboard that’s awful.

      • helenslunch@feddit.nlEnglish
        2·
        1 year ago

        Someone else I know rocks a laptop as a daily driver, but it needs to be docked, with 3 monitors to be fully useful.

        That’s how I do it. Only it’s a single 32:9 monitor. Gaming PC has been relegated to the living room. Single cable to dock the laptop. Gets unplugged when I leave the house. Anything that needs power gets remoted into the gaming PC.

    • Tarquinn2049@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      1 year ago

      Android runs almost all USB keyboards and mice or touch pads, you can totally have that as an option for your phone. And it’s like 50 bucks to get a powered hub that can also charge the phone OTG while connecting all those USB devices at once.

      It is the same size as as the common smaller form factor tablets have been for a decade. And note pads also have been coming in this size for over a century.

      It is smaller than the average phone when folded into phone mode. Especially if we are not only talking smart phones, but even if.

      They are indeed relatively more expensive right now, I got mine “open box” for half off, and it was about the price of a contemporary regular smart phone then. But they won’t always be this much more expensive.

      You are not always near your 75 inch TV. It’s nice to have an acceptable option when out and about. Fold 4 also has spacial audio, you get your head about a foot away from those speakers in horizontal tablet mode, and boom, the virtual surround sound is surprising. (Anyone who has one and hasn’t tried it yet, take this moment to try it out then come back) (it’s pretty crazy, right?)

      It is what we claim it is. Just my 2 cents. I hope eventually the price gets to a place where more people can choose it without having to worry about whether they can justify it.

      • helenslunch@feddit.nlEnglish
        1·
        1 year ago

        Android runs almost all USB keyboards and mice or touch pads

        Yes but they don’t come with one attached like a laptop.

        It is the same size as as the common smaller form factor tablets

        Galaxy Fold has a 7.3" screen, which is barely larger than some of the non-folding displays. The iPad Mini has an 8.3". That’s about as small as they come and still significantly larger.

        It is smaller than the average phone when folded into phone mode

        Not in external dimensions it’s not.

        They are indeed relatively more expensive right now

        The tablet style ones are approximately double the price of a traditional phone. Or more depending on which ones you’d like to compare. I wouldn’t call that “relatively expensive”. That’s just expensive.

        I got mine “open box” for half off, and it was about the price of a contemporary regular smart phone then.

        And you could have gotten a “normal” phone for half of that, open box. Or 1/4 the price of a folding phone.

        You are not always near your 75 inch TV.

        And I don’t always consume media 🙂. Again, speaking for myself here.

    • 0x2d@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      1 year ago

      I just use a normal phone (Pixel 7a)

      For media consumption and stuff I have a rooted Lenovo Tab M9 running a LineageOS GSI