Real estate! Why do we have cell phones with screens as big as they are now? Why not stick with the tiny Nokia/early cell phone screens? A foldable screen lets the phone takes up as much space in...
Real estate! Why do we have cell phones with screens as big as they are now? Why not stick with the tiny Nokia/early cell phone screens?
A foldable screen lets the phone takes up as much space in my pocket as a regular phone, but then I've got double the screen size when I'm ready to use it.
I scoffed at the idea of people watching TV on their phones before smartphones came out, but I haven't had a personal laptop in almost 10 years now.
I'm not sure the smaller size is worth having to put up with a plastic capacitive touch panel. It feels cheap to the fingers and scratches extremely easily compared to Gorilla Glass.
I'm not sure the smaller size is worth having to put up with a plastic capacitive touch panel. It feels cheap to the fingers and scratches extremely easily compared to Gorilla Glass.
If you fold it the phone still takes up the same amount of space, just along a different dimension. In fact, it takes up more space since you need to design to accommodate a hinge and lose all the...
A foldable screen lets the phone takes up as much space in my pocket as a regular phone
If you fold it the phone still takes up the same amount of space, just along a different dimension. In fact, it takes up more space since you need to design to accommodate a hinge and lose all the real estate along the hinge where you can’t have any circuits go through or any battery.
You’d get more screen by having a miniaturized projector or a pair of goggles you stick on your face anyway.
You wouldn’t be able to interact with it by touch in that case. If it’s rollable it’s going to be more flexible, but precise touch interfaces require the surface to be fairly rigid.
You wouldn’t be able to interact with it by touch in that case. If it’s rollable it’s going to be more flexible, but precise touch interfaces require the surface to be fairly rigid.
There’s a difference between existing as a tech demo for a CES booth and existing as a real object that’s used day-to-day. In the concept demo stage you get to only think about the core cool...
There’s a difference between existing as a tech demo for a CES booth and existing as a real object that’s used day-to-day. In the concept demo stage you get to only think about the core cool concept and not about what you’re trading off in terms of price, durability, usability, battery, etc.
Like it’s not actually that handy to need to have two hands free so you can unfurl your phone before using it. Stuff that seems cool in the concept stage often ends up being kind of annoying or lame in practice.
The evidence is the fact that there aren't widely available commercial models. I unlock my phone by having it look at me. One of the biggest frustrations in pandemic life has been the fact that I...
then please actually provide evidence of that rather than just waving them off "as a tech demo for a CES booth" or implying that they don't actually work.
The evidence is the fact that there aren't widely available commercial models. I unlock my phone by having it look at me. One of the biggest frustrations in pandemic life has been the fact that I can't do this when I leave my house anymore. Neither of these have anything to do with the actual loss in utility inherent in not being able to use my phone while I have a cup of coffee in my hand or need a hand free to hold onto the railing while riding the bus.
Aside from all that, why be so negative?
Because poorly thought out tech demos are too often used as red herrings to distract from actually transformative ways to improve things. They generally serve only to separate people from their money and then collect dust in a drawer before ending up in a landfill as eWaste.
Well yeah, but my pants pocket can't fit an iPad. If it could fold to the footprint of a smartphone then maybe, but it has to be able to fit into the pocket before depth becomes an issue.
Well yeah, but my pants pocket can't fit an iPad. If it could fold to the footprint of a smartphone then maybe, but it has to be able to fit into the pocket before depth becomes an issue.
Unless you’re wearing really baggy cargo pockets I’m not sure an iPad folded up into the size of an iPhone would be very comfortable in the pocket either. It would be heavy, fat, and very inferior...
Unless you’re wearing really baggy cargo pockets I’m not sure an iPad folded up into the size of an iPhone would be very comfortable in the pocket either. It would be heavy, fat, and very inferior to an iPad in terms of battery life and performance.
You might as well just have a second screen used as an airplay display while keeping the phone itself in your pocket.
There's a few practical reasons that other people have mentioned, but it's also just cool! I tried out the Z-Flip IRL before, and man is it cool. For much of the high-end smartphone market, a lot...
There's a few practical reasons that other people have mentioned, but it's also just cool! I tried out the Z-Flip IRL before, and man is it cool.
For much of the high-end smartphone market, a lot of it is about making a product that's enjoyable to use, since, to be honest, low end smartphones are very capable these days. It's more about: hey, this is a device you're probably going to have with you more than any other thing, don't you want something really nice to hold and use?
So there's also the (somewhat vain) factor of coolness.
I have a Galaxy Fold 2 and I love it. The screen is the size of an iPad Mini but I can fold it up and put it in my pocket. The need they fulfill is that you can carry a tablet around in your...
I have a Galaxy Fold 2 and I love it. The screen is the size of an iPad Mini but I can fold it up and put it in my pocket.
The need they fulfill is that you can carry a tablet around in your pocket and then unfold it when you want to use it and have a nice, big screen.
Like this? https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/711x402/https://blogs-images.forbes.com/kevinmurnane/files/2017/03/tablet-sized_S1E9_Syfy.jpg Still requires two hand operation. I don't like that...
That’s the slate version. There’s a one handed version, bit looking for images reminds me that the extra screens are maybe holographic. In any event, the thought of a small device that provides...
That’s the slate version. There’s a one handed version, bit looking for images reminds me that the extra screens are maybe holographic.
In any event, the thought of a small device that provides expanding screen space on demand seems awesome, which was my original point.
I don’t love my mini for the small screen, i like that it’s a smaller device that can easily be operated with one hand. It would be great if i could have that and also have a larger screen when i want it.
There's a point where touchscreens start becoming less ideal as input devices and physical input devices like keyboards become more desirable as the size of the screen increases. As the consumer...
There's a point where touchscreens start becoming less ideal as input devices and physical input devices like keyboards become more desirable as the size of the screen increases. As the consumer market seeks to find the balance between the two, I feel like folding screens on mobile phones will find their way to the gimmick graveyard, victims of trying to hold the middle-ground.
Is there any real demand for flexible screen? What need do they fulfill?
Real estate! Why do we have cell phones with screens as big as they are now? Why not stick with the tiny Nokia/early cell phone screens?
A foldable screen lets the phone takes up as much space in my pocket as a regular phone, but then I've got double the screen size when I'm ready to use it.
I scoffed at the idea of people watching TV on their phones before smartphones came out, but I haven't had a personal laptop in almost 10 years now.
I personally don't care for large screens on mobile, but that makes sense.
My only complaint about large screens is that I can't use them single-handedly.
Precisely. And I even have big hands...
I'm not sure the smaller size is worth having to put up with a plastic capacitive touch panel. It feels cheap to the fingers and scratches extremely easily compared to Gorilla Glass.
If you fold it the phone still takes up the same amount of space, just along a different dimension. In fact, it takes up more space since you need to design to accommodate a hinge and lose all the real estate along the hinge where you can’t have any circuits go through or any battery.
You’d get more screen by having a miniaturized projector or a pair of goggles you stick on your face anyway.
You wouldn’t be able to interact with it by touch in that case. If it’s rollable it’s going to be more flexible, but precise touch interfaces require the surface to be fairly rigid.
There’s a difference between existing as a tech demo for a CES booth and existing as a real object that’s used day-to-day. In the concept demo stage you get to only think about the core cool concept and not about what you’re trading off in terms of price, durability, usability, battery, etc.
Like it’s not actually that handy to need to have two hands free so you can unfurl your phone before using it. Stuff that seems cool in the concept stage often ends up being kind of annoying or lame in practice.
The evidence is the fact that there aren't widely available commercial models. I unlock my phone by having it look at me. One of the biggest frustrations in pandemic life has been the fact that I can't do this when I leave my house anymore. Neither of these have anything to do with the actual loss in utility inherent in not being able to use my phone while I have a cup of coffee in my hand or need a hand free to hold onto the railing while riding the bus.
Because poorly thought out tech demos are too often used as red herrings to distract from actually transformative ways to improve things. They generally serve only to separate people from their money and then collect dust in a drawer before ending up in a landfill as eWaste.
Well yeah, but my pants pocket can't fit an iPad. If it could fold to the footprint of a smartphone then maybe, but it has to be able to fit into the pocket before depth becomes an issue.
Unless you’re wearing really baggy cargo pockets I’m not sure an iPad folded up into the size of an iPhone would be very comfortable in the pocket either. It would be heavy, fat, and very inferior to an iPad in terms of battery life and performance.
You might as well just have a second screen used as an airplay display while keeping the phone itself in your pocket.
There's a few practical reasons that other people have mentioned, but it's also just cool! I tried out the Z-Flip IRL before, and man is it cool.
For much of the high-end smartphone market, a lot of it is about making a product that's enjoyable to use, since, to be honest, low end smartphones are very capable these days. It's more about: hey, this is a device you're probably going to have with you more than any other thing, don't you want something really nice to hold and use?
So there's also the (somewhat vain) factor of coolness.
I have a Galaxy Fold 2 and I love it. The screen is the size of an iPad Mini but I can fold it up and put it in my pocket.
The need they fulfill is that you can carry a tablet around in your pocket and then unfold it when you want to use it and have a nice, big screen.
Have you seen The Expanse?
I have. I don't care much for it.
But surely you agree tht the phone props are super cool. Flex screens are a step toward that.
Like this? https://thumbor.forbes.com/thumbor/711x402/https://blogs-images.forbes.com/kevinmurnane/files/2017/03/tablet-sized_S1E9_Syfy.jpg
Still requires two hand operation. I don't like that very much.
Still too large for me hahaha
History is going to leave me behind
That’s the slate version. There’s a one handed version, bit looking for images reminds me that the extra screens are maybe holographic.
In any event, the thought of a small device that provides expanding screen space on demand seems awesome, which was my original point.
I don’t love my mini for the small screen, i like that it’s a smaller device that can easily be operated with one hand. It would be great if i could have that and also have a larger screen when i want it.
There's a point where touchscreens start becoming less ideal as input devices and physical input devices like keyboards become more desirable as the size of the screen increases. As the consumer market seeks to find the balance between the two, I feel like folding screens on mobile phones will find their way to the gimmick graveyard, victims of trying to hold the middle-ground.