Why would this matter? Look how Samsung priced this new technology. Do you think a $2000 price tag is absolutely feasible and/or attractive to the average consumer? I guarantee it’s not. Even if Samsung would make this widely available, do you think all of sudden that would dramatically increase their sales for something that’s _twice_ the cost of what a smart phone is today? I don’t think it would, again, it goes back to this is a very niche category that is just starting off, that no one has experience with, yet. Consumers are way too savvy today with how they can justify spending that dollar amount for tech that may not even meet their expectations. The difference being, Samsung knows they can charge whatever they want for this technology, because they are one of the first to release it, but by no means is it limiting sales to something that as a price point that’s ‘far-fetched’.
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Other If Huawei Mate X (Foldable) ran iOS...
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Why would this matter? Look how Samsung priced this new technology. Do you think a $2000 price tag is absolutely feasible and/or attractive to the average consumer? I guarantee it’s not. Even if Samsung would make this widely available, do you think all of sudden that would dramatically increase their sales for something that’s _twice_ the cost of what a smart phone is today? I don’t think it would, again, it goes back to this is a very niche category that is just starting off, that no one has experience with, yet. Consumers are way too savvy today with how they can justify spending that dollar amount for tech that may not even meet their expectations. The difference being, Samsung knows they can charge whatever they want for this technology, because they are one of the first to release it, but by no means is it limiting sales to something that as a price point that’s ‘far-fetched’.
I think you misunderstand what I'm saying. Nobody thinks the Fold will sell in high volume. It's a range topping smartphone intended to show what's possible from the company. It builds brand awareness and recognition just by being in a store.
Samsung sells a $20,000 QLED TV. But they don't limit sales to luxury electronics stores. You can order it from Best Buy. Samsung should do the same with the Fold to build brand awareness.
I understand what you’re saying, but I think I went off-track slightly. But here’s the thing with the last sentence in your post, (and back to my original point), do you think Samsung would really build ‘brand awareness’ for something that doesn’t even carry remotely an attractive price point for a foldable? What would Samsung be accomplishing by doing this? Even if they put a foldable display on the market, demoing this new technology, why would the consumer care about something that’s likely not even a consideration for a $2000 plus device? The Only ones purchasing a foldable device like this right now, are extremists in the tech industry.
Consumers like to be associated with brands that are leading edge. When you have a leading edge product and customers can touch it, you demonstrate with more than just words, that you are that company.
Intel sells a $2,000 Extreme Edition processor. Acura puts a $150,000 super car in their showroom. Samsung sells a $20,000 TV and a $2,000 smartphone. Most consumers aren't expected to buy these products, but it certainly builds brand recognition. When people buy things, they don't just look at what they can afford, they look at the entire product stack and consider the brand.
The Mate X completely blows the Galaxy Fold out of the water in terms of design, but it's truly a first gen product that isn't ready for the average consumer. The biggest dealbreaker for me is that the screen is plastic. Since the entire phone aside from the side camera notch is screen, it'll be a scratch magnet and get caked in fingerprints. Not to mention that there's no easy way to design a case for this type of phone to give it any amount of protection from damage.
Folding phones have all sorts of potential, but we're probably a few years away from them being ready for the average consumer and 5+ years away from seeing something like this that runs iOS.
Folding phones have all sorts of potential, but we're probably a few years away from them being ready for the average consumer and 5+ years away from seeing something like this that runs iOS.
Good points. I don’t disagree, I think even if you have a product that’s unachievable for somebody that they can’t afford/obtain, they still like to admire for what it is, especially if they’re loyal to that specific brand or company.
There is no need for foldable phones.
The real innovation is going to be brain/device interface where you won’t even have to hold anything. A kind of heads up display.
The real innovation is going to be brain/device interface where you won’t even have to hold anything. A kind of heads up display.
I was actually thinking more of the curved TVs, which ultimately fell flat, along with their inflated pricing. The only real advantage to those, is what you had to be sitting relatively close to the TV to actually appreciate the more ‘surround’ experience.
Honestly surprised at the dismissive iOS users here.
I recall Apple creating devices I never thought I’d have any use for - the tablet being the major one.
Sure, that was the Jobs era, & they’ve been refining more than inventing of late (bar accessories), but I think Foldables are a Jobs-esque invention.
For people to reject a device so abruptly (& in some cases fanatically) shows closed-minds at work.
Let this tech evolve, people. What harm can it do? If anything, it’ll drive down prices of current smartphones. How can that be bad, if that’s what you’re into.
Foldables may also fast-track battery progression & just about any other component to work within a thinner chassis.
They may force screen manufacturers to invest more in scratch-proof research/materials as Foldables place them at risk of damage, heightened by limited practical application of screen protectors.
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Think beyond current use-cases.
I recall Apple creating devices I never thought I’d have any use for - the tablet being the major one.
Sure, that was the Jobs era, & they’ve been refining more than inventing of late (bar accessories), but I think Foldables are a Jobs-esque invention.
For people to reject a device so abruptly (& in some cases fanatically) shows closed-minds at work.
Let this tech evolve, people. What harm can it do? If anything, it’ll drive down prices of current smartphones. How can that be bad, if that’s what you’re into.
Foldables may also fast-track battery progression & just about any other component to work within a thinner chassis.
They may force screen manufacturers to invest more in scratch-proof research/materials as Foldables place them at risk of damage, heightened by limited practical application of screen protectors.
Let’s not innovate until that happens?
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~12 years ago: “Why would I want a PC (smartphone) in my pocket? I have one at home”.
Think beyond current use-cases.
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For me personally , the Huawei X is what the IPhone first gen was back then.
It revolutionize the industry.
For me it is like an iPhone and iPad in one....
Sine my iPad is getting a bit slow, this a good time to have a 2 in 1 device.
Might be considering switching but will wait till I see what Apple offers.
It revolutionize the industry.
For me it is like an iPhone and iPad in one....
Sine my iPad is getting a bit slow, this a good time to have a 2 in 1 device.
Might be considering switching but will wait till I see what Apple offers.
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iPhone won't be foldable until Apple can figure out how to allow gorilla glass to bend. These companies are using crappy materials to get the bend.
I wonder if they need to go bendable plastic at all?
What if they just had two (or three) perfectly aligned flat glass panels where, when unfolded, almost spliced into each other.
Would people mind if the join could be felt only barely if it meant retaining a more robust screen material?
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The issue would be developing a completely borderless display on one or more edges, which at this point seems to be even more challenging than foldable OLED. That borderless edge would also have to resist physical damage.
If I designed the Galaxy Fold, I wouldn't want anyone to have it, either. It's a really crude prototype
Well we know Apple are looking into MicroLED. So if the flat glass panels of a tri-screen foldable device could interlock as the border-less wall-mounted MicroLED panels do, then that’d be something.
In the case of the iPhone they did invent the modern Smartphone. The fact there were single touch devices out there doesn't mean they were the same product as the iPhone. A calculator and a pc both compute data but that doesn't mean they're the same product.
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Software-wise it's posible to find a solution to unwanted input (eg: by making the borders ignore input). Actually, something similar already happens in the main screen (the OS does some processing before deciding whether to dispatch the screen taps to handlers)
The issue isn't unwanted input. In order to have a folding phone with two pieces of glass aligned side by side means a zero border panel is needed.
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I agree that's a possibility. With MicroLED, building smaller displays is more difficult than large ones. At the rate Samsung is shrinking MLED, perhaps we'll see something suitable around 2022.
This shows where I hope smartphone glass panels evolve to, sans the need for a bendable screen...
They're not going to take off with me. I'd sooner see the vintage idea of a "folding" phone revived.
yeah, yer basic Samsung Juke (SCH-U470). I was looking at it late last night, thinking now there was a perfect little phone. Handled phone calls, voice dialing, took basic docu style photos, played music (AAC, MP3, WMA), did texts, stashed notes, minded a calendar and to-do lists, alarm clock, stopwatch, BT and USB connectivity, headphone jack... took up practically no space in a pocket. One of those with minor spec bumps and an iPad and a laptop and my gear list would be punched. Of course typing on it was a PITA and users probably invented our horrible texting lexicon, e.g. C U L8TR. So ok it was a phone, cam and mp3 player, good enough for government work and dirt cheap.