Samsung Galaxy Fold Released

[fjtorres]

Also at Barcelona, TCL was showing off their foldable display tech that is going into future products, not just phones:

https://www.cnet.com/news/tcl-dragon...s-at-mwc-2019/

The hinge lets you do things like fold a display inward to close it like a book or curve it outward to wrap it around your wrist.

The design concepts use custom flexible AMOLED displays from TCL's sister company, China Star Optoelectronics Technology (CSOT). Samsung, LG and CSOT are three of the biggest panel makers in the world, giving them all in-house expertise in flexible displays.

CNET reported earlier in February that TCL has been working on at least five devices with flexible displays, including two tablets, two phones and a flexible phone that could curve into a smartwatch, according to company renderings and patent image filings obtained by CNET. This is the first time TCL has shown any physical products to reporters.

One of TCL's designs is booked-shaped, with the two sides of the screen folding in on each other (similar to how Samsung's Galaxy Fold works) and held in place by magnets. It becomes a tablet when expanded. Other versions of that design could have the display on the outside.

Another design shown by TCL is skinny and long, with the DragonHinge all along the back so it can be worn as a watch.

Yet another model folds tightly almost like a flip phone, with part of the screen exposed for always-on notifications or other use when the main display is closed. The last device doesn't use a DragonHinge but is an example of TCL's early research in foldables.

TCL's push at MWC underscores the industry's growing interest in foldable devices, which is seen as the next major leap in phone design and a way to get us interested in phones again. People are holding onto their phones for longer than before, and it's getting harder to justify a pricey upgrade given the relatively minor tweaks made every year. The hope is that foldables can change that and introduce a new way of interacting with electronics.

Here in Barcelona, at the world's biggest mobile show, it's what everyone's buzzing about.

More at the source including pretty pictures of the prototypes.

I could go for a 13-15in tablet that folds to hardcover size.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

https://www.cnet.com/news/galaxy-fol...ries-for-1980/

The technology may filter down to more affordable devices in a few years.

More details at the source.

My youngest boy is chomping at the bit to get one but he needs a price point of about 25% of the original.

Now Huawei is in the game, impressive:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019...olute-stunner/

[tomsem]

Originally Posted by maximus83

Now Huawei is in the game, impressive:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2019...olute-stunner/

More expensive than Galaxy Fold, and the wraparound (plastic) screen means you can incur screen damage most conveniently. Who will not want one of those?

Originally Posted by tomsem

More expensive than Galaxy Fold, and the wraparound (plastic) screen means you can incur screen damage most conveniently. Who will not want one of those?

First of all--read my earlier post. I'm not buying a Gen1 version of any of these, but people will. You must get that for the kind of folks that enjoy buying the latest devices--cost is usually not the driving factor.

Next thing: this is not an apples-to-apples price comparison price-wise, anyway. Did you read the review? The Fold is a 4g phone with a 7.3" screen; the Mate X is 5g phone with an 8" screen. That costs a lot more to make, which alone could explain the $600 difference in price. Not to mention other interesting design enhancements like 55w charging that will enable much faster charging. If the Fold had similar specs, it'd cost more.

As the author of the review says, there's actually some design advantage int he relative simplicity of the Huawei design. The potential trade-off, which is what you're focusing on, is durability. But, as all these devices and designs are as yet unproven, it remains to be seen which ones will take off, which will fail, and what issues will pop up with foldable designs in general. I almost think of all these designs coming out--including the new LG foldable offering--as prototypes to see what form factor will catch on with users.

[Barty]

^^^ durability not really a concern for people who blow 2000$+ on first gen product. They'll buy the second gen next year.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by Barty

^^^ durability not really a concern for people who blow 2000$+ on first gen product. They'll buy the second gen next year.

True.
But those folks are more likely to buy Apple than Huawei.

[fjtorres]

LG has an answer for those wanting a cheaper folding phone:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/techn...een/ar-BBU0Npw

A second screen folio case.
A miniature version of the dual screen laptops from Asus and Lenovo.

If you haven’t already soaked up the leaks about it, the new LG V50 introduced today is a souped-up V40 with the new Snapdragon 855 processor, improved cooling, bigger battery, and the futuristic addition of 5G. The V50 is LG’s first 5G phone, in fact, and it’s also the first to be compatible with a new accessory the company is rolling out: an entire second screen.

The LG Dual Screen is essentially a folio case with a second OLED screen in it. The V50 has a 6.4-inch display, however the secondary panel here is limited to a 6.2-inch diagonal measurement, owing to its bigger bezels. I got to try out the Dual Screen system for myself here at Mobile World Congress, and there are both good and bad things to say about it.

Full screen
Starting with the positive, I’m confident that there’s demand for this kind of extra screen real estate. The more screen manufacturers can squeeze into a pocketable shape, the higher a price they’ll be able to charge. And, indeed, an LG V50 with an LG Dual Screen attached to it is pretty much as pocketable as the LG V50 itself. The added thickness won’t affect whether or not the already large device is a fit for your attire, Also cool is the hinge design on the case, which can rotate a full 360 degrees, allowing you to mirror your screen, which can be handy to show someone you’re photographing how you’re framing the shot.

More detail, and photos, at the source.
Obviously, the next (and even cheaper) step is a clamshell phone with identical dual screens from the start.

Microsoft has a patent for a trick hinge that allows two screen to line up edge to edge to produce a single seamless display.

https://www.cnet.com/news/microsoft-...t-application/

It's off to the races, now.

[Rbneader]

Originally Posted by haertig

I could never understand when anyone would want an expensive, gigantic phone like the ones they're selling these days. Now we have an even more expensive and more gigantic phone. Will wonders never cease.

A large phone can mostly replace a tablet, TV and laptop.

As much as I love smaller phones and dedicated devices, most people prefer having an all-in-one device that they never have to switch away from.

[Rbneader]

Originally Posted by maximus83

First of all--read my earlier post. I'm not buying a Gen1 version of any of these, but people will. You must get that for the kind of folks that enjoy buying the latest devices--cost is usually not the driving factor.

Next thing: this is not an apples-to-apples price comparison price-wise, anyway. Did you read the review? The Fold is a 4g phone with a 7.3" screen; the Mate X is 5g phone with an 8" screen. That costs a lot more to make, which alone could explain the $600 difference in price. Not to mention other interesting design enhancements like 55w charging that will enable much faster charging. If the Fold had similar specs, it'd cost more.

As the author of the review says, there's actually some design advantage int he relative simplicity of the Huawei design. The potential trade-off, which is what you're focusing on, is durability. But, as all these devices and designs are as yet unproven, it remains to be seen which ones will take off, which will fail, and what issues will pop up with foldable designs in general. I almost think of all these designs coming out--including the new LG foldable offering--as prototypes to see what form factor will catch on with users.

One aspect I'll be watching closely is what sort of cases are offered. Case compatibility is a non-trivial feature for most people.

Originally Posted by Rbneader

One aspect I'll be watching closely is what sort of cases are offered. Case compatibility is a non-trivial feature for most people.

Very true. Especially when the phones are going to already be a lot thicker (closed) than folks are used to.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Rbneader

One aspect I'll be watching closely is what sort of cases are offered. Case compatibility is a non-trivial feature for most people.

Indeed. The thought occurs to me that the model with the plastic screen on the outside might well be very susceptible to getting scratched if you were to keep it in your pocket with coins, keys, etc, as I currently do with my iPhone.

[fjtorres]

Motorola is bringing back their Razer phone with a foldable display:

https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/27/...one-is-coming/

Dery instead said that Motorola has "no intention of coming later than everybody else in the market," and considering the upcoming launch dates for the Samsung Galaxy Fold (in April) and Huawei's Mate X (in mid 2019), it seems safe to assume that we're looking at a Motorola launch by summer.

Despite his low-key confirmation, Dery continued to make some oblique -- but surprisingly specific -- observations that happen to confirm what we've learned in earlier reports. Consider the flip-phone-inspired design seen in Motorola's patent filing. It clearly depicts a smartphone (with distinct RAZR-like styling) that features a large internal display that bends in half when the device is closed.

It's an especially unorthodox look compared to what other foldable makers have unveiled so far, and that's potentially a good thing. While he thinks the screen-on-the-outside approach adopted by Samsung and Huawei is "the nicest and the purest" way to go, Dery believes the inherent fragility of those displays meant Motorola had to find a different way forward.

The RAZER is expected to run US$1500.

More at the source, including line art.

[DuckieTigger]

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Motorola is bringing back their Razer phone with a foldable display:

https://www.engadget.com/2019/02/27/...one-is-coming/



The RAZER is expected to run US$1500.

More at the source, including line art.

Where did the price come from? Didn't see anything mentioned in linked article.

ETA: It is mentioned in the paywalled WSJ article. Except that their "informants/people" are not to be trusted with any accuracy of details since they also claimed it could be maybe possibly be released by the end of february. More rumor than anything then.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by DuckieTigger

More rumor than anything then.

Not quite.
The OP cites the WSJ but they're also citing their own interview this week.
The price is more estimate than anything else but it is just as likely high than low. The whole point of the Razer brand is simplicity so it's a folding phone, not a tablet hybrid.

Despite the ensuing hype, Motorola has mostly kept quiet about its progress, but in an interview with Engadget this week, Motorola VP of Global Product Dan Dery shed some additional light on the company's ambitions.