Personally, I miss having an iPad so the sole reason of playing the Kingdom Rush games. Even the Plus- and Max-sized iPhones are a bit too small for those games, but I can't justify buying an iPad just for that minimal reason, so I can create a use-case of how that might be fun for opening it for that game once or twice or month, but then there's the issues of weight and size for using as a smartphone 99.9& of the time that make it unacceptable (and that's even before price is considered).
My iPad Pro 10.5 LTE is probably the best computer purchase I’ve made in a long while. You can definitely use an iPad as personal computer, without any keyboard accessories either. It’s also the primary reason I’m going down in phone size from my 6S Plus this coming fall. With the right case and eventual OS upgrade, the 2019 iPad Pro 12.9 or whatever large model with LTE is going to be magic. The more you use it, the bigger the screen size you want, imo.
As long as the flexible display models are scratch resistant, I can see them being the eventual form factor for tablets too, perhaps more so, as the weight penalty isn’t as big. For phones, they need to get half as light. It’s like they have to wait on solid state lithium-ion batteries with 50% more energy density to really make it work.
The iPad is a phenomenal product and I recommend it all day for most people, it's just not the ideal device for me. I'm mostly with my 15" MBP, and then my Apple Watch, and coming up last is my iPhone. My iPhone is still a 7 Plus and not only do I have no interest in upgrading it I'd be happy if Apple made a Watch app for macOS or allowed some iCloud setup so that I can eschew my iPhone, too.
Gimmick with a capital "G"... I bet some case manufacturers will be up late the next few weeks trying to figure out how to put a case on this. Surely, a pouch style case would work. But maybe that is it? I mean a case that would bend with this ? LOL...
Edit #2: I’ve designed a hinge for a different application that could actually allow this phone to be folded face to face. Seems to me that would be a much better way to go.
The problem isn't the hinge. The problem is creasing the display. It’s over twice as thick as a standard phone, as you’ll notice late in Samsung’s intro video that the hinge side doesn’t fold completely flat. Again, avoiding a crease in the screen.
Going to be interesting trying to pocket this thing.
$2k for a 7.3 inch screen? Lol...GTFO. It’s 17mm think when folded. That’s more than twice as think as the XS Max while only going up to 7.3 inches from 6.5. Way too thick for way to little screen real estate. No way I’d take that trade off. I know it’s just a start but I don’t see anyone outside tech bloggers or Samsung fanatics buying this.
So where will the Apple haters be when they said Apple was too expensive?
Will they be hypocrites AGAIN?!
Meanwhile Apple engineers everything from the hardware to software. Samsung steals and uses others software and sells at Apple prices.
You'd never know by your comments that you're biased. /s
The "Apple haters" complain that EVERYTHING APPLE MAKES is too expensive (which is true), but you cherry pick a flagship product from Samsung to compare to? LOL!
Yeah, Samsung stole the foldable screen from Apple, clearly. smh
$2000 for a phone is steep, yes. But lets but honest, I dropped $1500 for a loaded Xs Max. Add my AppleCare on there and its close. I have dropped $2000 on worse things so I'm not good complain about the price though I acknowledge it is a hefty price. In truth though, I'm going to rock both my Xs Max and my 3rd Gen 12.9 for a few years before I even thing about replacing them because the pricing on phones & tablets has become comical.
That said here's the real problem I don't see much commentary on, ANDROID TABLET APP EXPERIENCE SUCKS!!!!!
Dropping 2 grand for a foldable pocket tablet is one thing but when most of the apps boil down to being blown up larger versions of the phone app, this crosses the line into stupid. Until the tablet experience with Android gets better, this is basically a flip phone for the elderly or the visually impaired.
Does anyone remember 2014’s Blackberry Passport. It wasn’t lauded for its square display; it was mocked. and no other manufacturer until now has released anything of significance with a square aspect ratio. This issue alone is likely what keeps Apple at the drawing board, if they haven’t already walked away from the entire concept. How do you combine the 9:16 aspect ratio of a smartphone, which in portrait offers a natural document scrolling solution and in landscape offers an ideal video viewing solution, with a tablet’s aspect ratio (Apple’s are 4:3 in the more commonly held landscape orientation).
Square is just not a very useful aspect ratio. It’s not great for documents; if you size to fit in the horizontal dimension, then you don’t get very much of the document shown at-a-time in the vertical dimension. Try this on an iPad by holding it in portrait in a webpage and then tapping the browser bar to bring up the keyboard. What’s left shown of the webpage is what a square display presents all the time, without even a keyboard being displayed. Then imagine a keyboard intruding into that space. At least the Blackberry had a separate physical keyboard. Square also doesn’t offer anything different when rotating to landscape. So watching videos or working a spreadsheet aren’t going to very satisfying experiences on such a screen.
The Samsung Fold is yet another refrigerator combined with a toaster. One function defeats the other. The toaster warms the device, which as a fridge is fighting to keep food cold. The Fold as a tablet defeats the pocketability of a smartphone while adding the very real potential of a vector for mechanical failure, and a poor tablet experience. And as other commenters have speculated, it’s likely the finger feel on the tablet display, due to it likely being plastic-covered and not glass, will provide another point of user experience compromise.
I don't understand the pixel count. The side parallel to the hinge should have the same pixel count in both modes, yes the sizes are given as 1,960 x 840 folded and 2,152 x 1,536 unfolded. Can someone explain?
Well, I am impressed with the overall design. A portable phone for normal use that unfolds into a bigger iPad-like tablet for real internet usage. Why own both?
Of course, the price... the price! And I balked at paying $1500+for an XS Max!
Ill keep waiting for Apple’s version, I guess. My iPad Pro still has 4 months left to pay off!
Well, I am impressed with the overall design. A portable phone for normal use that unfolds into a bigger iPad-like tablet for real internet usage. Why own both?
Of course, the price... the price! And I balked at paying $1500+for an XS Max!
Ill keep waiting for Apple’s version, I guess. My iPad Pro still has 4 months left to pay off!
I just don't see Apple create a hybrid design like this. "Foldable screen" might have another, more substantial, benefits. We just don't know yet but certainly not a frdge-toaster style.
I wanted to like this device but when it is folded together it is one of the ugliest pieces of tech I have ever seen. I feel like I have gone back in time to fold out keyboards. Is it even possible to put a case on this thing? I dont even care about the price. It is just not a nice looking device. Also, Android will never be optimized for this device.
Comments
If this His is what foldable displays are about... no thanks.
What prople are wanting is the dream they seen in renders - a slim, paper like display that unscrolls and is put away with minimal footprint.
This thing is the size of a tank. And that’s what it’s sales prospects will do - tank.
Cant wait to see the YouTube troll drop tests on this one.
The "Apple haters" complain that EVERYTHING APPLE MAKES is too expensive (which is true), but you cherry pick a flagship product from Samsung to compare to? LOL!
Yeah, Samsung stole the foldable screen from Apple, clearly. smh
The same crowd...
$2000 Samsung Galaxy - 'Wow, the best phone ever, not too expensive, understandable, I wish I could afford it, they deserve the price tag.'
That said here's the real problem I don't see much commentary on, ANDROID TABLET APP EXPERIENCE SUCKS!!!!!
Dropping 2 grand for a foldable pocket tablet is one thing but when most of the apps boil down to being blown up larger versions of the phone app, this crosses the line into stupid. Until the tablet experience with Android gets better, this is basically a flip phone for the elderly or the visually impaired.
Does anyone remember 2014’s Blackberry Passport. It wasn’t lauded for its square display; it was mocked. and no other manufacturer until now has released anything of significance with a square aspect ratio. This issue alone is likely what keeps Apple at the drawing board, if they haven’t already walked away from the entire concept. How do you combine the 9:16 aspect ratio of a smartphone, which in portrait offers a natural document scrolling solution and in landscape offers an ideal video viewing solution, with a tablet’s aspect ratio (Apple’s are 4:3 in the more commonly held landscape orientation).
Square is just not a very useful aspect ratio. It’s not great for documents; if you size to fit in the horizontal dimension, then you don’t get very much of the document shown at-a-time in the vertical dimension. Try this on an iPad by holding it in portrait in a webpage and then tapping the browser bar to bring up the keyboard. What’s left shown of the webpage is what a square display presents all the time, without even a keyboard being displayed. Then imagine a keyboard intruding into that space. At least the Blackberry had a separate physical keyboard. Square also doesn’t offer anything different when rotating to landscape. So watching videos or working a spreadsheet aren’t going to very satisfying experiences on such a screen.
The Samsung Fold is yet another refrigerator combined with a toaster. One function defeats the other. The toaster warms the device, which as a fridge is fighting to keep food cold. The Fold as a tablet defeats the pocketability of a smartphone while adding the very real potential of a vector for mechanical failure, and a poor tablet experience. And as other commenters have speculated, it’s likely the finger feel on the tablet display, due to it likely being plastic-covered and not glass, will provide another point of user experience compromise.
Of course, the price... the price! And I balked at paying $1500+for an XS Max!
Ill keep waiting for Apple’s version, I guess. My iPad Pro still has 4 months left to pay off!
Samsung is trying to sell you a $2000 flip phone.