Android

The price, obviously. However, I'd also worry about the screen cracking where it folds.

It's way too expensive for what I want.

I actually just want a very small but very functional smartphone since I currently don't have a phone at all.

I just use my Tab S7+5G as a phone, been doing that since the S6. I've just recently ran into some issues where I might need a smaller device, e.g. to use some store app QR codes or similar stuff where you'd have to present your phone. Well... I can actually do that just fine, but pulling out a 12inch tablet makes you look like a dork.

To be honest, I'd wish someone made a non-folding phone with a the height of a folded folding phone lmao

Nothing is. I'm currently writing this post on one. I will consider that weight is a big issue, one I wish was spoken of more than the plethora of reporters and journalists upset that Instagram, famously known for not having an iPad app, also doesn't have foldable support. I really like my Pixel Fold regardless.

Money

Price and durability concerns

To contrast some of the comments here from people who've clearly never used one of these foldables outside of a display case, I've had my Fold 3 (the larger folding tablet style) for two years. I came from the Note and S lines, Windows Phone, and have bounced between iPhones. My Fold 3 is in great shape and has survived many falls. It's definitely durable enough for me. I take care of it, but I get that some people don't desire to take care of their devices and expect them to be exceedingly durable. Never had anything under the screen. Never take it to the beach unless it's in a sealed ziplock. I take care not to put it in dusty environments or let sawdust or shavings get into it (hobbies).

Unfolded, it's better than any other phone out there. Viewing videos enlarged or widescreen is great depending on video and application. During normal usage, the crease is not noticable enough to be a distraction unless viewed from a severe angle (think the person sitting next to you). Unfolded scrolling of Lemmy, the internet, and reading is a better experience than anything else out there - bar none, no argument. The screen is just huge and viewing websites in mobile or desktop is fantastic. It makes the web actually useable from a mobile device. I never use my Galaxy Tab anymore. Samsung does a pretty good job software-wise adapting apps to fit the foldable aspect ratio if a guveb app doesn't officially support it. More apps are supporting foldables every day.

I would agree with the sentiment that the Z Flip line likely has a more gimmicky purpose. At least the Fold line functions as a tablet and is a decent phone folded up. At least, that is my experience with a Z Flip 3 before swapping for a Fold 3. But I'll be buying foldables exclusively from here on out. After using the Fold 3 for two years, I can say it's folding screen is definitely NOT a gimmick.

I don't like them (as they're now). Price.

I got one, but got rid of it after the screen cover plastic became rigid and creaky...twice. Worse, Samsung said they'd cover it once under warranty, and that after their ubreak ifix people were telling me it'd cost $200 to fix and I had to explain I had a protection plan to the braindead tech ten times.

Not worth it until they solve durability issues.

My phone hasn't died yet, so I can't justify buying a new one.

I'm also afraid if my phone is too good, I'll stop using my computer as much where I'm more productive

Edit: wow, looking at the poll results, this is definitely a minority opinion. Most people are about price/durability

Price and durability. I'm not going to pay exorbitant prices for something I'll have to replace in 2 years

As someone who just got the pixel fold, it is pointless.

The crease is still far too noticable for me. That and the outrageous price that some of these things close when they eventually make it to the shelves with the "Australia tax" applied to it.

I don't see myself folding a foldable. Why would I want that?

I actually had a z fold 3. I absolutely loved it! Battery life was great for my usage and the extra screen space was wonderful. You don’t notice the crease when your actually using it. You only notice it when your actually looking for it.

What stopped me from getting the next one was because on my device I saw what I assumed were hair line cracks that were developing at the crease. At first I thought it was scratches but eventually more showed up. As a former technician I knew my screen was going to fail soon. The unfortunate part was I had the phone financed through my carrier and these started to develop well before my upgrade period. It made it just a little over a year when this started to happen. This prompted me to pay it off the rest of the way and trade it in for a more conventional phone.

Again I loved it. But I think it’s too soon for me to fully commit to foldables. At least I actually tried it.

I really just cant stand the weird plastic-looking screens they all have on the inside.

Also yeah being anywhere from double to triple the price for something that I think looks objectively worse than a regular glass phone screen is just... not gonna happen.

Hmmm... I think our weekly discussion thread this week had everyone gave their inputs on foldable, go check it out before we switch it out tomorrow.

https://lemmy.world/post/2436246

Although I don't think our sticky posts on this comm are working correctly for our friends at lemmy.ml, so please take a note of that.

Bulky, expensive, unneeded

My clothes have pockets

I took the dive, got one and it's awesome. I browse Lemmy 95% of the time on my outer screen. I went with Motorola Razor+ because I'm not the biggest Samsung fan and I totally impulse bought it. Unless it's something that demands I open my phone, I don't really, and that was what got me to get it. Without the outside screen I probably wouldn't have gotten it, but totally glad I did.

Maturity, I would consider the Pixel Fold 2

They're way too expensive. Moving parts such as the folding screen are just a focal point for stress, which is unacceptable given how expensive they are. I hate hearing that people can get dust in the hinge without anyway to clean it out.

You're also paying for extra screens such as the one on the outside and the folding inner screen. This is just added unnecessary cost when you'll never use both at the same time. I'm guessing the outer screens were added to reduce the number of times people unfold the phone over its lifetime, which gets back to my other point that adding moving parts just adds more issues than it solves.

Overall, I see it as a novelty at best. From the prices I've seen them sold at for the phones that turn into a tablet like device when unfolded, you can just buy a phone and a tablet separately for less. I think their purpose is to create a product more expensive than what the current flagship phones run, giving rich people something to spend additional money on to to show they have a lot of money and enough novelty for tech reviewers to discuss during reviews.

I want a phone that lasts at least 5 years

Until they make the protective screen durable up to lvl 5 scratches without dmg, ip 68 protection, flat front side without slightly risen bezels so I can comfortably use gestures, even the battery size and camera capabilities with normal flagships and the price of course, it's a nono for me. 🤔 Otherwise overpriced gimmick..

I prefer the standard chocolate bar style it's less likely to break and it fits fine in my hand

Owned one, went back to pixel 7 pro afterwards. I liked it a lot and really loved the screen size.

But the screen is really, really fragile and the phone is heavy enough that it's hard to hold when You're surfing for more than an hour.

So I could surf on my phone less... Or I could grab a phone that isn't 450g

A device that can inevitably fail as soon a week after purchase, and will likely fail within the first year, is just not for me. Not to mention the price, and poor software support for most apps

IMO, I think it's a pretty dumb concept in the way we're currently implementing it. If I want a borderline TV to carry around, I'll buy a tablet. I just want a phone for quick access to my communications mainly; I don't have vision issues that requires the screen to even be as big as some of the "small" offerings from the larger players in the cellular phone market. Additionally, to satisfy the quick access, many have multiple screens now, which I think is equally dumb, you're never going to use both screens at the same time, and most of the time there's no use-case where both screens would be on. The only viable folding device IMO, is the zFlip, and my pockets aren't small enough for me to care, or justify the extra cost, and durability concerns.

I recognize it's an important step in the process to make phones like this to further the foldable screens, so they can be further developed to be more durable, more flexible, and overall better than they currently are, but I, personally, have no need for one, nor desire to own one. The crease isn't pretty either, but it's not my chief concern.... it's just way too much for way too little. I haven't appreciated the direction of phones for a while, or the emphasis on the camera; simply, I want something better, faster, easier to use, and that lasts longer. Not a phablet with less than 18 hours of battery life, and a last-gen mobile radio in it.... Samsung did that kind of thing with the Galaxy Note, and I find the folding phones to be an extension of that.

I love technology, I work in technology and I appreciate it, but I have no desire for this. Give me a 5" screen, with powerful hardware under the hood and a good, latest-gen LTE/5G/whatever radio and WiFi 6e/7/whatever, and a decent battery, and I'm happy. Lately phones are too big for my large hands, and have cut so many corners that anything affordable is slow as all heck. I don't want to pay multiple thousands of dollars for something that works for me, simply because it has a bunch of fancy camera features I'm never going to care about. Having a camera is good, but 90% of the time I'm taking pictures of racks of equipment, wires, and my cat. I don't need a 50 megapixel camera with both wide angle and telephoto supplemental cameras and AI enhancements/image processing to capture images of my feline, or my network switch. What I do need is something that I can flip between half a dozen different apps to do my job, with a fast network connection so I can move data around quickly, and a battery that doesn't need charging multiple times a day so that my phone will stay powered on while I work...

First, the price point is stupid

Second, I don't trust a folding monitor to last

Third, every other time I've gone to a platform that's different from what 99% of apps are written for, I've felt frustrated because the apps didn't take advantage of that and here I was with support for that but no benefit to me.

Nothing at all, I've had two of them =]

Exclusively price. I want a Fold very bad but, too much $

It's also inconvenient. Having to unfold the phone before using is cumbersome and it doesn't fit well in my pockets.

I want a screen protector

My Fold 2 held up 2.5 years but the screen is starting to develop cracks at the hinge.
Still works, but I can see the cracks growing weekly, only a matter of time until they're too visible.
Replacing the screen is just too expensive, together with a new battery I'd look at the price of a new decent normal phone.

The huge screen is nice every once in a while, but I don't do enough with my phone to justify the price.
Was a neat experience of the "future", but the next phone is going to be a normal smartphone. Better battery life, will do the job just fine, lasts longer and cheaper.

No hard feeling towards foldables either, I knew they were expensive.
Also no surprise that folding something 10.000 times (conservative 10x a day for 1000 days) isn't going to last forever.
Maybe they'll find some magical solution for that, but I don't think they will anytime soon.

I've had my Galaxy zflip 3 for about 2 years now. Lots of comments here are saying they are too fragile or poorly made but that has not been my experience:

• the battery is fine
• the screen hasn't scratched
• it flips open fine with a one handed flick of the wrist
• I've dropped it several times without damage
• it has been used in the rain and snow
• I've replaced the screen protector once myself due to it peeling at the fold. Having to change screen protectors happens on every phone I've owned due to peeling somewhere
• I can drop it in my pocket folded without worrying about keys, coins, or whatever else scratching up the screen
• being able to use the phone as it's own tripod is nice for photos
• flipping it shut to end phonecalls is satisfying
• price is about the same as any other new Samsung phone (I got mine close to free trading in a Galaxy s10e)

The new flip 5 looks really nice with the bigger cover screen but I don't plan to upgrade anytime soon since this phone is working well for me.

They can't run GrapheneOS, and I like smaller phones (rocking a p4a). But maybe if Google release a flip-like phone I might be interested.

Camera. If I'm buying something that expensive, it better have a great camera.

Durability concerns. If a little speck can ruin the screen, then it's not ready to be a daily driver for me.