Samsung started the new trend of foldable touchscreen phones and they seem to have taken off now. Some still believe it’s just a fad and the idea holds no real value over regular touchscreen smartphones. Others think that the designers could hold merit and could possibly be the future of smartphones.
When the prototypes were unveiled in 2017, most people were skeptical. The idea had too many problems and challenges to overcome. Four years later, the manufacturers appear to have worked out a few things and are making these foldable phones enticing to the public. Let’s take a look at the biggest challenges faced by foldable phones:
The Crease
One of the main selling points of the foldable phone is that you can get a bigger screen in a more compact device. However, this bigger screen will come with a crease down the middle, which is unavoidable. Manufacturers will likely be looking for ways to decrease the impact of this line for many years to come.
Durability
When you add in moving parts, durability will always be a concern. The original Galaxy Fold from Samsung had a major problem with build quality and users were constantly frustrated by things breaking and connections within the phone systems becoming faulty. The hinge mechanism has improved significantly over the last few years, meaning fewer faults coming from breakages there.
Waterproofing And Dust Proofing
People are spending a lot of money on their smartphones and the need for some kind of waterproofing or water resistance is a big factor. As soon as you add in a hinge, it becomes harder to ensure that the phone is sealed and won’t succumb to the rain or getting dropped in a puddle.
Protection from dust is another major element that manufacturers need to consider. There is no avoiding dust in the real world and a smartphone needs to be able to withstand at least some everyday dust.
The manufacturers need to find a way to protect the hinge section of the phone without compromising on the usability of the phone. Too much protection will make the phone bulky and difficult to operate, while too little will make the device unusable in the real world.
Supported Apps And Software
Since foldable phones are still fairly new to the market and many are not convinced that they’ll stick around, there isn’t that much software made for them. Many mobile app developers are wondering if it’s worth rolling out updates to their software or horse racing betting apps to accommodate foldable phones. They’ll need to consider all the different models, the internal screen size, and how the external screen operates. Apps specifically for these phones may not be a reality ever.
Android has been working on their operating software though, and there are some exciting features for the foldable phones. You can run more than one app at a time on the open screen, but the apps need to catch up for the technology to really work well.