Being the age I am, I’m just old enough to remember flip-phones.

A relatively simple concept that has been on my mind lately for reasons I’ll get to. Widely considered obsolete unless you just want a cheap phone to make calls etc., these phones featured a screen on one side, a keypad on the other, with a hinge joint between the two.

The reason that this device has been dragged back to the front of my brain in recent weeks is because I am reminded of them every time I see this:

To be clear: I’m aware that this foldable iphone is not the first foldable modern smartphone (I know Samsung released them years ago also).

But I’m also left wondering: what is the point? I think I can perfectly understand the use of flip phones as they were when they were popular, but foldable phones I just can’t see the benefit. As far as I can see, these foldable type of phones offer little to no benefit that you couldn’t get from, say a regular iPhone or Samsung phone, in terms of the consumer and how they are used in general life. I get that the hardware/software may be different, but that’s not going to be a factor in most people’s daily lives (you’re not going to care about the type of core, or the screen resolution when you make a phone call, etc.) It seems like it’s more of a gimmick from the companies making them to try and make more sales, but even if that’s the case, the product must have something unique to offer, so what is it about foldable phones that are so unique besides the gimmick of folding?

      • mnemonicmonkeys@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
        11·
        1 hour ago

        And you were asking for honest opinions, but you turned around and started being hostile and making up bullshit arguments in the comments.

        Face it, you didn’t honestly want a cordial conversation. It’s pretty clear you wanted an argument just to try to win against someone with a different opinion

        • Cyril Strobe@sh.itjust.worksOP
          113·
          11 hours ago

          iPads are not pocket computers. No iPad has ever been designed to fit in a pocket as like a phone, so I don’t understand how you’ve arrived at the comparison of a foldable phone to an iPad in terms of size and fitting it in your pocket when iPads are a tablet computer that are not designed to fit in a pocket. I’m not doubting that iPad minis are computers, they’re just not by nature portable pocket computers, so I don’t quite understand why you’re drawing the comparison given that nobody puts iPad minis in their pockets (and if they do they are using them wrong because as far as I’m aware, they’re not designed to do so)

          • bottleofchips@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            16·
            11 hours ago

            It does seem like you’re being wilfully obtuse here but for the benefit of the doubt I think the point is that the folding phone gives you the screen real estate and added functionality of an iPad mini while still fitting in your pocket, so having the convenience of a phone. Of course nobody currently puts an iPad mini in their pocket, because nobody has pockets that big.

            For avoidance of doubt, I am similarly of the opinion that foldable phones are stupid gimmicks, but then I said that about the iPhone 3 so what do I know.

            • Cyril Strobe@sh.itjust.worksOP
              17·
              11 hours ago

              I just don’t think it’s worth the money. The average cost of the iPhone 18 pro max is around $1,300, and the average cost of the duo is closer to $2,000. I get that the price will drop for the duo, but right now, I just don’t see the point of spending $800 more on 1.5 inch extra screen width for a device that can’t functionally do much more that any other iPhone as far as I’m aware, and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there. And to be clear: when I say functionally can’t do more, I mean in terms of the functionality of the phone (make calls, play games, browse the internet, etc.) rather than functionality in terms of folding.

              • FishFace@piefed.socialEnglish
                7·
                10 hours ago

                If the doubt you have in your mind was about the value for money, then you asked the wrong question. And the reason this thread got so long is because you didn’t clarify your doubt initially when it became obvious that there was a good reason to want a folding smartphone.

                • Cyril Strobe@sh.itjust.worksOP
                  21·
                  10 hours ago

                  True, very true. However, I do think that the size links in with what I was eventually getting at with the cost, but yeah, I probably could’ve brought it up earlier.

              • bottleofchips@lemmy.blahaj.zone
                6·
                11 hours ago

                Sure, and for the most part I totally agree, though in fairness greater screen real estate is extra functionality, and iPads can do things iPhones can’t.

                But your question was what’s the point, and I think it’s been answered. Whether they offer value is another question, and I don’t think many people are disagreeing with you that no, they don’t really.

                • Cyril Strobe@sh.itjust.worksOP
                  15·
                  10 hours ago

                  though in fairness greater screen real estate is extra functionality, and iPads can do things iPhones can’t.

                  To be fair though, that’s because iPhones and iPads have different hardware and slightly different operating systems. iPad architecture is closer (but not extremely close) to pc type computers, it’s called IpadOS, whereas iPhones run on standard iOS which is less powerful.

              • _chris@lemmy.worldEnglish
                31·
                9 hours ago

                Pro Max $1300 iPad mini $800

                Total $2100

                Hey I just saved $100 and I can carry my iPad mini with me all the time now.

          • GatesMcBalmer@lemmy.world
            7·
            11 hours ago

            You are so close! You see, there are people that would like to have an iPad mini in their pocket, but its too big. These are the people who want the folding iPhone. Check this out, when unfolded, the new iPhone has almost the same size screen as …the iPad Mini!

            • Cyril Strobe@sh.itjust.worksOP
              25·
              11 hours ago

              I’m not saying you don’t have a point btw I get what you’re trying to say, I just don’t think it’s worth the money for the size difference to be honest. The average cost of the iPhone 18 pro max is around $1,300, and the average cost of the duo is closer to $2,000. I get that the price will drop for the duo, but right now, I just don’t see the point of spending $800 more on 1.5 inch extra screen width for a device that can’t functionally do much more that any other iPhone as far as I’m aware, and I’m sure I’m not the only one out there.

              • GatesMcBalmer@lemmy.world
                3·
                4 hours ago

                don’t see the point of spending $800 more on 1.5 inch extra screen width

                The screen is the point.

                It might seem like the iPhone 18 pro max is similar in size by the diagonal measurement. When measuring by area its not even close. The iPhone Duo has a screen area of 27.1"sq which is almost double 50% more than the iPhone 18 pro max screen area of 18.1"sq. That is a very substantial difference. Whether that is worth the price difference is up to the buyer of course, but you do get almost twice as much 50% more screen on the Duo.

                Essentially, the Duo is better understood as a foldable iPad mini that feels and works like a phone when folded.

            • Cyril Strobe@sh.itjust.worksOP
              16·
              11 hours ago

              The same could be said of the iPhone 18 pro max: it’s only like an inch and a bit less wide, so not that different really