A new era for the smartphone has arrived. In 2019 we will see a more and more foldable smartphone. But what can you actually do with it, and is it smart to buy one now? The four most important questions and answers at a glance.
Foldable smartphones: you need to know this
2019 is the year of foldable smartphones. That became immediately apparent at the beginning of this year during the largest electronics trade show in the world, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas. Many a manufacturer showed a prototype at CES 2019. The fairly unknown manufacturer Royale even presented the first actually available folding smartphone: the Flexi.
1. What exactly is a foldable smartphone?
A foldable smartphone functions just like any other smartphone, but the big difference is in the display. This is flexible, and therefore you can double-fold the smartphone. As soon as you open this, the screen becomes twice as large and you actually have a tablet in front of you.
That makes the potential of the folding device great. These days the screens of our telephones are getting bigger and with it our phones. That way, they fit less and less in our pocket. Meanwhile, we do more and more on our phone, especially the number of hours you use the screen for entertainment such as series or games has increased.
A foldable smartphone can be the ideal solution for this. A compact phone that, when you want it, unfolds into a nice big screen is ideal for multitasking or entertainment. A larger battery usually also fits in a smartphone with a double screen.
2. How does a foldable smartphone work?
The technology is still in its infancy, and you can see that in the way it works. Currently, the folding devices are still quite thick. This is due to the large hinge in the middle, which must connect the two parts.
To turn a collapsed phone into a larger phone, simply open it gently. The screen automatically adjusts to this. Behind the screen, all parts are divided into two parts. A battery, camera or chipset is of course not foldable.
These are therefore incorporated on both sides of the hinge in the ‘straight parts’ of the smartphone. Finally, adjustments to the operating system are needed to enable switching between open and double folds. According to Google, the next version of Android has better support for this ‘screen continuity’.
3. Which folding smartphones are already there?
After the Royale FlexPai, Samsung and Huawei also presented a foldable smartphone. The Samsung Galaxy Fold and the Huawei Mate X have a different design and show that there are different ways to shape a foldable smartphone.
These two devices will be on the market this spring, although the Mate X is not currently available in the United States. In addition to a foldable telephone, this is also a 5G device. 5G is not yet supported in the United States. The Galaxy Fold will be available later this year. You have to pay almost $ 2000 for this.
LG and Xiaomi, among others, are busy with their own folding device and have already shown prototypes. However, no concrete things are known about these smartphones, so it is likely that it will be a while before these phones are presented.
4. Is it wise to buy a foldable smartphone now?
In addition to the fact that folding smartphones are still quite expensive at the moment, the technology is also not as well developed. The pleats still need to be smoothed out at every manufacturer. For the time being it is not advisable to purchase a device with a flexible screen.
If you really want to experience how a folding smartphone works, the Royale FlexPai is your only option at the moment. This can be ordered directly from the manufacturer.