{"id":581736,"date":"2023-07-07T15:00:13","date_gmt":"2023-07-07T12:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok\/"},"modified":"2023-07-07T15:00:13","modified_gmt":"2023-07-07T12:00:13","slug":"foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok\/","title":{"rendered":"#Foldable Phones Make Normal Phones Look Boring (And That\u2019s OK)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_89 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af5dc9b12d10\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6af5dc9b12d10\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok\/#The_Aspect_Ratio_Debate_Rages_On\" >The Aspect Ratio Debate Rages On<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok\/#Moving_Parts_Are_Breaking_Parts\" >Moving Parts Are Breaking Parts<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok\/#Boring_is_Good%E2%80%A6_Sometimes\" >Boring is Good\u2026 Sometimes<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"type:primaryImage size-medium wp-image-902167\" data-pagespeed-no-defer=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/52887793278_6dc5f3b14b_o.jpg?width=1198&amp;trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Google Pixel Fold with the internal screen slightly closed\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"type:primaryImage imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>There\u2019s no denying that a phone that fits in your pocket and can transform into a tablet is very cool. However, foldable phones are full of problems and compromises\u2014many of which have already been solved by boring smartphone designs.<\/p>\n<p>Early smartphones didn\u2019t look as boring as they do now. There were flip phones, slide-out keyboards, trackballs, flip <em>out<\/em> keyboards, kickstands, and buttons as far as the eye could see. Phones didn\u2019t just come in multiple screen sizes\u2014they had multiple form factors, too.<\/p>\n<p>The iPhone never really partook in this \u201cwild west\u201d smartphone design era, but Android saw all sorts of different designs. Slowly but surely, they all coalesced into the now standard flat slab. Foldable phones are a big departure, but they\u2019re giving us a perfect demonstration on why phones got boring.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>Smartphones Need More Physical Buttons<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Aspect_Ratio_Debate_Rages_On\"><\/span>The Aspect Ratio Debate Rages On<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Nowadays, smartphones typically have a display aspect ratio somewhere between 18:9-20:9. This change h<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>ened around 2017, when phones such as the LG G6 and Galaxy S8 moved away from the classic 16:9 aspect ratio. There was some initial hesitation about the new taller displays, but it didn\u2019t take long for that to become the new normal.<\/p>\n<p>Foldable phones are currently experiencing their own version of the aspect ratio debate, but the options are more spread out. Even when the inside screen sizes are essentially the same, manufacturers don\u2019t agree on the primary orientation. For example, the Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Pixel Fold both have 7.6-inch inside displays with similar resolutions, but the Z Fold opens to portrait mode, while the Pixel Fold opens to landscape.<\/p>\n<figure style=\"width: 930px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-902204 size-full\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Z-Fold-Pixel-Fold-sizes.png?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"Pixel Fold and Galaxy Z Fold 4 displays\" width=\"930\" height=\"523\" data-credittext=\"Google | Samsung\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Google | Samsung<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>A flat-slab smartphone can be scaled up or down pretty easily and maintain a consistent aspect ratio. That\u2019s not the case with phones that fold open. When you adjust the footprint of the closed phone, it changes the aspect ratio of the inside display when opened. That\u2019s why the outside displays sometimes have strange sizes\u2014it\u2019s all about the inside display.<\/p>\n<p>After nearly five generations of folding phones, there\u2019s still a lot of debate over which aspect ratio is the best for this form factor. Samsung\u2019s approach on the Galaxy Z Fold puts apps in portrait mode most of the time, and works well for side-by-side multitasking. Google\u2019s wider inside display on the Pixel Fold is more like a traditional tablet.<\/p>\n<p>The fact is there\u2019s simply going to be a lot of variety when it comes to foldable phones. The brand you like might not make your ideal shape foldable. It\u2019s harder to make everyone happy, which is a problem flat-slab smartphones have mostly solved. You can buy an iPhone in three or four different sizes, but will Samsung offer a foldable phone in multiple aspect ratios? Probably not.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>What Is Aspect Ratio?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Moving_Parts_Are_Breaking_Parts\"><\/span>Moving Parts Are Breaking Parts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-902215\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/52886776682_c897fdfdbb_o.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"USB-C port and speaker on the bottom edge of the Google Pixel Fold\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Justin Duino \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We can\u2019t talk about foldable phones without discussing how fragile they are. The most recent foldable phone to hit the market\u2014the Google Pixel Fold\u2014for example, has already had its fair share of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/arstechnica.com\/google\/2023\/06\/rip-to-my-pixel-fold-dead-after-four-days\/\">display defects<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theverge.com\/2023\/6\/28\/23777211\/google-pixel-fold-screen-breaking-reports\">failures<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>One of the biggest reasons smartphones have gotten boring is the elimination of moving parts. Remember slide-out keyboards? Physical navigation buttons? Trackballs? Even physical keyboards that didn\u2019t slide out or open? All of these features have essentially been eliminated from modern smartphone designs, and that has led to much more durable devices.<\/p>\n<p>Sliding and flipping mechanisms get jammed up. Buttons get mushy and unresponsive. All of these things create more entry points for dust and water to enter the phone. By making phones more boring, we\u2019ve been able to get phones with IP68 ratings and very few failure points. Modern phones might seem boring, but they\u2019re tougher and more water-resistant than ever before.<\/p>\n<p>Foldable phones are the exact opposite\u2014they are loaded with failure points. Folding displays are soft, and susceptible to scratching and large areas of OLED failure. The hinges can let dust and water inside the phone. Even if dust or sand doesn\u2019t get inside the phone\u2019s body, it can easily be sandwiched between the \u201cpages\u201d of the display resulting in pressure damage and scratching. Foldable phones are novel, but there are so many new failure points compared to boring old flat-slab smartphones.<\/p>\n<p><strong>RELATED:<\/strong> <strong><em>How Water Resistance Ratings Work for Gadgets<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<h2 role=\"heading\" aria-level=\"2\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Boring_is_Good%E2%80%A6_Sometimes\"><\/span>Boring is Good\u2026 Sometimes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<figure style=\"width: 1920px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-902233\" data-pagespeed-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/52665527764_578ae6f8f6_o.jpg?trim=1,1&amp;bg-color=000&amp;pad=1,1\" alt=\"iPhone cable testing\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"\/pagespeed_static\/1.JiBnMqyl6S.gif\" onload=\"pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\" onerror=\"this.onerror=null;pagespeed.lazyLoadImages.loadIfVisibleAndMaybeBeacon(this);\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"imagecredit\">Hannah Stryker \/ How-To Geek<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>As boring as smartphone design has become, there\u2019s no arguing against how it makes for reliable, durable devices with very few failure points. You can buy pretty much any ol\u2019 smartphone and easily get several years of use out of it with minimal care. We can\u2019t yet say that about foldable phones.<\/p>\n<p>Will foldable phones ever reach the level of boring reliability of regular smartphones? It\u2019s hard to predict how the <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/technology\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"4\" title=\"Technology\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">technology<\/a> will evolve, but a folding or expanding device will always have more moving parts than a flat slab. There\u2019s always going to be that extra complexity that causes issues.<\/p>\n<p>The good <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a> is foldables don\u2019t <em>have<\/em> to get to the same degree of durability as flat-slab smartphones. A tablet is more durable than a laptop, but that doesn\u2019t mean laptops are bad. Different types of devices have different pros and cons, and that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<p>Even with advances in foldable phone design and material improvements, foldables will likely always be more fragile. But for folks who want the equivalent of a mini tablet they can stuff in their pocket and unfold at will, it will remain a worthwhile tradeoff.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n setTimeout(function(){\n  !function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)\n  {if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function(){n.callMethod?\n  n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments)};\n  if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';\n  n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;\n  t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n  s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s) } (window, document,'script',\n  'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n   fbq('init', '335401813750447');\n   fbq('track', 'PageView');\n  },3000);\n<\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/902023\/foldable-phones-make-normal-phones-look-boring-and-thats-ok\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Justin Duino \/ How-To Geek There\u2019s no denying that a phone that fits in your pocket and can transform into a tablet is very cool. However, foldable phones are full of problems and compromises\u2014many of which have already been solved by boring smartphone designs. Early smartphones didn\u2019t look as boring as they do now. There&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":581737,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.howtogeek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/52887793278_6dc5f3b14b_o.jpg?height=200p&trim=2,2,2,2","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-581736","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581736","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=581736"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581736\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/581737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=581736"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=581736"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=581736"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}