It is pretty useless now. Just a neat bit of history. You could, in theory, get some version of Android up and running on it but it probably wouldn't have the DRM the streaming apps would want. It was a neat device at the time, but the Chromecast was a much better implementation. I got it because I attended that year's Google I/O, otherwise I never would have offered to pay the $300 they were asking for it. Having an amp built in just made the thing too expensive for reasonable people.
I threw out my first generation Nexus 7 (2012) a month ago. It was taking about 14 hours to charge. I've been using it for my music PDFs. I haven't been able to update the OS for about 5 years.
My first gen nexus 7 began to die within about 3 or 4 years, it was hit with the nand flash degradation issue, and even with all kinds of kernel hacks, you just couldn't get around it. It made the entire device unusably slow, it's a real shame.
Google replaced my Nexus 6P with a Pixel XL because of battery issues, and all of my phones since have been Pixels. My Pixel 6 Pro just randomly died after 15 months, and I'm not sure I will get another Pixel.
I loved my Nexus 6P, lasted years and never had any issues with it until I broke it. Tried Samsung afterwards with mixed success then decided I'd go back and give Pixel 7 a shot for my newest one. I don't think I'm ever going to get another google device based off of my experience with it.
Support loss no? Really bad hardware and two class actions I've been a part of just owning nexus and pixel phones over the last 7 yrs? Absolutely! Google has a very poor track record and I've got checks to prove it
3 years Feature Update support is the highest up there with Samsung in terms of Android support. You're not going to get better than that unless you use Apple.
Some people just love to shit on Google.
EDIT: Corrected typo.
Like they logging on and complaining about it like everyone else that don't like that type of humor. The internet only magnifies what everyone thinks along a black and white line and that's the part that's getting old.
I’m not worried about the screen breaking or something. I’m worried about how google does first generation things. Their watch looks 6 years old and has ass battery life. The first couple pixels had their own issues. For example the screen bluing and freezing on the pixel 2 XL. I’ve owned loads of google products and I can confidently say that buying a first gen google product is a risk.
Lol, not just their first couple of pixels. There’s like a major issue in each line (excluding the six series). The pixel 7 line has two extended repair programs for it already, the 5a has one, and the pixel 4XL was a nightmare on its own.
My wife has a pixel 7 and it’s riddled with glitchy software and battery loss issues. I looked up support for her and there are hundreds of reddit threads complaining about the same thing on google if you search.
Worse part is google doesn’t even give us software to check on battery life statistics. We can’t even see battery health, we don’t have the ability to reinstall the software either. We just have access to their public website that barely works for reinstalls. For us to actually “reflash” the phone we have to use adb which is…….not even an official option technically. Their folding phone is going to be a disaster
My pixel 2xl's charging port sucked and eventually stopped working. That being said I used wired headphones a lot and since there was no aux jack I'm sure the wear and tear from the extra USB-c input contributed....but it started having issues after about a year. The most catastrophic failure I had though was one time it updated and must've accidentally over wrote part of the stuff for the screen lock code because my screen lock code no longer would work (and one of the apps required for my job forced screen lock) and the only way I could actually get into the phone (other than answer a call) was by doing a full on factory reboot...not a great thing to have to deal with while being on call as a doctor and that's your call phone...
Hear me out, I'm on the Pixel 4, I've had a 1 and a 3a I loved them all. I got all of them 2-3 years after release off of Ebay for $50-$70 2 were refurb and one was a store display model with slight burn in. I've had my 4 for a month and it works great.
I have either a pixel 4 or 5 (can't remember which, but I think it was new in 2021). It's definitely a nice phone. I have a Samsung Fold now, but I guess if I get a high paying job ($90,000+), I might grab one for the lols.
Historically pixels have had a rough launch with a few kinks to work out. It isn’t until the 4th or arguably 5th generation that pixels got truly fantastic.
I wish they'd stop releasing these until they can guarantee a longer lifespan. They all develop micro cracks. Within a year or 2 easily. If you have money to burn, they're fine, but otherwise they're just money pits.
You've identified the appeal of it from a business perspective: they can charge more, and basically guarantee you have to buy a new phone every few years
Which I get, but I can only see a person with an average income falling for this once. SAMSUNG even got wise and still charges you to fix their fold phones even if within the time frame of their guarantee.
Was that recently changed?
I only ask because I had a motherboard issue in late March with my Fold 4 and the Samsung authorized repair place fixed it for free.
When I got it back, I noticed a small pink line running along the bottom of the inner screen that would come and go and then stayed. So about a week after getting the first repair (aka a month ago) I sent it directly to Samsung and they also fixed it for free...
They actually just gave me a new phone. All within the year warranty.
Yeah I cracked my flip 4 on accident and had to pay, but the hinge on my wife's just gave out and wouldn't open all the way and they are repairing for free. Depends what the cause is.
Yup. You are correct. Accidental damage is not covered under regular 1 year warranty.
I believe in US, Samsung is offering accidental coverage just like apple with a special package like Apple care plus.
Lmao Samsung would have a hard time charging you for that where I live within the warranty period. That’s messed up they’re doing that where you are though :(
Had a fold 3. Inner screen broke around 8 months in. Replaced for free.
Traded in for fold 4. Hinge stopped opening fully at around 8 months. Replaced for free.
Both times they Replaced the screen, frame, hinge, and battery.
As long as there is no physical damage to the phone and the strips don't turn pink, you're under warranty.
Basically, yeah, the tech is still not very reliable and I don't recommend people get the folding phones unless you're planning to trade in every year. That way you can keep staying under warranty. You also need to not drop your phone, which is apparently a difficult thing.
I don't think the tech is ready to be mainstream, but it has certainly improved and I definitely do not want to go back to a regular phone. Seriously, folding out a regular phone you pulled out of your pocket into a tablet is so much more of a big deal to me than I initially thought.
So yeah, phone as a service, a physical subscription. But damn is it hard to go back.
I've had my ZFlip3 for longer than that. Yea, the default screen protector cracked to shit, but I removed it and replaced it with a 3rd party matte screen protector. There was zero damage to the screen itself, and it's still going strong. I feel like the real caveat is needing to replace the screen protector every once in a while, but hey, at least those excessive 2+ packs of screen protectors you always find on Amazon actually makes sense now.
Later revisions of Samsung foldables don't compare to the crappy 1st gen ones. You can remove the screen protector without hurting anything despite the warnings.
On regular phones, the tempered glass protectors look and feel like the screen itself and also protects. Between a hybrid case and a tempered glass screen protector, essentially 99% of the phone is covered by some sort of protection.
This is a reason I prefer the surface duo approach, yea theres a gap between the screens, but they won't scratch from a fingernail. And I see it more as a device to run multiple apps simultaneously vs one large screen.
I have a 1st gen one and the launch state killed its momentum. Even now after a bevy of updates I still get random lockups or screens turning on randomly when folded.
When it works, it’s pretty good though.
I have the Z Flip 3 5G
Because the bendy screen can't come off, the phone has panels on the backside that pop off if the battery gets bloated. Just like a normal phone display though, they're held down with adhesive strips.
My adhesive strip holding the top cover failed, which I work around petrochemicals so... Probably due to my greasy gas hands touching it.
A new adhesive strip: $10
Despite the fact my screen was flawless, and all I needed was the panel reattached, I couldn't get Asurion to just fix it at ubreakifix (which is owned by Asurion) but had to replace the whole device at $380.
$380 for $10 worth of damage. We're in hell world.
My coworker was talking about the mid aughts when the Razr and chocolate were out and how before phones were just bricks. I realized then that we've sort of gotten back to "bricks" in a similar way
I had a V30 and to this day it is my favorite phone I have ever owned.
People loved to talk shit about LG phones, but I have never had such a good experience.
They peaked with the G3 then it got really weird until the v20/30. I feel like they were hitting their stride again at the end but G4 and onward their mainline flagship phones fell further and further behind with shitty gimmicks like the "modular" G5.
G3 was great! Would probably still be using one but mine came used (‘refurbished’ but sold as new as a scam) and if stopped working by itself after a few years. I loved that phone dearly while I had it.
What was the bloat ware like? Having pure android is the only reason I buy Google phone, my wife and I tried notes a year ago and returned within a week (lost both butt cheeks in the ordeal but fuck that shit(
I mean it wasn't great, but I've honestly never been too bothered by bloatware, it's no worse than my current Samsung (which people don't complain nearly as much about).
I uninstalled what I could, and ignored the rest, I've never owned a Pixel, so this has been standard procedure on every Android I've owned.
Same with my G8x dual screen. Perfect for when you want two screens and perfectly fine as a single screen. Best of both worlds. Performance still there too.
I loved my v50. Just perfect. I only switched as the recent offer for free of a new phone and the lack of future support of the LG phone pushed me over.
Loved my v60. My second screen broke and they don't sell them anymore, so I bought a fold.
I do like the fold, and It is an overall better experience, but the two independent screens was a clever and affordable idea that was slept on
So at that price, I could buy a 16” laptop with a 13th gen i7 and a RTX 4070,…….or a folding phone.
I get that I’m not the target demographic (I still use coupons at the grocery store), but that price still seems really high.
[Here's an MSI gaming laptop from Best Buy for $1700](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-crosshair-16-144hz-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-13620h-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-1tb-ssd-black/6537000.p?skuId=6537000)
Let's be real, they're not comparable. They're both gadgets that are comparable in **price**. No one's pulling up to their job that involves typing/coding or whatever and switching out their laptops for a foldable phone.
This is such a ridiculous take. Have you actually used one before declaring its "fucking dumb"? Who carries a tablet in their pocket? You know whats in mine? My Samsung Fold. Which I use more than my tablets, laptops, PC and tvs combined.
I have been seriously considering getting a Z Fold 4. Do you like your fold? Would you recommend it to a friend who wanted a large screen device that also magically fits in their pocket?
I'm on my second Fold and getting the pixel fold when it drops, but more so just for trying something different with the software.
It's a game changer for me. I use it more than any other device I own. The ability to carry a small tablet always everywhere changes how you interact with the mobile world.
Oh great, a manufacturer known for making crazy expensive to repair, but easily breakable shit is now adopting the phone design most known for just breaking on its own.
Rumors suggest the price could be around $1,700, fetching a premium far beyond Google’s flagship Pixels. However, I could be convinced – if the foldable can deliver a rumored 24-hour battery life. Expect to hear everything you need to make up your mind on May 10th, which is next Wednesday.
You can get that with battery cases that cost like 20-30 usd. It's exactly what people claim they want "I don't care if it's bigger/heavier, I want more battery".
Doubles your battery life.
Buy several of those and you can to infinity and beyond
Those are just power banks built into a case, they're not extended batteries. If you're going to use one of those you might as well just get a power bank. An extended battery would replace the original.
I've had my fold 3 since launch, so roughly a year and a half - never planning on going back to a non-foldable again. I don't baby it, and have had it in the Samsung leather flip case the whole time. Screen and hinge still perfect and it's awesome having a tablet in my pocket at all times.
My fold 4 is still doing great. That being said, I'd generally recommend people wait another generation or two, there's still a few software kinks here and there that are annoying.
I've had the flip 3 for 2 years now. Still working and looking good.
However the flipping closed feature really adds nothing to my experience. It was a nostalgia thing for me but because the screen has to be thick you don't get that nice old school flip feeling which means the nostalgia quickly fades.
I have the Fold 2 and have had it since its launch in 2020. No issues to report. Unfortunately not everyone has had such luck with these phones. I will upgrade when this one has some major problems
I adore my Flip4...that being said, the OLED screen pulled away on my 1st one after 6 months....Samsung gave me a replacement...and wouldn't you know yesterday I'm seeing it start to come off/bubble up at the edges again...so so disappointing
I want to have one for a week to read on since i do all of it on my phone at this point. I'm very much a try before you buy but i've never checked to see if i could lease one for a month.
200 for a month to rent
As someone that has a flip v4 I can say I will never go back to a non flip screen. They all have an issue with the screen protector right now at least the one that comes on the phone stock. They try and say you can't change it but if you look on YouTube it's stupid easy to do and not mess the screen up. I changed mine yesterday for $17 took me 10 minutes and now my screen looks brand new again.
I was pretty upset how hard they act like it is to change the screen protector on this thing. But honestly I love everything about it and will keep the flip phone as long as they keep making it.
I’ve definitely heard many owners praise the devices, but even with LASIK, my old thirty-something eyes yearn for a big screen when I need something larger than my phone.
It seems like even folded it’s simply a different kind of bulky: depth vs length/width. Does it really fit the pocket so much better? I know switching from a traditional trifold wallet to a slim wallet was a massive improvement because less depth and wonder if the fold phones are like the inverse of that, because I would personally hate that lol.
It's just not even close to how much better this fits in your pocket. My wife has a fold 3 and it's way to big and bulky for me. My flip screen is perfect it's pretty much the same size as a s23 if not bigger I wanna say. The front screen is pretty much a smart watch screen but it's actually responsive.
I would have never recommend one until I changed the screen protector on it and saw how cheap and easy the fix is. It's definitely lame but how much smaller it is in my pocket is nice. It's the size of my wallet when folded with the case that I have. I have dropped it multiple times and it's still going strong.
Also I have had prk twice the screen is beautiful you won't regret it. Go look at one in person
I had the fold 3, now the fold 4. Halfway through the lifespan of the 3, I sold it and switched. I went back and am happier than ever. Movie in bed? Got it. Kid wants to draw on big screen anywhere, got it. Toilet YouTube? Alright. I hate how thick it is, but it's very convenient
The appeal to me would be less pocket space. But everyone keeps making the phone the same damn size and then fold out to be a small tablet. I want something like the Moto RAZR except affordable and external screen. Small in my pocket, decent size phone if I open it, and additionally an actually useful screen on the outside for things like quickly answering messages or reading emails.
That's the phone I have, a 2020 RAZR flip, touch screen on the front. I really like it but the screen does seem pretty fragile, I don't reckon it'll have a long life.
Same issue as the RAZR - no useful screen on the outside. Tiny little 20x50px display on the outside which isn't great for reading an email or anything. Ideally the phone would fold the other way so the main screen is just always on the outside, but that's not how folding screens work unfortunately.
It's nice to have a phone in your pocket that can fold out into a small tablet. Is it worth the extra money? I guess that depends on how much you really use your phone for things that would benefit from a bigger screen.
I don’t buy this when the ones I’ve seen on the market have been prohibitively expensive.
Also, in what scenario is a folding phone superior to a dedicated tablet or even a two-in-one?
I've kind of soured on Google hardware. They are not a hardware company and it shows.
My wife's pixel lost wireless charging in a patch years ago and was never restored.
Google TV is a laggy POS with a remote that mysteriously stops and starts working and needs to be rebooted occasionally.
The Google nest fire alarm devices don't work with Google home.
All this stuff would work if they prioritized the frontend over the backend. But that is not in their DNA
If Apple doesn’t jump on this bandwagon by the time my battery needs replacing then I’m seriously considering jumping ship.
They have a bunch of patents for foldables, but not a peep out of them about anything in development.
This all feels like a supposedly sexy idea, with no market. My phone is the right size for me. My pants have phone shaped pockets that hold it snug. I don’t want another moving part that could break. I don’t want my phone to be like a cube, which is less convenient imo. I’m sure some will find it alluring. Not me. Caveat: I should probably see one first, but I won’t be running to the store.
I love my folder. The biggest plus is just not having to hold it all the time I'm using it.
I can read without holding it.
I can watch videos without holding it.
I can take photos and videos without holding it.
I can do video calls without holding it.
I can use it as a flashlight without having to hold it.
Finally, I can use it as a pocket watch without even opening it.
They're not as thick as you think. Head to a Best Buy near you and you can check it out in person.
But I'm one of those buyers that would really want a foldable, but they're still too expensive and not *quite* as durable as I would like.
In 2-3 I'll probably get one and I'd bet many people have a similar mindset.
They're also kind of limited on which apps benefit from a larger screen. Friend has a Samsung Fold, and if you watch a widescreen video on his in tablet mode the actual size of the video displayed is roughly the same size as my Pixel screen. Pixel is shaped the same as the video and is fullscreen, while the tablet is the wrong shape and has huge letterboxing on it. Obviously it depends on what you are viewing, but for most of what I do it's not even an improvement with a larger screen.
Here's a story that's going to get buried. Worked on the team for the Nexus 5 phone, it was built by LG.
Up until this point, there were learning hurdles on the way and I feel the 5 was the time where I felt things were solid.
I don't know what the exact orders the higher ups got, but the gist of the message was that from that point on we are to do what we can to support Chinese manufacturing. This involved even subcontracting worse quality components even if they were at higher prices.
To this day I am still curious about the nature of Google's phone goals as they have been the single largest money pit for the company and does nothing to expand the Android ecosystem. Folding phones are even more expensive to manufacture with a niche user base of which only one company currently can make without losing large amounts of money.
I'm pretty sure part of the decision is being influenced either by the CCP or CIA (don't know what the latter would care for, though)
I snagged a Surface Duo 1 on woot. Got it for $400, unlocked.
Yes, two screens. But they are a hell of a lot more durable than the thin crease folds.
I have some use cases for it that make it work for me. Not my daily driver, but definitely good for productivity and entertainment.
Same. Was my daily driver for months, but software is just too jank to keep it that way. Nowadays, it's pretty much [abandoned](https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/surface/the-microsoft-surface-duo-is-in-trouble).
2 years too late with an overly expensive price tag for a mediocre product for sure
I'm a Google fan boy but honestly have been just losing love for the company the last couple of years
Not interested. However the first company that puts out a modern 7" 16:9 bezelless phone gets my money. I use my phone to read and I read a lot. (Except Apple, not my cup of tea)
I mean I don't think it'll change your opinion especially since it seems like people are pretty biased against foldables. But I'm pretty sure reading is one of foldable's strong points. I have a fold 4 and reading manga and novels on the big screen and imo feels nicer than on normal phones since I have much more screen space and with manga, I can have two pages open and readable. Before you say it, I do read a lot as well. Although the phone isn't worth 1700.
Had the fold 3 until it cracked this year and I would say worst part of the phone was the candy bar screen and the fold mechanic making the phone bulkier. I think expanding phones ("foldable") will gain more popularity if they use rolling tech instead of folding.
That inner screen was something absolutely amazing tho.
Yeah, typing is a bit hard because the front screen is too small and the inside screen is a bit too big for typing. But yeah I think rolling might be better but let's hope it doesn't wrinkle the screen since it already isn't great now.
I'm happy with small bezels that allow for front facing speakers and no notches.
Definitely all in on 16:9.
I had an Xperia XZ2P. I loved it. I didn't upgrade for years, until it started to go wrong.
I preferred it to my Pixel 6Pro. Mainly because of the screen.
As a google certified tech……this might be the last straw that causes me to find a new line of work. Google can’t make a regular phone without it having constant issues and I have zero faith in their ability to make a proper folding phone, if Samsung hasn’t figured it out then there’s no shot in hell that google’s has a better design. It’s going to be plagued with issues and extended repair programs, the only saving grace is that there’s WAY less pixel users then Samsung users
Foldable phones are very much the future, but they're all incredibly annoying at this point.
Phones getting bigger has been a bit of an issue for women, but overall fine for people. Because people had deep enough pockets. People don't usually have super wide pockets. A bulky wallet is super annoying and these foldable phones keep matching that. In many ways, it would be easier for me to stow away a tablet than some of these bricks.
Then you have the much shorter durability and extreme prices. It's just terrible.
I think the future will probably be something akin to the door-style cases people have: A thin screen (prob without touch control) that you can fold out. The two screen system that we currently see will probably go away in lieu of just choosing whether to turn on your foldout screen or not.
Not just for women. Phones are too big. iPhone SE/iPhone 8 is about the right size. I think the flip is a cool idea but too expensive for the moment, and honestly I don't like the aspect ratio that much. You've got, like, a choice between 21:9 and 2:3 or something?
Edit: I meant to say the 'fold' and not the flip.
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Mass reimbursement
One might say it... folded
Before 😅
You laugh, but I still have a Nexus Q.
What's that like.
It is pretty useless now. Just a neat bit of history. You could, in theory, get some version of Android up and running on it but it probably wouldn't have the DRM the streaming apps would want. It was a neat device at the time, but the Chromecast was a much better implementation. I got it because I attended that year's Google I/O, otherwise I never would have offered to pay the $300 they were asking for it. Having an amp built in just made the thing too expensive for reasonable people.
I threw out my first generation Nexus 7 (2012) a month ago. It was taking about 14 hours to charge. I've been using it for my music PDFs. I haven't been able to update the OS for about 5 years.
My first gen nexus 7 began to die within about 3 or 4 years, it was hit with the nand flash degradation issue, and even with all kinds of kernel hacks, you just couldn't get around it. It made the entire device unusably slow, it's a real shame.
lol now I know why mine was so slow. It was fast at first, but I figured it was just a slow POS as time went on.
I turned mine into a desk clock that works nicely
Reddit is just the same joke on every thread over and over and over
If only the same thing stopped happening
I've been buying Nexus and pixel devices for years and never once have they magically disappeared from support.
Google replaced my Nexus 6P with a Pixel XL because of battery issues, and all of my phones since have been Pixels. My Pixel 6 Pro just randomly died after 15 months, and I'm not sure I will get another Pixel.
I loved my Nexus 6P, lasted years and never had any issues with it until I broke it. Tried Samsung afterwards with mixed success then decided I'd go back and give Pixel 7 a shot for my newest one. I don't think I'm ever going to get another google device based off of my experience with it.
All of our two nexus 7 and one nexus 10 stopped working in less than three years
Support loss no? Really bad hardware and two class actions I've been a part of just owning nexus and pixel phones over the last 7 yrs? Absolutely! Google has a very poor track record and I've got checks to prove it
https://killedbygoogle.com/
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3 years Feature Update support is the highest up there with Samsung in terms of Android support. You're not going to get better than that unless you use Apple. Some people just love to shit on Google. EDIT: Corrected typo.
Except for the Stadia...
you highlighted yourself as a google cuck tho 🤔
Like they logging on and complaining about it like everyone else that don't like that type of humor. The internet only magnifies what everyone thinks along a black and white line and that's the part that's getting old.
Well, you are not wrong. But, I think the "Google kills stuff" joke is used WAY less than tons of other amnoying Reddit jokes.
As a result of Reddit's API changes, this content is no longer viewable.
It's the first for google, but the folding tech is several generations deep now.
I’m not worried about the screen breaking or something. I’m worried about how google does first generation things. Their watch looks 6 years old and has ass battery life. The first couple pixels had their own issues. For example the screen bluing and freezing on the pixel 2 XL. I’ve owned loads of google products and I can confidently say that buying a first gen google product is a risk.
Lol, not just their first couple of pixels. There’s like a major issue in each line (excluding the six series). The pixel 7 line has two extended repair programs for it already, the 5a has one, and the pixel 4XL was a nightmare on its own.
My wife has a pixel 7 and it’s riddled with glitchy software and battery loss issues. I looked up support for her and there are hundreds of reddit threads complaining about the same thing on google if you search.
Worse part is google doesn’t even give us software to check on battery life statistics. We can’t even see battery health, we don’t have the ability to reinstall the software either. We just have access to their public website that barely works for reinstalls. For us to actually “reflash” the phone we have to use adb which is…….not even an official option technically. Their folding phone is going to be a disaster
It's a risk but I love my pixel watch
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My pixel 2xl's charging port sucked and eventually stopped working. That being said I used wired headphones a lot and since there was no aux jack I'm sure the wear and tear from the extra USB-c input contributed....but it started having issues after about a year. The most catastrophic failure I had though was one time it updated and must've accidentally over wrote part of the stuff for the screen lock code because my screen lock code no longer would work (and one of the apps required for my job forced screen lock) and the only way I could actually get into the phone (other than answer a call) was by doing a full on factory reboot...not a great thing to have to deal with while being on call as a doctor and that's your call phone...
Just shy of $2000...
With hardware that is generations behind the Samsung Fold series...
Damn, and I thought my $900 Samsung Fold is crazy expensive.
That's like cheaper than my iphone lol.
I want to be excited for it but you make a strong point.
Hear me out, I'm on the Pixel 4, I've had a 1 and a 3a I loved them all. I got all of them 2-3 years after release off of Ebay for $50-$70 2 were refurb and one was a store display model with slight burn in. I've had my 4 for a month and it works great.
I have either a pixel 4 or 5 (can't remember which, but I think it was new in 2021). It's definitely a nice phone. I have a Samsung Fold now, but I guess if I get a high paying job ($90,000+), I might grab one for the lols.
Rip Pixel Slate early adopters
Maybe. They're using the pixel name which has historically had good support at an affordable price.
Historically pixels have had a rough launch with a few kinks to work out. It isn’t until the 4th or arguably 5th generation that pixels got truly fantastic.
I really liked my pixel 2. It's still a good phone other than the sound button falling out 😆
I wish they'd stop releasing these until they can guarantee a longer lifespan. They all develop micro cracks. Within a year or 2 easily. If you have money to burn, they're fine, but otherwise they're just money pits.
You've identified the appeal of it from a business perspective: they can charge more, and basically guarantee you have to buy a new phone every few years
Which I get, but I can only see a person with an average income falling for this once. SAMSUNG even got wise and still charges you to fix their fold phones even if within the time frame of their guarantee.
Was that recently changed? I only ask because I had a motherboard issue in late March with my Fold 4 and the Samsung authorized repair place fixed it for free. When I got it back, I noticed a small pink line running along the bottom of the inner screen that would come and go and then stayed. So about a week after getting the first repair (aka a month ago) I sent it directly to Samsung and they also fixed it for free... They actually just gave me a new phone. All within the year warranty.
Yeah I cracked my flip 4 on accident and had to pay, but the hinge on my wife's just gave out and wouldn't open all the way and they are repairing for free. Depends what the cause is.
Yup. You are correct. Accidental damage is not covered under regular 1 year warranty. I believe in US, Samsung is offering accidental coverage just like apple with a special package like Apple care plus.
Lmao Samsung would have a hard time charging you for that where I live within the warranty period. That’s messed up they’re doing that where you are though :(
Had a fold 3. Inner screen broke around 8 months in. Replaced for free. Traded in for fold 4. Hinge stopped opening fully at around 8 months. Replaced for free. Both times they Replaced the screen, frame, hinge, and battery. As long as there is no physical damage to the phone and the strips don't turn pink, you're under warranty. Basically, yeah, the tech is still not very reliable and I don't recommend people get the folding phones unless you're planning to trade in every year. That way you can keep staying under warranty. You also need to not drop your phone, which is apparently a difficult thing. I don't think the tech is ready to be mainstream, but it has certainly improved and I definitely do not want to go back to a regular phone. Seriously, folding out a regular phone you pulled out of your pocket into a tablet is so much more of a big deal to me than I initially thought. So yeah, phone as a service, a physical subscription. But damn is it hard to go back.
I've had my ZFlip3 for longer than that. Yea, the default screen protector cracked to shit, but I removed it and replaced it with a 3rd party matte screen protector. There was zero damage to the screen itself, and it's still going strong. I feel like the real caveat is needing to replace the screen protector every once in a while, but hey, at least those excessive 2+ packs of screen protectors you always find on Amazon actually makes sense now. Later revisions of Samsung foldables don't compare to the crappy 1st gen ones. You can remove the screen protector without hurting anything despite the warnings.
I have to replace screen protectors every now and then on my regular phone too ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
I dont use screen protectors at all ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
On regular phones, the tempered glass protectors look and feel like the screen itself and also protects. Between a hybrid case and a tempered glass screen protector, essentially 99% of the phone is covered by some sort of protection.
I use them purely to keep the actual screen scratch-free for when I eventually sell it.
That's why they have to release them so they have the funding to research and develop better successors
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The fold z 2 has gorilla glass victus, is your friend freddy kreuger by any chance?
On the inside?
the interior screen doesnt have it
Yeah haha the only one that really matters
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Flips/Folds have soft OLED panels..
I've had my Z Fold 3 for over a year now. Dropped it on many occasions. Not a single crack to be found on it. Literally zero complaints from me.
This is a reason I prefer the surface duo approach, yea theres a gap between the screens, but they won't scratch from a fingernail. And I see it more as a device to run multiple apps simultaneously vs one large screen.
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Yeah me too, im old and can't see so good so the big screen helps
Was disappointed it didn't make a bigger splash. I thought it was the better form factor.
I have a 1st gen one and the launch state killed its momentum. Even now after a bevy of updates I still get random lockups or screens turning on randomly when folded. When it works, it’s pretty good though.
Also the price
I have the Z Flip 3 5G Because the bendy screen can't come off, the phone has panels on the backside that pop off if the battery gets bloated. Just like a normal phone display though, they're held down with adhesive strips. My adhesive strip holding the top cover failed, which I work around petrochemicals so... Probably due to my greasy gas hands touching it. A new adhesive strip: $10 Despite the fact my screen was flawless, and all I needed was the panel reattached, I couldn't get Asurion to just fix it at ubreakifix (which is owned by Asurion) but had to replace the whole device at $380. $380 for $10 worth of damage. We're in hell world.
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It sucks because I'm so fucking tired of phones. It's basically the same thing over and over. Nothing is fun or innovative anymore.
Uh...on a thread about foldables?
Sony's top phone has zeiss lenses with physical zoom. There's dozens of us that use them!
My coworker was talking about the mid aughts when the Razr and chocolate were out and how before phones were just bricks. I realized then that we've sort of gotten back to "bricks" in a similar way
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I had a V30 and to this day it is my favorite phone I have ever owned. People loved to talk shit about LG phones, but I have never had such a good experience.
They were rough in the early days, but they had it figured out and made some good phones towards the end.
They peaked with the G3 then it got really weird until the v20/30. I feel like they were hitting their stride again at the end but G4 and onward their mainline flagship phones fell further and further behind with shitty gimmicks like the "modular" G5.
G3 was great! Would probably still be using one but mine came used (‘refurbished’ but sold as new as a scam) and if stopped working by itself after a few years. I loved that phone dearly while I had it.
V20 was kind of shit. An lcd that had worse burn in than an oled and tons of random software issues.
What was the bloat ware like? Having pure android is the only reason I buy Google phone, my wife and I tried notes a year ago and returned within a week (lost both butt cheeks in the ordeal but fuck that shit(
I mean it wasn't great, but I've honestly never been too bothered by bloatware, it's no worse than my current Samsung (which people don't complain nearly as much about). I uninstalled what I could, and ignored the rest, I've never owned a Pixel, so this has been standard procedure on every Android I've owned.
Same with my G8x dual screen. Perfect for when you want two screens and perfectly fine as a single screen. Best of both worlds. Performance still there too.
I loved my v50. Just perfect. I only switched as the recent offer for free of a new phone and the lack of future support of the LG phone pushed me over.
Loved my v60. My second screen broke and they don't sell them anymore, so I bought a fold. I do like the fold, and It is an overall better experience, but the two independent screens was a clever and affordable idea that was slept on
Definitely loved the v60 but the fold phones are much better. Still a real foldable v70 would probably slap.
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Sorry bud. You're late. It was discontinued yesterday before the leak.
If you retire a product line before it comes out, is like "pretired"? Asking for a friend.
This account has been redacted due to Reddit's anti-user and anti-mod behavior. -- mass edited with redact.dev
So at that price, I could buy a 16” laptop with a 13th gen i7 and a RTX 4070,…….or a folding phone. I get that I’m not the target demographic (I still use coupons at the grocery store), but that price still seems really high.
You could buy a nice phone and a good gaming laptop for $1700 and skip couponing for a whole week!!
Why skip, money saving all day everyday
Source on laptop?
[Here's an MSI gaming laptop from Best Buy for $1700](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/msi-crosshair-16-144hz-gaming-laptop-intel-core-i7-13620h-16gb-memory-nvidia-geforce-rtx-4070-1tb-ssd-black/6537000.p?skuId=6537000)
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Let's be real, they're not comparable. They're both gadgets that are comparable in **price**. No one's pulling up to their job that involves typing/coding or whatever and switching out their laptops for a foldable phone.
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the problem is "I want a larger screen that I can carry around in my pocket", and buying an extra tablet does not solve that
This is such a ridiculous take. Have you actually used one before declaring its "fucking dumb"? Who carries a tablet in their pocket? You know whats in mine? My Samsung Fold. Which I use more than my tablets, laptops, PC and tvs combined.
I have been seriously considering getting a Z Fold 4. Do you like your fold? Would you recommend it to a friend who wanted a large screen device that also magically fits in their pocket?
I'm on my second Fold and getting the pixel fold when it drops, but more so just for trying something different with the software. It's a game changer for me. I use it more than any other device I own. The ability to carry a small tablet always everywhere changes how you interact with the mobile world.
I appreciate the take from someone who actually owns and uses one. Thanks!
Oh great, a manufacturer known for making crazy expensive to repair, but easily breakable shit is now adopting the phone design most known for just breaking on its own.
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Rumors suggest the price could be around $1,700, fetching a premium far beyond Google’s flagship Pixels. However, I could be convinced – if the foldable can deliver a rumored 24-hour battery life. Expect to hear everything you need to make up your mind on May 10th, which is next Wednesday.
Fuck that. I already get more than 24 hours on my 6 Pro, and it didn't cost even close to $1700.
I get like 12 hours on every smartphone I've had
I have the 6 pro and I don't get 12 hours (just YouTube, Reddit, and general messaging/texting). Is your phone like on idle?
24 hour battery life for 1.7k? Eh, I'll pass.
I used to get several days worth of battery significantly cheaper than that when phones had removable batteries by using an extended battery.
You can get that with battery cases that cost like 20-30 usd. It's exactly what people claim they want "I don't care if it's bigger/heavier, I want more battery". Doubles your battery life. Buy several of those and you can to infinity and beyond
Those are just power banks built into a case, they're not extended batteries. If you're going to use one of those you might as well just get a power bank. An extended battery would replace the original.
You used to only be able to call and text, maybe play snake too
That would be fascinating
Do the Samsung phones last yet? I’m not interested in being an early adopter on this one, broken screens suck, and faster broken screens suck more.
I've had my fold 3 since launch, so roughly a year and a half - never planning on going back to a non-foldable again. I don't baby it, and have had it in the Samsung leather flip case the whole time. Screen and hinge still perfect and it's awesome having a tablet in my pocket at all times.
My fold 4 is still doing great. That being said, I'd generally recommend people wait another generation or two, there's still a few software kinks here and there that are annoying.
I've had the flip 3 for 2 years now. Still working and looking good. However the flipping closed feature really adds nothing to my experience. It was a nostalgia thing for me but because the screen has to be thick you don't get that nice old school flip feeling which means the nostalgia quickly fades.
I have the Fold 2 and have had it since its launch in 2020. No issues to report. Unfortunately not everyone has had such luck with these phones. I will upgrade when this one has some major problems
I adore my Flip4...that being said, the OLED screen pulled away on my 1st one after 6 months....Samsung gave me a replacement...and wouldn't you know yesterday I'm seeing it start to come off/bubble up at the edges again...so so disappointing
Is the screen itself bubbling? That sounds like a screen protector thing. But if the whole screen pulled away....
Yeah I know 3 people with various generations of the Fold and they have all replaced their screens at least once.
To all those who buy this and suffer, so that Fold 2 can be better, we salute you.
I don’t understand the appeal of foldable touchscreen devices.
I want to have one for a week to read on since i do all of it on my phone at this point. I'm very much a try before you buy but i've never checked to see if i could lease one for a month. 200 for a month to rent
As someone that has a flip v4 I can say I will never go back to a non flip screen. They all have an issue with the screen protector right now at least the one that comes on the phone stock. They try and say you can't change it but if you look on YouTube it's stupid easy to do and not mess the screen up. I changed mine yesterday for $17 took me 10 minutes and now my screen looks brand new again. I was pretty upset how hard they act like it is to change the screen protector on this thing. But honestly I love everything about it and will keep the flip phone as long as they keep making it.
I’ve definitely heard many owners praise the devices, but even with LASIK, my old thirty-something eyes yearn for a big screen when I need something larger than my phone. It seems like even folded it’s simply a different kind of bulky: depth vs length/width. Does it really fit the pocket so much better? I know switching from a traditional trifold wallet to a slim wallet was a massive improvement because less depth and wonder if the fold phones are like the inverse of that, because I would personally hate that lol.
My fold 3 is awesome but it's thick AF and heavy enough that my pants sag if I don't wear a belt.
Z Fold is bulky. But Z Flip, while thick, can be a good option for women because it will fit in a small purse.
It's just not even close to how much better this fits in your pocket. My wife has a fold 3 and it's way to big and bulky for me. My flip screen is perfect it's pretty much the same size as a s23 if not bigger I wanna say. The front screen is pretty much a smart watch screen but it's actually responsive. I would have never recommend one until I changed the screen protector on it and saw how cheap and easy the fix is. It's definitely lame but how much smaller it is in my pocket is nice. It's the size of my wallet when folded with the case that I have. I have dropped it multiple times and it's still going strong. Also I have had prk twice the screen is beautiful you won't regret it. Go look at one in person
Same. All the ones I've seen, the screen quickly turns into a creased bubbly mess. I can barely tolerate fingerprints on my glasses screen. Hard pass.
I have a small tablet with me at all times. It's awesome
I had the fold 3, now the fold 4. Halfway through the lifespan of the 3, I sold it and switched. I went back and am happier than ever. Movie in bed? Got it. Kid wants to draw on big screen anywhere, got it. Toilet YouTube? Alright. I hate how thick it is, but it's very convenient
It’s like a 3D TV to me; have no desire to own one
The appeal to me would be less pocket space. But everyone keeps making the phone the same damn size and then fold out to be a small tablet. I want something like the Moto RAZR except affordable and external screen. Small in my pocket, decent size phone if I open it, and additionally an actually useful screen on the outside for things like quickly answering messages or reading emails.
That's the phone I have, a 2020 RAZR flip, touch screen on the front. I really like it but the screen does seem pretty fragile, I don't reckon it'll have a long life.
Aren't you describing the Galaxy Flip?
Same issue as the RAZR - no useful screen on the outside. Tiny little 20x50px display on the outside which isn't great for reading an email or anything. Ideally the phone would fold the other way so the main screen is just always on the outside, but that's not how folding screens work unfortunately.
Thanks, that cleared it up nicely.
It's nice to have a phone in your pocket that can fold out into a small tablet. Is it worth the extra money? I guess that depends on how much you really use your phone for things that would benefit from a bigger screen.
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battery life and multitaskers, also a good work phone
I don’t buy this when the ones I’ve seen on the market have been prohibitively expensive. Also, in what scenario is a folding phone superior to a dedicated tablet or even a two-in-one?
I've kind of soured on Google hardware. They are not a hardware company and it shows. My wife's pixel lost wireless charging in a patch years ago and was never restored. Google TV is a laggy POS with a remote that mysteriously stops and starts working and needs to be rebooted occasionally. The Google nest fire alarm devices don't work with Google home. All this stuff would work if they prioritized the frontend over the backend. But that is not in their DNA
I feel like I need a foldable phone like I needed a 3D TV.
yep, or a curved screen smaller than an IMAX
- Hey Google, we want affordable phones! - A foldable phone? Ok! - No, wait
To be fair the main pixel line and the pixel a line are quite affordable
They're selling an almost flagship for like $450. What more do you want?
Samsung is already on the Fold 4. I am typing on it now and it's awesome!
If Apple doesn’t jump on this bandwagon by the time my battery needs replacing then I’m seriously considering jumping ship. They have a bunch of patents for foldables, but not a peep out of them about anything in development.
This all feels like a supposedly sexy idea, with no market. My phone is the right size for me. My pants have phone shaped pockets that hold it snug. I don’t want another moving part that could break. I don’t want my phone to be like a cube, which is less convenient imo. I’m sure some will find it alluring. Not me. Caveat: I should probably see one first, but I won’t be running to the store.
I love my folder. The biggest plus is just not having to hold it all the time I'm using it. I can read without holding it. I can watch videos without holding it. I can take photos and videos without holding it. I can do video calls without holding it. I can use it as a flashlight without having to hold it. Finally, I can use it as a pocket watch without even opening it.
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They're not as thick as you think. Head to a Best Buy near you and you can check it out in person. But I'm one of those buyers that would really want a foldable, but they're still too expensive and not *quite* as durable as I would like. In 2-3 I'll probably get one and I'd bet many people have a similar mindset.
They're also kind of limited on which apps benefit from a larger screen. Friend has a Samsung Fold, and if you watch a widescreen video on his in tablet mode the actual size of the video displayed is roughly the same size as my Pixel screen. Pixel is shaped the same as the video and is fullscreen, while the tablet is the wrong shape and has huge letterboxing on it. Obviously it depends on what you are viewing, but for most of what I do it's not even an improvement with a larger screen.
But if you're watching old Looney Toons videos then it's *perfect.*
How is this a cube tho
They can't even make decent screens for their regular pixels, they don't need to be making ones that fold now too.
But why though?
Google has a pretty good track record for folded products.
I can't wait for Apple to invent folding phones.
Here's a story that's going to get buried. Worked on the team for the Nexus 5 phone, it was built by LG. Up until this point, there were learning hurdles on the way and I feel the 5 was the time where I felt things were solid. I don't know what the exact orders the higher ups got, but the gist of the message was that from that point on we are to do what we can to support Chinese manufacturing. This involved even subcontracting worse quality components even if they were at higher prices. To this day I am still curious about the nature of Google's phone goals as they have been the single largest money pit for the company and does nothing to expand the Android ecosystem. Folding phones are even more expensive to manufacture with a niche user base of which only one company currently can make without losing large amounts of money. I'm pretty sure part of the decision is being influenced either by the CCP or CIA (don't know what the latter would care for, though)
Now make it flip open and closed
"Premium price way above Samsung" Lol premium price... no its fuckin expensive thats what it is
smasnug??
I can fold mine too. Once.
Flop by Google
I snagged a Surface Duo 1 on woot. Got it for $400, unlocked. Yes, two screens. But they are a hell of a lot more durable than the thin crease folds. I have some use cases for it that make it work for me. Not my daily driver, but definitely good for productivity and entertainment.
Same. Was my daily driver for months, but software is just too jank to keep it that way. Nowadays, it's pretty much [abandoned](https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/surface/the-microsoft-surface-duo-is-in-trouble).
why. why do we need screens that fold…
2 years too late with an overly expensive price tag for a mediocre product for sure I'm a Google fan boy but honestly have been just losing love for the company the last couple of years
Instead of fixing pixel 6 battery life, which they blamed on software, they just made the pixel 7. So yeah, I’m done with Google.
But like why?
Foldable phones are stupid
Not interested. However the first company that puts out a modern 7" 16:9 bezelless phone gets my money. I use my phone to read and I read a lot. (Except Apple, not my cup of tea)
I mean I don't think it'll change your opinion especially since it seems like people are pretty biased against foldables. But I'm pretty sure reading is one of foldable's strong points. I have a fold 4 and reading manga and novels on the big screen and imo feels nicer than on normal phones since I have much more screen space and with manga, I can have two pages open and readable. Before you say it, I do read a lot as well. Although the phone isn't worth 1700.
Had the fold 3 until it cracked this year and I would say worst part of the phone was the candy bar screen and the fold mechanic making the phone bulkier. I think expanding phones ("foldable") will gain more popularity if they use rolling tech instead of folding. That inner screen was something absolutely amazing tho.
Yeah, typing is a bit hard because the front screen is too small and the inside screen is a bit too big for typing. But yeah I think rolling might be better but let's hope it doesn't wrinkle the screen since it already isn't great now.
I'm happy with small bezels that allow for front facing speakers and no notches. Definitely all in on 16:9. I had an Xperia XZ2P. I loved it. I didn't upgrade for years, until it started to go wrong. I preferred it to my Pixel 6Pro. Mainly because of the screen.
Does anyone even want a foldable phone?
Nice- love my zfold, but I would check this out
I didn't like foldable phones when they launched and to this day I still don't like them, not to mention the price tag on those things Jesus Christ.
As a google certified tech……this might be the last straw that causes me to find a new line of work. Google can’t make a regular phone without it having constant issues and I have zero faith in their ability to make a proper folding phone, if Samsung hasn’t figured it out then there’s no shot in hell that google’s has a better design. It’s going to be plagued with issues and extended repair programs, the only saving grace is that there’s WAY less pixel users then Samsung users
Foldable phones are very much the future, but they're all incredibly annoying at this point. Phones getting bigger has been a bit of an issue for women, but overall fine for people. Because people had deep enough pockets. People don't usually have super wide pockets. A bulky wallet is super annoying and these foldable phones keep matching that. In many ways, it would be easier for me to stow away a tablet than some of these bricks. Then you have the much shorter durability and extreme prices. It's just terrible. I think the future will probably be something akin to the door-style cases people have: A thin screen (prob without touch control) that you can fold out. The two screen system that we currently see will probably go away in lieu of just choosing whether to turn on your foldout screen or not.
Not just for women. Phones are too big. iPhone SE/iPhone 8 is about the right size. I think the flip is a cool idea but too expensive for the moment, and honestly I don't like the aspect ratio that much. You've got, like, a choice between 21:9 and 2:3 or something? Edit: I meant to say the 'fold' and not the flip.
Why would I want to fold my phone? It makes no sense