Foldable phones: A gimmick or the beginning of the end for tablets?

The birth of iPhone in 2017 ushered in a new round of revolution in the mobile field. Smartphones with multi-touch screens have become popular in thousands of households and everyone knows about them. However, in recent years, the innovation of smartphones has stagnated and is basically in a state of gradual upgrade, whether it is the upgrade of chips, cameras or screens. As long as there is an improvement compared to the previous year, no matter how big or small, it will be defined by the manufacturer as the standard of the new generation of smartphones.

The biggest change and selling point in the appearance of smartphones this year is naturally the screen. Ultra-wide screens such as 18:9 or 19:9 are becoming popular, driving the full-screen revolution. However, it is obvious that the real change in the appearance of smartphones has stagnated, because if you want to talk about full-screen, you can even trace it back to the machine launched by Sharp in 2013. Five years have passed, and the problems faced by full-screen phones are only now being solved, such as solving the problems of the earpiece, front camera and fingerprint sensor position, but in the end it is still just adding selling points.

The full screen is not a revolution, we still have to wait for the foldable screen.

Why do I say that? Because compared to traditional models, although the full-screen screen is longer and the viewing area is wider, the things that smartphones can do are still mainly entertainment. When it comes to lightweight scenarios such as word processing and emergency work, in most cases, they still have to be completed with tablets or 2-in-1 laptops. One of the biggest problems facing the appearance change is the screen size limitation. It is impossible to rashly design a 12-inch screen phone.

In fact, as early as 2013 when Sharp launched its full-screen mobile phone, Samsung had already begun to work on how to make the mobile phone screen bigger, including the development of "foldable screen" mobile phones. At that time, Samsung expected that foldable and bendable mobile phones would be available in 2015, but when Samsung once again announced the new roadmap of Project Valley in 2015, it said that there were technical obstacles in the development of foldable screens, and the first model of the project, Galaxy X, would have to wait a little longer. Until recently, Samsung's Samsung Display department confirmed that foldable screen technology would not mature until 2019.

To be honest, the biggest difficulty facing foldable phones is hardware. The most basic bendable display has not yet been mass-produced, because the technical challenges faced before mass production are still not small. Samsung engineers have said that transistors are the weakest link in the display architecture, and the components responsible for powering individual pixels are not yet strong enough to withstand frequent folding. In addition, current smartphone manufacturers have not really cracked the material science to create electrodes that can be bent and folded repeatedly.

Of course, whether the foldable screen can withstand long-term harsh use is only one aspect, and there are still many technical difficulties worth discussing. For example, whether the display effect is still good enough, and whether it can achieve the same display quality as conventional mobile phone displays, including color, color accuracy, color gamut, contrast, etc. The key to quality must be the issue of cost. Can the price of the finished product of such a screen meet the expectations of ordinary consumers? At the same time, even if the problem of the bendable screen is solved, it does not mean that a foldable mobile phone can be designed, because each mobile phone consists of dozens or even hundreds of components, including key components such as memory, storage, battery, motherboard, etc., which also need to have similar flexibility.

As a pioneer in the development of foldable screens, Samsung has expressed optimism, claiming that it will be the first to launch a "one-way" foldable screen device that can be folded "from top to bottom" or "from left to right". After that, it will also launch a "two-way" foldable screen device that can be folded from top to bottom and from left to right. However, Samsung always says that it will be "soon" when it comes out, claiming that the only major obstacle is the high cost, and believes that it is not profitable at all if used as a general device.

Samsung's fellow LG has also expressed a similar view, claiming that there is not much pressure to create a bendable mobile device, and the technology is not out of reach, but the cost is too expensive today. However, LG also talked about the hardware problem, saying that it is not just the bendable screen, but also involves the cost of some other flexible components, such as circuits and batteries. In this way, neither LG nor Samsung wants to launch a foldable phone like the ZTE Axon M.

Why stick with foldable phones? Are there any benefits?

Are foldable phones a product of the future? The answer is obviously not, because foldable phones are not new. The earliest flip phones were foldable phones, but they had a physical full keyboard on one side and a screen on the other, connected by a hinge. The two sides were equipped with each other to achieve interactive operations. The earliest classic phone was Nokia E90. After E90, many flip phones provided two screens, namely the inner main screen and the outer secondary screen. The outer secondary screen is mainly used to display information such as time and notifications.

However, with the arrival of the new multi-touch screen phones launched by the iPhone, although there are still clamshell phones with touch screens, a large number of interactive operations have been more concentrated on the screen, so the physical keyboard has gradually been replaced by the on-screen virtual keyboard, and is on the verge of being eliminated. Although clamshell-type foldable phones have not died out, there are still some on the market, such as the Samsung W series and the recently publicized ZTE Axon M, but these are not ideal foldable phones. Axon M is just ZTE's exploration of the direction of a "real" foldable phone.

So why are so many mobile phone manufacturers reconsidering foldable phones now? Again, technology is advancing! Mainly because as hardware conditions become more mature, more manufacturers believe that some ideal concepts can become reality faster, especially those with unique advantages in panel technology. Therefore, in recent years, almost the entire technology industry has had a vision for foldable devices, hoping to turn science fiction into reality, including Google, Apple, Microsoft, Samsung, LG, Lenovo, etc.

Many manufacturers have applied for a large number of related patents, and there are even rumors that some manufacturers will soon release foldable devices. For example, LG has been rumored to be able to mass-produce foldable screens in 2018 since the end of 2016, and there are also rumors that Microsoft is developing a foldable Surface mobile device. As recently as the end of March, there was news that Apple's foldable device is expected to be officially launched as early as 2020. We have seen a lot of patents for Apple's foldable devices, and it is even mentioned that Apple has not only tried glass, fiber, aluminum and plastic materials, but also does not rule out "nanocarbon tube" technology that has flexibility and crack resistance.

Speaking of the benefits of foldable phones, I believe many people will ask this question. The current patents and concepts of major mobile phone manufacturers tell us that foldable phones are of great significance. The biggest advantage of such devices is that when the device is folded, it can maintain the appearance of a regular small-sized smartphone, because the small size is easy to carry, just like a mobile phone can be put in a pocket, and when it is in the unfolded state, it can provide a large screen advantage with twice the area, which is equivalent to a tablet computer.

Simply put, with foldable phones, users' dream of using mobile devices as they wish has become more realistic. With this type of device that benefits from the advantages of screen and form factor design, users can at least switch between tablets and smartphones as long as they want, enjoying the experience of "smartphone + tablet" combined into one.

Of course, foldable phones need to be more than just a gimmick.

Today, smartphones are getting bigger and bigger, and some of their functions are getting closer to computers, so mobile phones have become the main mobile computing device for most people, and in some cases even the "only" computing device. In this case, lightweight scenarios such as word processing and emergency work mentioned at the beginning of the article have become the main pursuit. Therefore, the selling point of a foldable phone should not only be a larger viewing area, but when unfolded, it should be able to provide the advantages of a tablet or even an ultra-thin or 2-in-1 laptop to meet more demanding mobile computing scenarios.

It is undeniable that once a foldable phone is released, it will definitely become a hot topic that amazes the world. However, if it only provides hardware for a foldable screen, purely for the sake of foldability without any experience after folding, or taking advantage of the foldable screen, then what is the meaning of the foldable screen other than the novelty? I believe that users will quickly lose patience with this and think it is a gimmick. Because consumers do not get the experience they want on mobile devices, especially those who pursue portable and lightweight office performance experience, they will think that they have wasted their money.

Therefore, I just hope that those companies that have planned to launch foldable phones will not only emphasize that it is a "foldable" phone, but also focus on the function and practical significance of the promotion, especially the more powerful mobile computing experience. However, to meet the more demanding mobile computing experience, the premise must be considered from both hardware and software aspects.

First of all, in terms of hardware, even for lightweight office work, there is a high demand for the processing performance of current smartphones. The battery life after the chip is the most critical. No one wants to use tablet mode to edit photos or videos and run out of power halfway. As for support for more peripherals, it should also be considered. In addition, software must be one of the most important components of foldable phones, because experience comes first. The folding or unfolding form is only a change in hardware, and the software experience must be adjusted accordingly.

In general, foldable phones should move towards the experience of tablets or 2-in-1 laptops. Of course, this requires the combination of software and hardware, and the application ecosystem should also cooperate, requiring developers to adapt. In addition, the configuration options of foldable phones should be rich enough to meet the needs of different users, especially the top-end hardware should be powerful enough, because users who pursue productivity are not satisfied with simple mobile phone functions and performance.

So, will foldable phones put an end to tablets in the future?

At present, the optimization of mobile phone systems for mobile computing needs has been ongoing, especially for lightweight office use. For example, the iPad product line running the iOS platform, while equipped with powerful hardware performance, also introduces many elements from macOS, such as providing a Dock program dock, supporting quick access to commonly used apps and documents from the program dock, supporting multitasking through split-screen browsing mode and side-by-side functions, and dragging and dropping pictures, texts and files between different apps.

That is to say, when Apple completes the design of foldable phones, it can easily meet the needs of different users by switching between iPhone and iPad modes using the iOS system. In addition to Apple, Microsoft should be the largest giant in lightweight office tablets. Before giving up Windows Phone, it had already designed a powerful Continuum mode on mobile phones. If Microsoft also completes the design of foldable phones, the original need to connect to a large-screen monitor to experience PC operations will become just unfolding the screen.

So what about the Android camp? Actually, even the native tablet system of Pixel C cannot provide the best experience, not to mention the so-called PC mode. This year, only two major mobile phone manufacturers have begun to provide an experience similar to Microsoft's Continuum mode for their flagships. One is Samsung and the other is Huawei. Based on the system originally designed for mobile phones, they provide a PC mode that integrates the experience of PC and mobile devices. Connecting to a large screen can fully combine the advantages of both. This experience on foldable devices means that it will also give users a sense of familiarity.

From this point of view, in the case of native systems, if the foldable phone is in tablet mode, Apple and Microsoft currently have a relative advantage. Furthermore, Microsoft is stronger in pure desktop computing scenarios. However, when using smartphone mode, iOS and Android devices have more advantages and can better meet the needs of users to use the device in hand for a long time. But no matter what, at this stage, no matter which camp, more or less, has or is exploring the experience of converting the phone to a large screen, which will have a significant boost to the advent of foldable phones in the future.

This naturally means that when foldable devices come out, if both the hardware and software can better meet the experience of switching from a small screen to a large screen, pure tablets will have a harder time, and may even be completely replaced one day. However, even if the software of foldable phones can be well matched with the hardware and is no longer a gimmick, the following points are still issues that foldable phones must face in the early stages and that consumers must seriously consider:

-How big can the screen of a foldable phone be when it is unfolded? Can a 6-inch smartphone really become a 12-inch tablet when unfolded? Because it involves the issue of screen ratio, two 21:9 phones may be 21:18 after unfolding, which is close to a square, or it may be a more exaggerated rectangular 9:42. Obviously, 21:18 or 16:18, which are closer to a square, are more reasonable, but is this the larger viewing area that users want?

-Will foldable phones be heavy? ZTE's Axon M, with its innovative hinge design, has dual 5.2-inch screens, a thickness of 12.1mm, and a weight of 230g. It is indeed a relatively bulky device from a design perspective this year. How light and thin can a true foldable phone be? I believe that no consumer wants this type of device to be much heavier than a traditional phone, otherwise the size of the device will be too much like a bulging wallet and it will feel like an old-fashioned PDA.

-What about the battery life of foldable phones? Foldable phones need to be thin and light, and battery life is a concern. According to the design of conventional non-flexible new batteries, they may only be placed on a single screen part. However, the Axon M is so thick that it can only fit a 3180mAh battery. How big can a real foldable phone be? Will there be a new type of flexible battery to increase the density? How long can the battery life be in tablet mode with dual screens? There are really too many questions about battery life.

-Will foldable phones be expensive? Undoubtedly, foldable phones are a kind of device that turns concepts into reality, that is, niche products. The initial price must be quite expensive. Before a large number of manufacturers are truly capable of mass production, the high cost caused by technical barriers will inevitably lead to a relatively high actual selling price for a long time. Not only that, it is also possible that due to the immaturity of technology and high costs, manufacturers capable of mass production will not mass produce or only sell them in a very small market.

In any case, the "foldable" technology is still in the undisclosed stage. I believe that everyone has thought about the problem, and manufacturers have done a lot of research to turn the concept into reality. But it must be said that every mobile phone manufacturer that develops foldable devices is awe-inspiring. After all, they are brave enough to create a new category of smartphones, and the birth of new things is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a good thing for the long-dormant smartphone field, adding a new direction for the development of the industry. As consumers, we also expect more and more similar new things.

Of course, the birth of any new thing will have a transition period. It may take quite a long time for truly mature and high-quality foldable mobile phones to appear, especially when the price that ordinary consumers can accept is realized. *** Let me ask everyone, are foldable phones really necessary? Will such products replace tablets in the future? What are your expectations for foldable phones?