The biggest barrier to the widespread adoption of phones with these new models is the high price. Samsung’s first foldable phone was launched in 2019 for $ 1,980. Last year’s Z Flip cost $ 1,380, and Microsoft’s Surface Duo sells for $ 1,400. However, these technologies will start to become a little more affordable this year, according to industry analyst Patrick Moorhead, founder and president of Moor Insights & Strategy.
“There’s a price issue. I see it going down this year,” says Moorhead. “If some penetration prices could be made to reach the $ 1,000 entry level, it would start to grow considerably.” Moorhead also expects to see more of these foldable models at the Mobile World Congress in June. (MWC usually takes place in late February in Barcelona, but the show was pushed back in June due to the Covid-19 pandemic.)
Another barrier is reliability. Most state-of-the-art single-screen phones now have a durable glass that protects the screen, along with an IP68 degree of water resistance that protects it from accidental water immersion. However, the Galaxy Fold 2019 was paralyzed after dust spots entered the hinge of the folding phone, causing a delayed launch and forcing Samsung to change the hinge mechanism. It was an embarrassing stumble, but things went a long way in a year.
“When Lenovo came out with Yoga, it took years for the industry to improve on things like hinges,” says Moorhead. “We have even seen changes from year to year with Samsung, when the second version of the Fold used a brushing mechanism, while the previous version used a traditional hinge. That may not sound like much, but in the world of mechanical engineering it’s very big. “
This brush mechanism swept the inside of the hinge every time the phone was opened or closed and helped prevent debris from entering the internal components of Fold 2. Moorhead expects this year’s foldable phones to have the same levels of durability that they have. -I expected from the rectangular plate designs. Streit echoed Moorhead’s feelings and pointed out that mechanical engineering is playing an increasingly important role in smartphone design. “This industry hasn’t needed many moving parts in the last 10 years,” he says. “The rolling stock must be a very good mechanical experience to keep dirt out.”
TCL says it plans to launch a foldable phone or a mobile phone in 2021, and LG has confirmed to Nikkei that the LG Rollable will go on sale this year. None of this means that the traditional single-screen phone experience will soon be gone. After all, Streit notes that people still buy flip phones today. He also says that these new display technologies are “a long-term strategy” for TCL.
Let the good times roll
The mobile design of the LG phone was briefly teased during its CES press conference. We expect to find out more about this later this year.
Video: LGWe should expect the first wave of devices with these new rolling displays not to try to incorporate too many new features. Otherwise, phone manufacturers risk overwhelming regular consumers with traditional smartphone designs.