Foldable Phones by Ula Bitinaitis

Foldable Phones by Ula Bitinaitis     

     For many people in my age group, the average teen's first phone experience was the starry-eyed unboxing of the iPod or iPhone 4. If you're like me, your first phone was flippable, with tiny letter keys that would cramp your hands or laughably low-quality camera features. Going back further, many people wouldn't have dreamed of having a phone at such a young age, let alone a flippable or touchscreen device. With the rapidly-evolving tech world of today, the computer science news realm is already an annoyance to catch up with; Nonetheless, many turn their heads at the headline appearance of "Foldable Phones" popping up this early in 2019.

     To begin, let's go to the roots. Companies have already tried this style of phone in the past, but have failed. Royole, for example, rushed to hold the standard as the first foldable phone on the market. The $1,300 Royole FlexPai was considered a horrible mess by many. At this flop, other bigger companies realized that the process would require heavy investment and research.

     Professionals and tech-geeks alike like calling the current standard of phones sporting the "candy bar" style (funny enough how due to the upcoming foldable phones, we need a new name for our current kind!) Huawei, and Samsung, both east-Asian phone manufacturers, are seeking to release this new generation of phone designs. For Samsung, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, similar to the Galaxy S10 (which was completely swept to the shadows in light of their new foldable phone), will hold many of the same features. This'll include running on a Snapdragon 855, holding 12GB of RAM, and having Samsung’s latest OLED panel technology, with minor editions to obviously accommodate the fact that you can bend the phone down its middle. Critics are already holding this new Samsung model in low regard. Vlad Savov, one of these critics, states that "the device is the thickness of two phones, has enough cameras and RAM for two phones, provides the same screen real estate as two phones, and, yes, it costs the same as two phones as well." Many aren't pleased, particularly at its price, which is just short under $2000. The Samsung Galaxy Fold plans to be released late April.

     As for Huawei, there seems to be a more positive outlook. Their Huawei Mate X, though a whopping $2600, is most certainly the slickest of its kind at the moment. Released this February, the phone provides the user three screens. Though thicker than our current smartphones, such as the common iPhones many people have, it is much thinner than Samsung's product. Not only that, but there is no gap in the fold, unlike the Samsung. The Mate X plans to ship in the summer of 2019. Though many had doubted the success and necessity of a folding phone, minds are being changed at the introduction of the Huawei and Samsung.

     Perhaps this style of phones won't be as uncommon in the future. In the way we laugh at flip phones now, who knows if the cycle will continue for the ones million possess today?

Above is the Huawei Mate X.

Above is the Samsung Galaxy Fold.