The closed display halves almost touch, and that can smash debris into the screen.
The durability issues of foldables are a real shame because the Pixel Fold is otherwise a very nice device. We’ll have a full review up soon.
Dead before the review dropped. Thats gotta be a record.
otherwise a very nice device.
“Other than that, how was the play, Mrs. Lincoln?”
Almost, but one of the original Galaxy Folds only lasted a day https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/17/18411510/samsung-galaxy-fold-broken-screen-debris-dust-hinge-flexible-bulge
Remember how they came with what reviewers thought was a screen protector, but was really part of the display? And how removing that “screen protector” immediately ruined it?
…that would be something I’d do.
Brownlee didn’t seem too pleased with it either.
I’m willing to leave folding phones in the past. I can’t imagine these ones are especially durable, with the two screens that stretch across a folding body. People weren’t having a whole lot of luck with the Nintendo DS back in the day, either, and that had two separated screens and reinforced plastic hinges.
I’ve had a Galaxy Fold 4 since release (last september), and I haven’t personally had any durability issues whatsoever. The thing here, though, is that Samsung is scheduled to release its fifth generation folding device in about a month or so, while the Pixel Fold is Google’s first try at a folding device.
The Flip and Fold 4 are probably the most refined foldable devices at the moment, and I’ve been really happy with mine. Google is a couple of years away from this level of refinement, so it doesn’t exactly surprise me that the first Pixel Fold is “meh”.
Yep, there’s a serious risk to being an early adopter of a Google product in general. IMO this is definitely a Google problem and not a foldable phone problem in general, I’ve had the Fold 4 since launch and have had no concerns over its durability. I also don’t see foldables going anywhere - being able to open it up into a tablet form is amazing for any type of media consumption that’s not simple texting.
Don’t worry - when Apple makes a folding phone it will be “revolutionary” and then within a few years it will be impossible to find a mainstream or flagship phone that doesn’t fold.
Signed: 3.5mm headphone jack
If you are really interested in a folding phone, I have the Microsoft Surface Duo 2 and it’s holding up really well. The 2 screens don’t meet in the middle, but the hinge system is extremely sturdy, and my phone has stood up to lots of drops and fumbles with just one or two scratches. I have the bumper/magnet case, and I have to say, being able to use the Surface pen (the new slim and the classic Surface pen) is so nice. It runs a modified Android with some Microsoft and Office apps built in, and considering I have my entire personal device ecosystem held together through OneDrive, it works out really well to have the Microsoft and Google apps side-by-side.
Isn’t the idea more of one large screen than two screens?
Two screens on a small mobile device seems really useless for most people.
Yeah. Its.great having a larger display when I want it and having the smaller one for quick messages or whatever. The surface phones were weird and I don’t know what microsoft were thinking.
For me, it basically functions like the dual monitors on my computer. The most useful thing is being able to run two apps side-by-side and not having to switch back and forth constantly.
I have my launch fold 3 and I love it. I’ve dropped.it a few times, mostly from waist height as I sometimes miss my pocket. Last weekend I dropped it from.shoulder height and it landed on the case, well half case as the other half broke a while ago and I never replaced it. It’s still fine. It doesn’t open all the way but I think that’s dirt amd debris that has made its way in and clogged the gears. The only thing holding me back from the fold 5 is the likely price. I had hoped a pixel fold would be somewhat cheaper than a Samsung but oh well. Life has changed a lot for me since I got my phone so affordability is more of a concern now. That’s not to say there’s not lemons that still come out, see the story were commenting on, but from my expierence folding phones are there now.
I legitimately like my Samsung flip. I know people have had issues with them, but mines been great.
I knew it was gonna be good when their YouTube ads said “the only foldable phone designed by Google”
Going for a first gen Google product is a mistake we’ve all made at least once.
I never considered how important the slightly raised rubber bumps on the edge of the Z Fold are before. Good to know that they work.
You know what never had that problem despite years of abuse? My LG V60 Dual Screen.
Rip LG smart phones
I still used my V30 as my daily driver until about a month ago. Only switched finally because the software was so out of date and it wasn’t worth rooting it.
Hardware-wise, it was still working no problem. The battery didn’t have the capacity it once did, but would still last a day. Not bad for being over 5 years old.
Dunno if too many people remembered the bootlooping issues of the G4, V10 and Nexus 5X and if that contributed to LG exiting the market.
Oh believe me I remember that V10 bootloop. I liked how lg held out a little longer on removable batteries, and stayed with ir blasters and other niche things when other manufacturers abandoned them. I won’t miss the screen burn in.
Ah yep that image retention was awful on their IPS displays. I’ve only seen worse on a Dell Latitude E7240, if that can be believed.
I used a G5 before my V30 and there was that and the GPS being useless on it. I even bent the GPS pins back into place to give them better contact and while that improved things, it was still rubbish.
The modules were interesting even if they were gimmicky and flopped hard. It helped when the charging port began to have issues, since I could just replace the chin to fix it. It was still a cool phone though. It felt like LG were the only ones still trying to innovate there, even if they often missed the mark.
Yeah that’s my big fear now that they’re out of the game. They took some wacky and wild chances, but that also led to them developing some stuff that’s industry standard nowadays. They had capacitive screens and wide angle camera lenses before Apple, and while it didn’t “fold” like the Pixel Fold does, I believe the Flex line was the first phone to have a flexed/flexible screen - back in 2015.
Now that they’re gone, I am afraid it’s just going to be Apple and Samsung copying off one another with diminishing returns.
Yup, still have my V60 dual screen as my daily driver, great phone.
Any first gen foldable phone is just asking for heartbreak, it seems like. Seems like the best bet is to wait until the 3rd or 4th generation, when they’ve worked out most of the problems and can start working on refinement.
At this point, everyone should know first gen Google hardware is always a bit rough. And we know how foldables are more fragile than normal phones.
That’s a potent mix for disaster.
Mine comes in tomorrow and now I’m nervous.
I’ve always been concerned about screen durability with this style of phone. I like the idea, though.
I just wish Google would bring back Glass.
