A folding phone isnt inherently unrepairable. Yes it is less durable but if you look some of them the only drawback is that the internal screen scratches easily and are otherwise very stable. Would i get a folding phone to use as a phone? No, but as a mini tablet it is extremely neat. And once again, as all devices, you can make them repairable. But yes they are more expensive but you know you dont have to buy them right? You know you could just buy a fairphone, put linux on it and use that for like 8 years or what the support is?
this post was submitted on 06 Oct 2026
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I really like the idea of a tri-fold phone running Nura that can revert to a tablet or desktop. It's one device for multiple form factors, for different use cases.
9000 dolla dolla. Insert cash or select payment type.
I really loved the new razr I had for the last two years. Hella fun to play with...but everyone's right. It's a fragile gimmick going after your nostalgia. Folding screens like this just aren't ready for the abuse we put on them.
I bought a 2023 Razr not long after its successor came out. The phone was only $550 because I wasn't buying a current flagship (it doesn't matter whether or not it's foldable, flagship phones have gotten obnoxiously expensive), and so far it's held up just fine. There's creases in the protective layer over the screen where it bends the most, but it's not anything that really hinders my user experience.
The fact that it actually fits in my back pocket without destroying the fabric is a huge plus for me.
I thought people love paying for things that break easily.
/s for those who think at the speed of sloth
I don't get it. If a larger screen is so important to you, why not just use a tablet? They have tablets that are almost that small. It just seems like it's not big enough to help with much that a tablet won't do better. I know it's an extra device, but I doubt most people REALLY need the extra screen space that badly, and if they REALLY do, a tablet would serve that need much better.
1-Watching videos are always a little bigger. Most videos made nowadays are in 16:9 so it isn't THAT much of a difference honestly, but if I'm watching something in the old 4:3 format I can zoom in so it fills the entire screen (basically two 'normal' phones stacked on top of each other. Also, even in the former case, the subtitles usually appear BELOW the screen instead of blocking something from the actual show
2-Gaming. More or less the same as the above but some games are specifically programmed for the larger screens and they are a GODSEND for when I'm trying to play strategy games. I'm going to lump "typing" in here as well just because I feel way less fat-fingered typing with the full screen; functionally it's not all that different than the norm but it certainly feels a lot more natural this way, at least for me (though admitedly, the split in the middle of the keyboard took a little bit to get used to, see below)
3-Depending on the apps/browsers/whatever, I can have 2 windows open on the same screen. Very helpful for when, for example, a friend texts me a question on one side and I'm like 90% sure I know the answer but just to be safe I do a Google search with the other side. This one is admitedly niche but sure comes in handy when I want it.
4-Probably the biggest reason is simply "I want a tablet that can fit in my pocket." I don't always use it in tablet form, sometimes the phone is all I need at the moment and then it goes right back into my pocket. But then when I WANT the tablet, I don't need to go fetch it from another part of the house, or bemoan the fact that I left it at home, or whatever; I guess "having the different options available" is probably the best way to put it. This even applies to when I'm trying to balance or prop it up somewhere; if one configuration doesn't work for whatever reason, the other probably will.
TL;DR Having options is nice. Do I NEEEEEED my videos/games to be bigger or a tablet that I can fit in my pocket? No, but after having that power in my fingertips (literally) I'm probably not going back anytime soon
This writer clearly hasn't been to China where we have had generations of foldables. The last two gens are amazing from all manufacturers. The latest Xiaomi 18 fold sold out in one day. Just the usual ignorant western point of view.
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For those who buy them, they only need to last a year.
I don't know what people do with tablet-size phones. I feel like they're mostly to show off.
A lot of reading (especially PDFs), videos, comics, charts, spreadsheets, even browsing Lemmy when the comments get too indented to read on a narrow screen. It's just a full color e-reader that fits in my pocket. Sure, people comment on it sometimes when I unfold it to show them something better, but I could not care less about showing off. It's just really useful for a frequent reader.
I had Flips for years, mainly because of "fits in my shorts pockets in summer" - but this generation I've switched to the Fold 8 because the new passport-size is perfect; small enough for the pockets, but also the "tablet size" when unfolded. So I'm still learning a bit on tablet foldables but...
First thing is I have indeed ditched carrying my old eReader, ever. Unfolded it's perfect for reading books, and newspapers. It's really nice being able to put two apps side-by-side, whether it's something mundane like my shopping list on the left and my grocery-ordering app on the right, or more 'productive' like a video call on one half and my email on the other. I'm also loving the fact that I can finally use remote desktop or SSH usefully from the phone. And the big screen is good for watching movies and playing games as well - my last longhaul flight was the first time I've not bothered packing my ROG Ally and just used three phone instead.